Corporate Social Responsibility Theory Research Articles

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF ECONOMIC ENTERPRISES AS A SOCIAL GOOD: PRACTICE OF THE EU AND UKRAINE

Current circumstances are shaping new conditions for the interaction of entities of society. The COVID- 19 coronavirus pandemic tests the partner relationship between government, business and civil society in the system of their social responsibility for the efficiency and morality. The purpose of the study is to reveal the theoretical foundations of the concept of “social responsibility of the state, business, citizen” as a determining factor of formation, self-organization, self-control, modernization of civil society and analysis of the practice of organizing the social responsibility system of economic entities in the EU and in Ukraine. The subject of the research is social responsibility as a fundamental value of society and social institute of regulation of relations in society for ensuring stability of living conditions. The methodology of the research is based on the set of methods of scientific analysis. In particular, dialectical (when characterizing the categorical apparatus of the subject of study); systemic (when analyzing the relationship of socio-economic processes); statistical method of comparisons and groupings; economic analysis (when processing statistics); historical (in the study of the evolution of corporate social responsibility (CSR) theory and practice); empirical (in the analysis of the practice of forming partnerships between business structures, the state and civil society in the European Union and Ukraine). Conclusions of the study. The concept of “social responsibility” is a fundamental value of society, and the system of social responsibility of its entities is a social good. It can be considered as a social institute of socio-economic relations regulation in order to ensure the stability of society and the development of living conditions. The systematization of scientific approaches to defining the social responsibility of economic entities as a social good made it possible to justify it from the standpoint of a public policy object, a system of ethical values of society, voluntary obligations of business and a way of managing a business entity. Features of the current socio-economic situation require strengthening of their socially responsible behavior, introduction and observance of new forms of interaction between business and society on the principles of systematic and longterm. The innovative model of the economy is raising new demands for socially responsible behavior of public relations entities. Models of its realization have their own peculiarities in every EU country. They are all stimulated by state institutional mechanisms (privileges in taxation, subsidies, control over compliance with social and environmental standards); international standards of doing business; control by the public (social reporting to stakeholders). Such institutional levers stimulate the integration of socially responsible behavior into the development strategy of the business structures. The European experience of forming and provision of social positioning of entrepreneurial activity is being studied in Ukraine and is gradually being implemented. The level of transparency of leading companies activities is increasing, especially those, the activities of which are focused on international markets (agribusinesses, energy and metallurgy companies). The lower level of transparency of such information is inherent for mining companies. Transnational companies operating in Ukraine have a higher level of CSR disclosure than domestic organizations. On their websites, twice as often as on websites of the Ukrainian companies, issues on human rights, CSR programs, policies and goals are covered. As the example of the high level of compliance with the CSR principles may serve the activities of the French-Ukrainian company “Verallia-Ukraine” PJSC ”Consumers-Sklo-Zorya” (Rivne region, Ukraine). Many Ukrainian business entities have not yet integrated CSR into their company management strategy. Further promotion of the CSR concept, activation of institutional, economic and social mechanisms for its implementation, evaluation of the effectiveness of its implementation are needed.

Keeping Up with the (SR) Neighbors: Community Dynamics and the Adoption of Commercial Solar PV

While research on corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities has identified a number of reasons why companies “go green”, it does not account for the role of geographic communities for the adoption of these activities. We develop and test a model that examines the role of different community-level dynamics that influence companies’ decision to adopt CSR initiatives in specific locations. We identify four factors that operate at the level of geographic communities: pro-social competition, natural resources, political climate, and social movement activism. We use an original dataset to analyze the adoption of practices that aim to address global climate change, in particular on the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels by two large corporations: Walmart and Target. We present preliminary results and discuss research implication for theories of corporate social responsibility, social movements and industry development, and strategic management.

Menalar Formalitas Corporate Social Responsibility dengan Perspektif Institutional Theory

Theory of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has always been associated with the concept of rights and responsibilities and the concept of sustainability. The theory is indeed appropriate to see the company's initiative to do CSR with the company's record in a condition of good financial performance. The problem here is that if a company has not been able to meet the demands of its target profit to shareholders, then there the applicable CSR rules are only seen as a formality without the essence of the initial CSR objectives themselves. This article aims to propose an institutional theory to add literacy theory to CSR in accordance with the case.
 Keywords: Formality; Corporate Social Responsibility; Institutional Theory.

Development of a multidimensional performance evaluation model for container terminals at Marmara Sea

The continuous success of container terminals in a highly competitive environment depends on their ability to compendiously evaluate their activities and to produce effective solutions for the required areas. At this point, there is a need for a comprehensive performance measurement model where terminal activities can be evaluated in a multifaceted way. In particular, given the high throughput volume of the Marmara Sea terminals, there is a lack of a specific model for this region. This study aims to address this deficiency by developing a holistic multi-dimensional framework, Container Terminal Performance Evaluation Method (CTPEM). The theoretical roots of this study go through a three-pillar structure formed by Transaction Cost Economies, Resource-Based View, and Corporate Social Responsibility Theory and consider the opinions of industry professionals. Analytical Network Process, which takes into account the interdependencies among dimensions, is incorporated into the CTPEM model to highlight the priorities of performance dimensions. Results show that Logistics & Operational dimension is the first with 33.7%, Corporate Social dimension is remarkably the second with 31.2% overtaking Financial dimension with 26.7%, which is an exceptional case. The environmental dimension with a concern is given a short shrift with 8.3.

A Conceptual Framework for the Application of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the Management of Housing Projects in Nigeria

The Nigerian housing project setting has been marred with challenges which have continuously led to project under-performance and failure. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is presented as a strategy to mitigate the challenges. CSR which deals with housing project firms’ responsibilities in service delivery towards shareholders, stakeholders and society comprises a landscape of theories. The absence of CSR application towards solving housing project life cycle challenges presented a gap which informed the study. Variables are presented in a suitable and explored framework with a view to examining the potentials of CSR as a panacea to the challenges. This study presents stakeholder and ethical theories as the underpinning theories for the application of CSR in the management of housing projects along the project life cycle phases. Stakeholder theory states that firms’ owe a responsibility to a wider group of stakeholders, other than just shareholders. Ethical theory of CSR applies to housing projects as ethics help to guide the practice of various stakeholders involved in the process of housing project management. Methodology used was a review of documented evidence from related literature. This study found that CSR application in Nigerian housing projects, although rudimentary has yielded positives when implemented. Proper CSR application in housing projects has the capacity to mitigate housing project challenges across each project life cycle phase. This study also recommends the proposition of CSR application in effective housing project management as a standard being a panacea to existing challenges. Keywords: Corporate social responsibility, Housing project, Theories, Framework DOI: 10.7176/CER/12-6-04 Publication date: June 30 th 2020

Empirical analysis of the relationship between the costs of corporate social responsibility policy implementation and Russian companies’ financial performance

Analysis of the current body of scientific knowledge on the problems of economic efficiency of corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy displays highly controversial results. The paper focuses on empirical analysis of the relationship between the level of social responsibility, as proxied by CSR policy implementation costs, and financial performance of Russian companies. The research methodology includes the conceptual framework of the instrumental approach to the corporate social responsibility theory. Accumulated knowledge and empirical results systematized in the article serve as the basis for statistical analysis of panel data. The authors employ random effects and fixed effects models. The sample comprises data covering the period of 2012–2018 for 22 Russian publicly traded companies. The value multiplier Market-to-Book Ratio (MBR) and the accounting indicator of profitability EBITDA margin are used as dependent variables. Estimates of the random effects model confirm a positive relationship between the value multiplier MBR and CSR policy implementation costs. However, the fixed effects model analysis failed to confirm any statistically significant relationship between the value multiplier MBR and CSR costs, which supports the conclusion that decisions on CSR policy implementation in Russia are mainly due to individual characteristics of companies related to unobservable effects. Both models did not reveal a statistically significant relationship between the chosen CSR proxy variable and the accounting indicator of financial performance. The empirical results generally confirm that socially responsible behavior can act as a driver of raising funds even in the context of imperfect market; however, managerial decisions in this field are largely determined by individual characteristics of companies.

Perception of Corporate Hypocrisy in China: The Roles of Corporate Social Responsibility Implementation and Communication.

In the past two decades, corporate hypocrisy has become a phenomenon that cannot be ignored in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practice (Wagner et al., 2009) and has thus become a concern for management scholars (Cho and Lee, 2019). Using smartPLS, based on attribution theory, this paper takes 28 Chinese listed enterprises as examples to explore the influence of CSR motivation on its communication and implementation, as well as the impact of CSR implementation and promotion on consumers’ perception of corporate hypocrisy. The research finds a negative correlation between value-driven motivation and corporate hypocrisy and a positive correlation of performance-driven motivation and stakeholder-driven motivation with corporate hypocrisy. The theoretical contribution of this paper is mainly reflected in the following four aspects. (1) It describes the scale of CSR implementation research and enriches the measurement tools of CSR implementation. (2) It enriches and expands research results in the field of CSR motivation perception. From the perspective of CSR and attribution theory, this study explores the influence of consumers’ perception of CSR motivation on CSR communication and CSR implementation. (3) It supplements research results in the field of corporate hypocrisy. The influence of CSR communication and CSR implementation on corporate hypocrisy is clarified. (4) It clarifies the impact of CSR communication on CSR implementation so as to help enterprises better match CSR communication strategy and CSR implementation in practice and reduce consumers’ perception of corporate hypocrisy. It is suggested that enterprises find their own positioning on CSR motivation, which provides a reference with which enterprises can make better decisions on CSR communication strategy after implementing CSR behavior and provides empirical evidence for the research on CSR motivation perception and corporate hypocrisy in China.

Research on the Synergistic Effect of Environmental Protection Investment and Technological Innovation on Corporate Performance

The research is financed by the National Natural Science Foundation of China . No. 71874103 and Shanxi Provincial Philosophy and Social Science Planning Project . No. 2019B015 (Sponsoring information) Abstract Based on the theory of corporate social responsibility, stakeholder theory and resource-based theory, using the panel data of China's listed companies in heavily polluting industries from 2013 to 2017, the paper reveals the complex relationship between environmental protection investment, technological innovation and corporate performance from both short-term and long-term perspectives, especially the synergistic effect of environmental protection investment and technological innovation on corporate performance. The results show that: (1) with the passage of time, the impact of environmental protection investment on corporate performance changed from negative to positive; (2) corporate technology innovation has a positive impact on corporate performance, but the hysteresis exists in the impact; and (3) the impact of environmental protection investment and technological innovation on short-term and long-term performance of enterprises forms a synergistic effect of 1+1>2. Therefore, enterprises should establish the strategy of integration of environmental protection and technological innovation. While government departments strengthen the supervision of environmental violations, they should properly increase the intensity of environmental protection and R&D subsidies. The public should support the development of green enterprises with practical actions. Keywords: environmental protection investment, technological innovation, corporate performance, synergistic effects DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/12-11-01 Publication date: April 30 th 2020

CSR ‘sustainability’ practices and firm performance in an emerging economy

In this paper we seek to understand the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) environmental and supplier sustainability practices on firm performance within the manufacturing industry in India. We also investigate the moderating effect of an important internal factor – plant capability – that is likely to affect sustainability practices of a firm. Employing the Global Manufacturing Research Group’s survey instrument, data was collected from manufacturing companies in India and then a structural equation modelling (SEM) was performed to arrive at the findings. A rigorous reliability and validity of the scales was ensured. The firms’ size, industry type and export percentage were taken as control variables for the study and the performance of the firms was assessed based on financial and marketing measures. The study determined that environmental sustainability had a direct impact on firm performance, whereas the impact of supplier sustainability on firm performance was found to be positively moderated by plant capability. The justification for the findings is based on the institutional context and pragmatic concerns linked to market logics that shape the strategic choices made by the companies. Thus, the paper ends by proposing that dominant CSR theories in developed western countries, such as political corporate social responsibility (PCSR) and corporate political activity (CPA), may not be best suited as theoretical lenses to understand CSR actions in an emerging economy. Alternatives to these can be provided by institutional and strategic perspectives to CSR, which may offer deeper insights in an emerging economy context.

The impact of CSR on brand image: a survey amongst Gen Z Consumers´ perception toward a supermarket chain in Viet Nam

The topic of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) continues to be a great importance to firms in their businesses, especially when the goal of company brand development associated with CSR activities. The study consists of literature review on CSR theories, concepts of brand image and quantitative analysis of the relationship between them, based on quantitative analysis of a survey on generation Z’s perception of CSR practices and brand image of Co.opmart – a well-known supermarket chain in Viet Nam. Research results show that some CSR aspects have positive impacts on the brand image of the supermarket chain.

Company’s strategic success as the basis of its potential sustainability

The study of corporate sustainability is becoming more relevant in the world economy, thus the connection between global economic processes and political, environmental and society problems was revealed by authors. Given research is devoted to the analysis of the processes of sustainability of Ukrainian and foreign companies. The results of studies of scientific works and interviews with different countries businessmen showed that the sustainable development of the same company should be considered in several directions, namely, in economic, social and environmental. Supporting new institutional concept research that focuses on the sector problems of company’s stability, we have compared theories of corporate sustainability and corporate social responsibility and highlighted the economic dimension as a basis of company’s sustainable development. As a result of our research in economic directions of corporate sustainability the Methodology of evaluation of company’s sustainability potential was proposed. The suggested methodology can ensure corporate sustainability for the strategic period. Proposed in the paper methodology assesses the strategic potential of company’s success, its competitive status and capacity potential, and transform capabilities into competitive advantages. The implementation of the Methodology of evaluation of company’s sustainability potential, according to authors view point, can be proposed as the basis of strategic management in forecasting and planning processes in industrial companies.

The state-of-the-art of corporate social responsibility reporting practices and their contribution to sustainable development. Analysing CSR patterns framed by sustainable development theories as benchmark for modern entrepreneurs

This paper presents an overview of corporate social responsibility (CSR) theories that can be implemented by modern entrepreneurs within practical business context. The research study comprises a state of the art on the literature review of corporate social responsibility practices. There is a research gap in the field of CSR impact for entrepreneurship as well as a literature gap on CSR models and their relevance for modern entrepreneurs. This research focuses upon the importance of conceptualising CSR practices in the entrepreneurship context. Nowadays, entrepreneurs aim to contribute to the economic progress of society without compromising the well-being of future generations. Entrepreneurs need innovation, because for the modern businessmen social responsibility becomes a vital asset influencing the success of the business.

Blockchain and business ethics

AbstractThis paper provides, from a business ethics perspective, a basic clustering of the morally (a) favorable, (b) unfavorable, and (c) ambivalent dimensions of blockchain technology and its various emergent applications. Instead of proffering specific assessments on particular aspects of blockchain‐based business models, we aim to offer an initial overview that charters the territory so that future research can bring about such moral assessments in an informed and orderly fashion. The main contribution of this paper lies in identifying several morally ambivalent dimensions of blockchain technology, which we finally link to two strands of business ethics research: ethical and legal aspects of legislation as well as a link to Habermasian corporate social responsibility theory arguing for transparent data production and consumption on the blockchain. We conclude that future research is necessary for moral assessment of the ambivalent cases, since their ethical evaluation changes depending on whether one analyzes them through the lenses of utilitarianism, contractarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics, respectively.

Conceptualizing data‐deliberation: The starry sky beetle, environmental system risk, and Habermasian CSR in the digital age

Building on an illustrative case of a systemic environmental threat and its multi‐stakeholder response, this paper draws attention to the changing political impacts of corporations in the digital age. Political Corporate Social Responsibility (PCSR) theory suggests an expanded sense of politics and corporations, including impacts that may range from voluntary initiatives to overcome governance gaps, to avoiding state regulation via corporate political activity. Considering digitalization as a stimulus, we explore potential responsibilities of corporations toward public goods in contexts with functioning governments. We show that digitalization—in the form of transparency, surveillance, and data‐sharing—offers corporations’ scope for deliberative public participation. The starry sky beetle infestation endangering public and private goods is thereby used to illustrate the possibility of expanding the political role of corporations in the digital sphere. We offer a contribution by conceptualizing data‐deliberation as a Habermasian variation of PCSR, defined as the (a) voluntary disclosure of corporate data and its transparent, open sharing with the public sector (b) along with the cooperation with governmental institutions on data analytics methods for examining large‐scale datasets (c) thereby complying with existing national and international regulations on data protection, in particular with respect to privacy and personal data.

The Past, History, and Corporate Social Responsibility

An emerging body of research recognizes the importance of the past and history for corporate social responsibility (CSR) scholarship and practice. However, the meanings that scholars and practitioners can ascribe to the past and history differ fundamentally, posing challenges to the integration of history and CSR thinking. This essay reviews diverse approaches and proposes a broad conceptualization of the relationship between the past, history, and CSR. We suggest historical CSR as an umbrella term that comprises three distinct theoretical perspectives. The “past-of-CSR” perspective is concerned with the history of CSR and business ethics as a set of concepts and practices. The “past-in-CSR” perspective involves employing empirical historical research to substantiate and elaborate CSR concepts and theories. Finally, the “past-as-CSR” perspective seeks to understand the past as a living, yet contested, facet of current organizations, influencing contemporary perceptions of corporate and managerial responsibility. We then elaborate on conceptual issues and paths that may prove useful for future research. In all, this essay and the thematic symposium it precedes strive to deepen and broaden the salience of the past and history for thinking about business ethics and business responsibilities.

Exploring the environmental strategy of big energy companies to drive sustainability

AbstractThe purpose of this research is to provide an in‐depth evaluation of the environmental strategy of the biggest energy companies to drive sustainability, i.e., for both business and the environment as a collective entity. Rooted in the theory of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), a secondary data analysis was conducted on the top five energy companies (i.e., British Petroleum (BP), Exxon Mobil, Gazprom, Sinopec and Saudi Aramco) as published by Enercom (2016) to investigate their approach to sustainable development. To do so, each company's environmental strategy was evaluated in order to gain a clear understanding of their implemented procedures for sustainable development towards future. This research paper gives an insight into the main energy companies' impact on nature and assesses how sustainable their strategies are towards environmental issues. Through this evaluation, we clearly identified how climate change forces companies to be responsible towards society, the economy, and the environment. This study's finding contributes to the present body of knowledge and highlights how the big energy companies have taken responsibility for their actions towards environmental issues.

An International Perspective on Corporate Social Responsibility and its Role in Community Development

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) refers to strategies corporations or firms conduct their business in a way that is ethical, society friendly and beneficial to community in terms of development. This article analyses the meaning of CSR based on some theories available in literature. It is argued that three theories namely utilitarian, managerial and relational theories of CSR supported by works of other scholars in the area could be used to suggest that CSR becomes an international concern due to globalized nature of business that knows no border. CSR is evolving in its meaning and practice. The article then discusses the role of CSR in community development because the very logic of CSR is towards seeing its impact in community socially, environmentally and economically. Competencies required by CSR managers are also analysed in order to have a better understanding of the practical aspects of CSR. Finally, conclusions and implications for future research are discussed.

Corporate culture in small and medium enterprises: Application of corporate social responsibility theory

AbstractThe small and medium enterprises play a major role in creating jobs and therefore minimize the unemployment rate to attain corporate sustainable development. Its attention on corporate social responsibility is in doubt about their corporate culture including corporate image and motivation of employees. The purpose of this study is to identify the impact of corporate social responsibility in small and medium enterprises image and employees motivation in terms of environmental and social practices dimension. A quantitative sampling method of 34 small and medium enterprises in the global south was used. The result of this research shows that the variables of environmental dimensions have a significant impact on image and motivation than the variables of social dimensions such as human resources management and community practices. The study indicates that having corporate social responsibility in terms of environmental practices is the main factor in the effective business image and employees motivation.

The African American Community and Professional Baseball: Examining Major League Baseball’s Corporate Social-Responsibility Efforts as a Relationship-Management Strategy

In 1989, former Major League Baseball (MLB) player John Young created the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program as a way to increase the number of African Americans becoming involved with the game of baseball. Along with this program, MLB created the Urban Youth Academy (UYA) in 2006 as a way to not only teach the game but also provide life skills to youth and adults. However, MLB continues to struggle in developing relationships and increasing involvement of African Americans. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to understand why African Americans are not interested or involved in MLB. Corporate social responsibility and relationship management theory were used as the frameworks for this study. Eleven RBI and UYA program managers were interviewed to determine the challenges they face in getting African Americans involved in the game. Results from this study indicated four themes regarding MLB program managers’ challenges: inconsistency in measuring success, lack of parental involvement, and lack of trust. A discussion, implications, and future directions are addressed.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development: The Role of Community Relations

This paper examines the relevance of corporate social responsibility and community relations on national development in this 21 century in Nigeria. The concept of corporate social responsibility emerged from the voice that required business community to examine the ethical or moral principles in order to minimize problems in the business environment and maximize the public good. It is also a social investment and an opportunity to portray goodwill within the organizational host communities. While, community relations is said to be a public relations activity that tends to foster and nurture good neighborliness with its host community in the reciprocal interests of all concerned. This paper employed empirical secondary data, and adopted corporate social responsibility theory and development communication theory. The finding of the study emphasizes that, it is evident to corporal bodies that unless there is conducive atmosphere in their locations, they cannot operate successfully. And recommends that the company official should understand the geo-political, geo-economic and geo-social behavours of the community concerned, in order to foster harmonious co-existence. Also, should not overlook the role of community relations in creating, promoting and sustaining a good community environment. Therefore, it concludes that, to effect proper development in Nigeria, corporal social responsibility and the community relations practice should be the organizational watchword in order to foster growth and development in Nigeria KEYWORDS : Corporal Social Responsibility, Community, Community Relations, Sustainable Development DOI : 10.7176/NMMC/83-06 Publication date :September 30 th 2019