CSR Reports Research Articles

Artificial Intelligence and Corporate Social Responsibility: Synergies, Challenges, and Future Directions

Corporate social responsibility, or CSR, has been the subject of an increasing amount of interest with the infusion of artificial intelligence or AI. AI may open up much-needed improvements in CSR practice, including better decision-making, transparency, and sustainable benefits, but it also poses challenges related to the ethical concerns of data privacy, bias, and accountability. This paper focuses on how an AI-based approach enhances CSR activities and identifies risks embedded in AI adoption in approaches to CSR. The study combines qualitative interviews with industry experts and quantitative analysis of CSR reports from AI-adopting firms and thus sheds lights on the upside and downside of AI-enhanced CSR. Finally, this article ends with recommendations in developing a framework that would align AI capabilities with CSR objectives and indicates how that may potentially challenge future research directions in order to mitigate the ethical challenges involved.

How Covid-19 Has Changed Safety in the Car Transportation Sector: A Corpus-Assisted Analysis of Non-Financial Reports

The importance of people’s safety during Covid-19 has resulted in greater attention to this aspect in CSR and ESG disclosures, especially in the field of transport. The relevance of this topic is also reflected in the recent publication of linguistic studies that investigate how companies in some sub-sectors communicate their commitment to passengers’ safety (Rossato & Nocella, 2022; Bondi & Nocella, 2023). This paper explores how safety is discursively constructed and communicated in the car rental and ride sharing sectors, both before and during the pandemic. Working along the lines of corpus-assisted discourse studies (Partington et al., 2013), the research analyses a corpus of English CSR and ESG reports published by international American companies in the above-mentioned fields of transport. Findings suggest a great concern for safety issues and a more inclusive approach to both customers’ and employees’ safety during the pandemic. Additionally, car rental companies show more attention to vehicle safety, while ride sharing operators put more emphasis on road safety. Evidence also suggests that the companies largely employ commissive statements and vague linguistic choices that signal a general lack of transparency on the practices and initiatives enacted to ensure customers’ and workers’ safety.

A Study on the Construction of Environmental Image of Four Chinese Banks: Based on Metadiscourse Analysis

With the escalating global concern for environmental issues and China's commitment to achieving carbon peaking and neutrality goals, this study aims to investigate how four leading Chinese banks have constructed environmental images through their CSR reports from 2016 to 2021. Utilizing Hyland's (2005) Metadiscourse model and AntConc 3.5.9 for corpus analysis, we quantitatively and qualitatively examine the strategic use of Metadiscourse in these reports. Our findings reveal a dominance of interactive Metadiscourse, particularly transitions and frame markers, which facilitate coherent and structured environmental disclosures. Interactional Metadiscourse, featuring self-mentions and engagement markers etc., underscores the banks' authority and reader engagement. The banks' CSR reports demonstrate commitments to carbon reduction, green finance and credit, ecological agriculture support, and environmental risk management, and then portray proactive environmental images. This research provides insights into how Metadiscourse constructs sustainability discourse in the financial sector, informing ESG reporting and environmental communication strategies.

Įmonių socialinės atsakomybės atskleidimo vertinimas didžiausiuose Lietuvos bankuose

The article examines the importance and regulation of corporate social responsibility disclosure. Based on the GRI standards and the recommendations of the Bank of Lithuania, the paper develops a methodology for calculating the corporate social responsibility index and a model for assessing its quality. The paper presents the results of an empirical study conducted to assess the disclosure of corporate social responsibility in the financial statements of the largest Lithuanian banks in the period 2018-2022. The results show that Lithuanian banks tend to disclose more than 91% of the recommended socially responsible information, while the quality of the reports, according to the selected criteria, reaches 64-82%. Nevertheless, it was noted that some banks do not produce CSR reports and publish group reports in languages other than Lithuanian. Some reports show signs of poor quality: the objectives are not specific and measurable and the textual information is repetitive throughout the study period.

Flash Express: Advancing CSR and Sustainability Reporting

Flash Express: Advancing CSR and Sustainability Reporting

Exploring the Relationship between CSR Reporting and Corporate Misconduct

Exploring the Relationship between CSR Reporting and Corporate Misconduct

Visualization in CSR Reports: The Role of Minority Investors’ Online Information Demand

Visualization in CSR Reports: The Role of Minority Investors’ Online Information Demand

The Risk of Information Richness: CSR Reporting and Diverse Stakeholders’ Evaluation

The Risk of Information Richness: CSR Reporting and Diverse Stakeholders’ Evaluation

Talk or Walk? The Effect of Social Performance Feedback on Green Innovation and CSR Reporting

Talk or Walk? The Effect of Social Performance Feedback on Green Innovation and CSR Reporting

CSR And Health Care Management: Conceptual Approach Towards a Sustainable and Socially Responsible Organisation

Abstract “Good Health and Well-being” is one of the prime Sustainable Development goals which was declared by UNDP as a crucial factor to improve the world. There is no doubt regarding the fact that health is an asset to human beings. Considering the recent covid-19 pandemic scenario it has been observed that in case of economically emerging nations, such as India, it is exceedingly difficult for the governments to singlehandedly look after the health care facilities. Now, it is already known that since 2013 (CSR), that is, Corporate Social Responsibility is a mandate for corporates having a Net worth of more than Rs. 500 crores. In this regard the present research has tried to explore the ways in which CSR activities can be used to enhance health communication for providing better health care facilities in India. The results derived from of this research have further highlighted the contribution of CSR done by pharmaceutical industry in SDG 3. The research methodology has been based on post-positivism philosophy where both qualitative and quantitative secondary data will be collected from CSR reports and relevant case studies. Thereafter, based on the Theoretical Framework of Triple Bottomline theory (People, Planet and Profit), the research has suggested relevant CSR policies which can contribute towards “Good Health and Well-being”.

CSR Reporting Practices: A Cross-Time Comparison of the Food & Beverage and Energy Industries in the U.S. Through Topic Modeling

CSR Reporting Practices: A Cross-Time Comparison of the Food & Beverage and Energy Industries in the U.S. Through Topic Modeling

Being Responsible in a Polarized World: From Dialogical to Partisan CSR

This paper investigates how companies approach corporate social responsibility in polarized landscapes. Polarization makes the dominant dialogical approach to CSR potentially inconclusive. Indeed, companies cannot orient societal CSR meanings through an all-stakeholder-inclusive dialogue because, in a polarized world, stakeholders form alternative meanings in separate and mutually delegitimizing conversations. To understand how companies try to appear responsible under these circumstances, we examine Italian telecom companies’ CSR reports issued throughout the launch of 5G technologies, a polarizing topic that sparked fake news and conspiracy theories. The findings show that, in such polarizing circumstances, companies may adopt a partisan approach to CSR, i.e., engaging with only one conversation to shape CSR views within it while ignoring the other. Through this approach, companies may further exacerbate polarization and shape CSR meanings to align with their core business, rather than the opposite. These implications, we argue, might jeopardize the very essence of CSR.

The Impact of Mandatory Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure on Enterprise Risk-Taking: Facilitative or Constraining?

Using Chinese A-share listed companies from 2006 to 2013 as the research sample, this paper empirically examines the impact and mechanism of the mandatory CSR disclosure policy on Chinese firms’ risk-taking by combining the difference-in-differences (DID) approach. This study finds that the implementation of the policy increases firms’ operating costs and leads to an increase in their financing constraints, which ultimately creates a disincentive for firms to take risks. Second, we also find that, relative to firms that do not disclose CSR reports, the sales revenues, R&D investment and investment levels of firms subject to CSR disclosure are significantly reduced, which may be the result of firms’ tendency to operate conservatively. In addition, heterogeneity analyses suggest that the dampening effect of mandatory CSR disclosure policies on risk-taking is stronger for firms with higher financing costs and for non-state-owned firms. This study further explores the mechanism of the impact of mandatory CSR disclosure on firms’ risk-taking, which will help the government to formulate and improve the information disclosure policy regarding driving the transformation of corporate development in the future.

Comparing and Measuring Textual Analysis in Chinese and US CSR Reports

This study aims to construct a multidimensional framework to deeply analyze sentimental characteristics in CSR disclosure on the basis of Appraisal system and Carroll’s pyramid of CSR. 40 Chinese and American CSR reports are selected as the research targets of this paper. The sentimental characteristics of Chinese and American CSR reports are compared and analyzed in this research. The results of this study are as following: 1) Both Chinese and American CSR reports convey positive sentiment evaluation feature to establish positive image of the enterprises; 2) the use of attitudinal resources in Chinese and American CSR reports tend to judgement and appreciation, but there is a difference in appraisal words use tendency; 3) there are significant differences in the distribution of theme words in CSR reports. Chinese enterprises tend to disclose their economic responsibility information, while American enterprises tend to disclose the information of ethical responsibility. This research has some enlightening significance to enterprises’ cross-cultural communication and discourse multi-dimensional analysis.

Isolating the Effect of Social Risk on MNEs’ CSR Reporting: A New Approach Based on China's Belt & Road Initiative

AbstractThis article highlights CSR disclosure as a strategic response of Chinese multinational enterprises (MNEs) to the social risk they face in host countries. Deviating from prior research that aims to directly measure social risk, we offer a new approach to isolate the effect of social risk by leveraging China's Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) as the research context, under which Chinese MNEs are largely protected from political risk in membership countries but are exposed to substantial social risk from local nongovernment stakeholders. Results from difference-in-differences analyses show that after the enactment of the BRI, Chinese MNEs investing in BRI countries significantly increases their likelihood of CSR disclosure than that of their counterparts investing in non-BRI countries. Further, such effects are more pronounced for state-owned MNEs and MNEs in natural resource industries. This research enriches the international business literature on the relationship between political risk and social risk, and that between corporate political actions and corporate social responsibility.

Preparedness for Mandatory CSR Reporting of Multinational Companies: Case of the Czech Republic

The way how multinational corporations integrate CSR activities into their business practices and communicate them to stakeholders can significantly impact their market position and business reputation. This paper evaluates the perceived level of preparedness for non-financial reporting associated with social, environmental, and economic CSR activities in selected multinational corporations operating in the Czech Republic. A questionnaire survey for this research was conducted between September 2021 and January 2022, targeting a specific group of multinational corporations established in EU countries and operating in the Czech Republic. As non-financial reporting is expected to be extended to a considerably large number of companies in the near future, this research has high practical relevance for stakeholders involved in decision-making processes. It is valuable for academics as well as the findings revealed statistically significant differences in the understanding of the degree of preparedness for non-financial reporting on individual CSR activities among the respondents. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2024-08-03-013 Full Text: PDF

The Complementarity and Substitution Effects of CSR‐Focused Governance Mechanisms on CSR Decoupling

ABSTRACTResearch Question/IssueThe study examines whether CSR‐focused governance mechanisms (CSR committees, standalone CSR reports, and CSR contracting) operate as complements or substitutes for each other in mitigating CSR decoupling.Research Findings/InsightsThe study finds that CSR‐focused governance mechanisms diminish CSR decoupling and enhance CSR credibility in UK firms. In addition, the simultaneous presence of CSR committees and standalone CSR reports has a complementary effect in mitigating CSR decoupling. Conversely, the combinations of CSR committees and CSR contracting as well as standalone CSR reports and CSR contracting exhibit a substitute relationship. These impacts remain consistent when categorizing CSR decoupling into underreporting and overreporting. During the financial crisis of 2008–2009, the complementary relationship between CSR committees and CSR reports remained consistent, although the substitution between CSR committees and CSR contracting, and CSR reports and CSR contracting, is only observed after the crisis.Theoretical/Academic ImplicationsThe study innovatively contributes to the agency theory literature by adopting a bundle corporate governance approach while focusing on specific CSR governance mechanisms to address agency issues. It empirically shows that complementary combinations of CSR‐focused governance mechanisms signify a marginal benefit in reducing CSR decoupling, leading to a reduction in agency costs.Practitioner/Policy ImplicationsThe study offers several implications. First, it helps firms create ideal combinations of different CSR‐focused governance mechanisms that provide superior marginal benefits. Second, firms' stakeholders, especially the investors, could identify the usefulness of adopting CSR‐focused governance mechanisms in CSR reporting. Finally, it could also attract regulators' attention toward the weaker aspects of the existing corporate governance code regarding CSR.

How corporate technological innovation social responsibility leads to better radical technological innovation: an intellectual capital perspective

PurposeCorporate social responsibility (CSR) is regarded as the driving factor of innovation. However, corporate technological innovation social responsibility’s (CTISR) role and effect mechanism in leveraging radical technological innovation (RTI) has been limited. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between CTISR and RTI and the moderating effect of intellectual capital and institutional support on CTISR and RTI.Design/methodology/approachGrounded in resource-based view, a research model including CTISR, intellectual capital, institutional support and RTI is proposed Content analysis is performed on the CSR reports of Chinese companies that have been publicly listed published from 2008 to 2022, to measure each company’s CTISR. A regression analysis was then applied to relate CTISR, intellectual capital and institutional support to firm-specific variables to determine their relevance and influence on RTI.FindingsResults indicate that CTISR is positively related to RTI. The results also indicate that human capital, structural capital and institutional support strengthen this positive relationship. Furthermore, institutional support strengthens the positive interaction effect of human capital with CTISR and structural capital with CTISR, respectively.Originality/valueThis research explores the relationships among CTISR, intellectual capital, institutional support and RTI in a comprehensive model, which is the first known study to highlight that CTISR can enhance RTI and gives managers implications on how to align corporate technological innovation while pursuing RTI.

중국 상장기업의 조세회피와 사회적 책임활동이 기업가치에 미치는 영향

[Purpose] Recently, social demands for sincere tax payment and social responsibility activities (hereinafter, CSR) of companies are increasing. However, some oppose this because of the decrease in corporate value. China, which has shown rapid capitalism economic development over the past decades, is no exception. This study empirically analyzed the effects of tax avoidance and CSR on corporate value for Chinese listed companies. [Methodology] For empirical analysis, corporate value was measured in Tobin Q, tax avoidance was measured in three ways：effective tax rate and effective cash tax rate multiplied by (－1), and discretionary BTD of Desai and Dharmapala (2006). CSR was measured by whether or not to disclose the CSR report. [Findings] First, it was found that corporate value decreased as tax avoidance increased. Second, when CSR is active, corporate value increases. Third, the regression coefficients of the interaction variable between tax avoidance and CSR all had significant positive (＋) values, and it was found that the negative effect of tax avoidance on corporate value decreased when CSR is active. [Implications] This s tu dy i s meaningfu l in that it has demonstrated empirically that i t is also effective in terms of corporate sincere tax payment and CSR performance corporate value.

Review of the Impact of Corporate CSRD on the Capital Cost of Debt

With the expansion of credit scale, green credit releases a large number of ecological dividends. CSR reporting is different from tightly regulated financial reporting and there are no uniform standard to regulate and monitor its disclosure. At the same time, because CSR reports mainly contain non-financial information of text, and text is more flexible and easier to manipulate than numbers, compared with financial reports, CSR reports have a large space for subjective manipulation, which runs counter to the original intention of reducing information asymmetry. Existing studies have confirmed that CSR intonation can provide incremental information to external information users, so it is worth further exploring whether creditors will obtain information from CSR reports when making credit decisions. Therefore, this paper tries to take CSR intonation as the entry point, summarize the motivation and consequences of CSRD, the relationship between social responsibility and debt capital cost, discuss the impact of CSRD behavior on the financing ability of enterprises, further improve the theoretical basis and conclusion of CSRD and enterprise financing ability, and promote the sustainable development of enterprises.