High Level Of Social Responsibility Research Articles

Participatory leadership and its relationship to the level of social responsibility among academic leaders in Jordanian universities

This study aims to determine the extent of participative leadership among academic leaders in Jordanian universities and its relationship with social responsibility as perceived by faculty members. This study utilized a descriptive research design, sampling 357 faculty members during the academic year 2022/2023. Data were collected to measure faculty perceptions of participative leadership and social responsibility within their institutions. Results indicated that both participative leadership and social responsibility were perceived at a moderate level among academic leaders. A significant and positive correlation was found between participative leadership and social responsibility suggesting that increased participative leadership is associated with higher levels of social responsibility. The study concludes that enhancing participative leadership practices may positively influence the social responsibility of academic leaders while participative leadership and social responsibility are currently perceived as moderate. This relationship highlights the importance of leadership styles in fostering socially responsible academic environments. The study recommends providing training sessions for academic staff to underscore the importance of participative leadership and social responsibility. Increasing faculty involvement in decision-making processes and expanding access to affordable training opportunities are also suggested to strengthen these practices within Jordanian universities.

Strategic analysis of mining and metallurgical companies: consideration of socio-environmental factors

The strategic development of mining and metallurgical companies is currently largely related to the development of social policy and maintaining high responsibility of the business towards its employees and ecosystems. The strategic goals of companies should be aimed at the environmental modernization of production, ensuring, among other things, the reduction of emissions of harmful substances and greenhouse gases. The development of low-carbon technologies, compliance with modern environmental requirements, and the achievement of a high level of social responsibility are both areas of strategic development and opportunities for the formation of new competitive advantages. The purpose of the work is to adapt the methods of strategic analysis to modern environmental and social trends to set the current strategic goals of mining and metallurgical companies in terms of increasing attention to the social responsibility of business and the implementation of green production and low-carbon development. The study substantiates the increasing role of environmental and social factors of sustainable development in the activities of mining and metallurgical companies. Using MMC Norilsk Nickel as an example, the main environmental-oriented areas of the company’s development are identified, and the issues of social policy are also reflected. An algorithm of strategic analysis for the specifics of mining and metallurgical companies is proposed, suggesting the use of classical methods of strategic analysis and goal setting with the use of VRIO-analysis methodology, which in turn will allow to identify sustainable competitive advantages associated with the achievement of environmental and climatic objectives and increased social responsibility.

Innovation Activity and Social Responsibility of Big Business: The Role of Political Connections

The presented article is devoted to identifying the role of political connec-tions of big business in the process of implementing innovation activity and social responsibility. It is shown that political connections and innovation activity can be both substitutes and complements depending on the institutional environment in which interaction between economic and political actors occurs. Investments in political connections can facilitate innovations that to help firms to overcome non-market barriers. The negative consequences of its using are determined with the lack of motivation, organizational inertia, government control and agency prob-lem. It is noted that political connections reduce the amount of resources allocated to R&D but they increase the effectiveness of the protection of intellectual property rights. This means that political connections bring support and valuable know-ledge about public policy to the firms reducing information asymmetry. It is shown that the flip side of using political connections is social responsibility. It is used by big business to legitimize its activities in the eyes of society. The more a company uses political connections, the more likely it is to provide a higher level of social responsibility reporting. Large Russian companies are actively involved in the im-plementation of social responsibility in the territories where they operate. The key factor ensuring the functioning of large business on domestic markets is social re-sponsibility, while accumulated political connections allow it to enter global mar-kets with the support of the state.

Social Responsibility of Enterprises in the System of Comprehensive Work Safety Management

The purpose of the article is to study the role of socially responsible behavior of enterprises in the system of integrated labor protection management and to determine its features in the conditions of martial law. It has been proven that the integrated management of occupational health and safety at the enterprise is a systematic approach to organizing and ensuring the safety and health of the enterprise’s employees, which involves coordination, planning, implementation and control of measures aimed at preventing risks and ensuring the safety and well-being of employees, and is based on based on the principles of management leadership, employee participation, risk identification and assessment, implementation of security measures, monitoring and analysis, continuous improvement. It was determined that the main aspects of the social responsibility of enterprises during wartime include ensuring the safety of workers at workplaces, supporting workers and their families, ensuring sustainable operations during a military conflict, preserving production and jobs, participating in public initiatives, observing ethical principles, etc. The peculiarities of the social responsibility of enterprises in the field of labor protection in terms of occupational safety, health of workers, interaction and communication, compliance with social standards and social influence are systematized. In order to promote the development of a safety culture and increase the level of social responsibility of enterprises in the field of labor protection at the state level, a number of measures have been proposed, including the development of a system of standards, criteria and indicators for classifying companies as socially responsible, spreading the experience of social policy of successful corporations in in the field of labor protection, implementation of a campaign to popularize labor safety, creation of a system of financial incentives for enterprises with a high level of social responsibility in the field of labor protection, etc. The direction of further research can be scientific substantiation of effective mechanisms of interaction of state authorities with local self-government bodies, associations of employers and entrepreneurs, trade unions and other organizations in order to implement state policy in the field of labor protection.

Is brand activism an emotional affair? The role of moral emotions in consumer responses to brand activism

As brand activism continues to move up the corporate agenda, a more comprehensive understanding of its effects is needed. This paper contributes to the evolving research by investigating moral emotions (i.e. other-praising and other-condemning emotions) as mediating factors and consumer-brand identification (CBI) as a moderator that shape consumer reactions to brand activism. Three scenario-based experiments on two divisive topics show that activist messages elicit moral emotions that determine how individuals respond to them, depending on whether or not they agree with the brand’s stance. Moreover, this effect of (dis)agreeing with the brand’s stance on brand attitude is moderated by CBI. In case of a strong identification, an activist message does not affect brand attitude as CBI attenuates the activation of moral emotions – both in the positive case of agreement and in the negative case of disagreement. Finally, brand activism may counter the brand’s social goals, as it disproportionally motivates opponents of the brand’s stand to advocate their own contrary views on the contentious issue. In sum, these findings underscore both the emotional nature of consumer reactions to brand activism and the high level of social responsibility of companies that position themselves as political actors.

Dynamic behavior in a Cournot duopoly with social responsibility

In an oligopoly with isoelastic demand, the paper analyzes the quantity competition between NPM profit-maximizing firms and NRS socially responsible firms whose objective function is a linear combination of profit and consumer surplus.From the static analysis it follows that greater social responsibility has a competitive effect, since reduces the equilibrium price and increases the market share of socially responsible firms. In addition, it increases both the consumer surplus and total surplus.For the duopoly case, the dynamic study leads to the conclusion that, if at least one of the firms follows the gradient rule as an adjustment mechanism, an increase in the speed of adjustment is a source of instability. An increase in the value of the elasticity of demand as well as a reduction in the marginal cost has a stabilizing effect on the Cournot equilibrium. A higher level of social responsibility exerts a stabilizing role on the dynamics as long as demand is sufficiently elastic.

ВИКОРИСТАННЯ ТА ВІДТВОРЕННЯ РЕСУРСНОГО ПОТЕНЦАЛУ АГРАРНОГО БІЗНЕСУ ЗА УМОВ ІНКЛЮЗИВНОЇ ЕКОНОМІКИ

The aggravation of the global problems of humanity’s existence has led to a rapid and radical change in value orientations and strategic priorities for the further development of world economies. The concepts of socio-ecological and economic justice, equality, and access to financial benefits have replaced and supplemented the dominant commercial business management concepts. The idea of inclusive development has become one of the main ones among such concepts. Its principles aim to overcome gaps and inequalities in the population’s quality of life. The agricultural sector plays a decisive role in this. The article investigates the inclusive agricultural business’s key priorities, characteristics, and principles. A review of literary sources was carried out devoted to the issue of inclusiveness in the development of agriculture and rural areas. The author’s variation supplemented the fundamental principles of inclusive agrarian business. The landscape of the main tasks of using the resource potential of agribusiness under the conditions of an inclusive rural economy is determined. An analysis of the state, volumes, and value of the resource potential of agribusiness of Ukraine under pre-war conditions was carried out. The research results showed significant problems in the formation of the resource potential of the agricultural sector in terms of human resources, fixed assets, and intangible assets. Despite this, the results demonstrated the agrarian sector’s investment attractiveness and agribusiness’s high profitability. The thesis confirmed a significant potential for ensuring the future economic growth of the agricultural industry based on inclusive development. The critical strategic principle of managing the resource potential of inclusive farm businesses should be a compromise and an optimal combination of commercial business initiatives with a high level of social responsibility for agricultural producers. The final cessation of the military conflict on the territory of Ukraine should become a mandatory prerequisite for realizing this goal. The prospects for further scientific research in this context are the assessment of the dependence of the effectiveness of the use of the resource potential of agricultural business entities depending on the degree of implementation of the inclusive principles of its development in practical activities.

УПРАВЛІННЯ СОЦІАЛЬНОЮ ВІДПОВІДАЛЬНІСТЮ АГРАРНИХ ПІДПРИЄМСТВ В УМОВАХ МІЖНАРОДНОЇ ТРАНСФОРМАЦІЇ БІЗНЕСУ

The exacerbation of social problems in society occurs as a result of the significant impact on it of such factors of the external environment as climate change, scarcity of resources, the emergence of new infectious diseases, social distancing, digitalization, etc. Under such circumstances, the responsibility of business increases not only for the results, but also for the consequences of its functioning. The activities of agricultural sector enterprises are directly related to the use of natural resources and affect the environment. Therefore, the implementation of socially responsible agrarian business and the development of appropriate tools for its management acquire special attention. During the research, the approaches to defining the concept of "social responsibility" were analyzed. The trends of corporate social responsibility in accordance with the goals of sustainable development were investigated and the factors stimulating enterprises to implement social responsibility were analyzed. The authors identified five main levels of implementation and development of social responsibility of the subjects of the agricultural sector: nano-level - the level of an individual, micro-level - enterprises and their stakeholders, meso-level - territorial communities and corporate associations, macro-level - the state and civil society as a whole, metalevel – international organizations and transnational corporations. A social responsibility management model for agricultural sector enterprises has been developed. As a result, a mechanism for managing the social responsibility of an agricultural enterprise based on the principles of openness and partnership, mutuality, environmental friendliness, social orientation, economy and sustainable development was proposed. This mechanism involves the use of defined tools and the implementation of key management functions to achieve results under the influence of social climate factors and subjects of higher levels of social responsibility.

PREVENTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR IN YOUTH

This article is about the problems that can lead to a significant increase in antisocial behavior of Ukrainian youth. In particular, the prevention of its development and the prevention of its emergence. This article will focus on rethinking the role of antisocial behavior of youth in society.This article aims to analyze and characterize the problems, features, and trends of the study of antisocial behavior in youth, as well as to specify the search for a systematic approach to develop effective ways to improve the quality of preventative measures and social educational services.The goal of the system is to provide preventive measures for the development of antisocial behavior in youth and to solve the life problems of individuals and social groups. Also to create appropriate conditions under which these groups will be able to independently solve their problems, restore lost skills and functions, and overcome or minimize them.The focus is on developing a strategy for preventing antisocial behavior in the youth of Ukraine, the USA, and the rest of Europe to meet the informational needs of youth in Ukrainian society.It was determined that the prevention of antisocial behavior consists of the systematic supply of counseling services, which are carried out during the period of adaptation of the individual to the new conditions of the social environment.The perspective issue is the study of the development process of youth's antisocial behavior during the conditions of war on the territory of Ukraine. It presupposes the process of rethinking and finding the essential characteristics of the process of youth socialization, which requires a high level of social responsibility and national consciousness from each person.

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in five Western Balkan countries

Abstract Background The vaccine hesitancy is a matter of global concern with inadequate global uptake postponing the moment of reaching herd immunity and bringing the COVID-19 pandemics under control. Countries in the Western Balkans struggle with vaccine hesitancy, trying to bring vaccine acceptance and ways to improve it into the focus. Methods A cross-sectional study on vaccine hesitancy was conducted from July to September 2021 and included adult population from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia (1605 individuals). Convenience sampling was applied using anonymized online questionnaire (shared through social media) measuring, among others, trust in societal factors, social responsibility and, the credibility of information sources about COVID-19 vaccines. Results The highest degree of trust in societal factors was found in North Macedonia (M = 3.65, SD = 1.06), followed by Montenegro (M = 3.50, SD = 1.19) and Serbia (M = 3.24, SD = 1.26). In Albania 44.7% respondents believed in reluctance of pharmaceutical companies to publish detailed research reports on the risks of adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccines. The view that the health authorities when they encourage vaccination do so with the best intentions supported 66,3% respondents in North Macedonia and 49% in Albania and Serbia. The highest level of social responsibility (M = 4.12, SD = 1.09) was revealed in North Macedonia. Primary care physicians, health professionals in media, webpages of public health institutions, and scientific literature are the most trusted sources of information about COVID-19 in all countries. Conclusions The study demonstrated moderate trust in societal factors and moderately high level of social responsibility in all countries. The health professionals enjoy the greatest trust, which implies that medical doctors, especially physicians in primary health care should have a pivotal role in promoting vaccination and educating the general public in the Western Balkans.

Ethics Education in Business Schools: Emerging Issues and Challenges

Ethical education is a perpetual learning process, lasting from childhood until the end of life. Human beings continually learn about ethical values, behavioural justification, and moral conscience, whether it is from the family, which is the basic and fundamental cell of society in its entirety, or from politics or one’s workplace. University students who prepare for an occupation with a high level of social responsibility have a chance to acquire knowledge about morality, ethics, and values. Managers and those studying management also need to consider ethics. Ethics education proves to be vital in various professions, and the learning process in this field could be more effective in the training programmes of those professions. Universities which offer management programmes include ethics education and teach the knowledge and skills of ethical behaviour, which students go on to practice in their respective workplaces. The question, however, is, “What does this school offer in ethics education?” The main goal of this article is to explore which areas of ethics in tertiary education in the Czech Republic are offered in management degrees, and how this is connected with true ethical leadership.
 Keywords: Education, ethics, ethical leadership, management

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN THE ACCOMMODATION ESTABLISHMENTS

Relevance. The first forms of tourism appeared already in Egypt, became popular in Ancient Greece and Rome. However, it went through a long period of formation until the end of the 19th century took its present form, and after the Second World War, it degenerated into a mass phenomenon. In the 21st century, tourism became an integral part of our leisure time (Baležentis and Žuromskaite, 2012). The tourism sector is identified as one of the largest and fastest-growing sectors in the world. Although tourism is currently one of the worst affected areas due to the pandemic, it has been observed that CSR activities gained momentum when company managers realised that they had to ensure that their immediate operating environment facilitated smooth business to achieve their profit-oriented goals (Idahosa, 2019). Tourism has great potential to affect the lives of local people and can have a positive and negative impact on the destination community (Su, Huang & Huang, 2018). We know that there are different views on corporate social responsibility. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has gradually become a concern for many businesses in the tourism industry, with more than 70% of articles on the topic published in the last five years. (Font & Lynes, 2018). are currently facing a major challenge in adopting responsible treatment of the community and the environment (Ţigu, Popescu & Hornoiu, 2016). Responsible tourism and corporate social responsibility (CSR) can play a significant role in the sustainable development of tourism. The international community and therefore institutions such as the European Union (EU) invite the tourism industry to implement CSRs as part of its business strategy and to offer responsible tourism products (Manente, Minghetti & Mingotto, 2012). Problem of research the question is what is the level of social responsibility in the tourism organization from the point of view of managers and employees and how to increase it. The aim – of the research is to propose a plan of measures to increase corporate social responsibility after establishing social responsibility in a tourism organization. Research tasks: define social responsibility and benefits in tourism organizations; to single out the criteria set for social responsibility in a tourism organization; identify social responsibility in the tourism organization and submit a plan of measures to increase social responsibility. Research methods- analysis of scientific literature, questionnaire survey and analysis of the description of statistical data. Results. According to the criteria of social responsibility, the quality of services, consumer information, health and safety, and a high level of social responsibility in the environment have been established. The value of the study was the expression of social responsibility according to the criterion – the degree of coverage of social responsibility, which includes environmental, social and economic elements and the implementation of responsible business practices. The application of social responsibility practices in the activities of tourism organizations includes tangible indicators and enables the implementation of environmental, human safety standards or other standards or a green key program. The majority of respondents confirm that CSR covers all the above elements of coverage, and that organizations develop and maintain contact with the public / the client by publishing publicity on CSR indicators.

Clergy Social Activity During War Conditions: The Case of Western Regions of Ukraine

In this article, the authors analyze the impact of Russia-Ukraine war on church-religious life and the state of public consciousness in Ukraine and identify the main trends and contradictions in public reactions to threats to their lives and spirituality. The research focuses on religious communities of the western regions of Ukraine and their socially significant activities. The primary empirical source of the article was the study (by questionnaire survey) of the opinions of the clergy of this religious organization on the characteristics of parish life and the role of the pastor in the conditions of war. Three defining vectors that we can identify from the questionnaire are the assessment of the importance and resolution of the issue of chaplaincy ministry; the contribution of religious communities in Ukraine to the volunteer movement during the war; the extent of the believers' need for moral and psychological rehabilitation and the ability of ministers to provide appropriate spiritual care to those suffering from war or its consequences. The findings point to the high level of social responsibility of clergies and religious communities in the face of Russian Federation armed aggression. Individual clergymen's responses, as well as the concreteness of the decisions enshrined in documents of the Ukrainian churches and its religious leaders’ statements, highlight their desire to fulfill not only missionary-soteriological and spiritual-rehabilitation tasks, but also several specific socially required functions. To begin with, the most of Ukrainian churches are now large volunteer hubs with a high level of public trust, with each congregation operating its own activities. Another major aspect of such activity is the socio-psychological and pastoral care provided to soldiers while they are on active duty.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY PRACTISE APPLICATION IN SPORTS ORGANISATION

In recent decades, the formation of a new type of social relationships has continued, based on new social connections and styles of behaviour. The role of sport in modern society is becoming not only an increasingly visible social and political factor, the demand of stakeholders to become socially responsible organizations is felt due to public pressure in the sports industry. The main goal of organizations should be not only to maximize profits and increase competition but also to get closer to the impact of their activities on the environment. As a result, social responsibility becomes the cornerstone of the management of most organizations or enterprises, when it comes to increasing the well-being of employees, from an environmental point of view – reducing pollution, and from an economic point of view – reducing corruption, bribery. the success of organizations depends on their integration into the market, so social responsibility is a successful way of self-realization since the main areas are social, economic and environmental – important for society and other interested parties. The problem of the study is raised by the question of what level of application of the practice of social responsibility in a sports organization from the point of view of administrative staff and coaches, and what socially responsible activities would promote the level of application of the social responsibility practice of organizations. Research objective: determine the level of application of social responsibility practices in a sports organization from the point of view of administrative staff and coaches. Research methods: analysis of research-based literature sources; quantitative research – questionnaire survey, the questionnaire was based on an analysis of the research-based literature. The questions are adapted to the problem; mathematical, statistical descriptive analysis. The data obtained during the survey were processed by the SPSS version 28 package. Data were calculated using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences). Results. A comprehensive assessment of corporate social responsibility, based on the proposed system of indicators, allows for analyse of the results of quantitative assessment, to control the level of application of social responsibility practices in organisations which were engaged in various activities, including sports organisations. The advantages of applying social responsibility practice are: it educates staff, reduces staff turnover, helps to attract the best professionals, improves the image of organisations and ensures stable and sustainable development of the organisation in the long run. It was found that the employees of a sports organisation generally evaluate the practice of social responsibility as a high level of social responsibility, men have a slighter lower scores for philanthropic responsibility, and women have a lower rates for economic and philanthropic social responsibility. From the point of view of stakeholders, social responsibility in public relations in a sports organisation is rated the highest (highest level). In terms of environmental sustainability, women value social responsibility less than men. The treatment of employees and athletes, and responsibility towards customers is of a high standard level, however, the application of social responsibility practices in all its components can be improved by initiating more active participation of the sports organisation in the environment and contributing to philanthropic initiatives. Administration employees rate social responsibility lower than coaches.

Social Responsibility Among Palestinians

The current study aimed to identify social responsibility as perceived by Palestinians. Social responsibility among Palestinians was evaluated using an index of a 40-item scale developed by the researches, and was administrated to three hundred and eighty-four Palestinians in the West Bank, Palestine using the stratified random method. Findings revealed that Palestinians experienced a high level of social responsibility (M 3.74, SD 0.38). This was evident through several indicators, the most important of which were: the respondents’ assertion that community development is the responsibility of every citizen, they care about what others think of their behavior, and that every person has the right to express his/her opinion even if the majority of people have a different opinion. The study indicated that gender, place of residency, educational level, membership of civil society institutions, and age were significant predictors of social responsibility among Palestinians.

FORMATION SOCIAL INNOVATION IN THE CONTEXT OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

The priorities of Ukrainian government policy are the strategic objectives of integrated development of the industrial and social spheres, harmonious and active inclusion in the global and pan-European integration processes in order to provide a high level of social responsibility of the labour potential. The innovation strategy regarding social responsibility, which is widely used by industrial corporations, envisages acquisition of competitive advantages through social innovations, creation of fundamentally new goods and technologies, using new methods to meet existing conscious or unconscious needs. Innovation systems are shaped by many factors that are objectively determined for each country and for each enterprise, including their size, availability of resources, including human capital, historical development of state institutions and forms of entrepreneurship. These factors play a huge role in evolution of innovation activity, including social innovations. The most important studies include studies of economic growth factors, development of economic equilibrium models, investment cycle theory, investment impulse theory, institutional model of competitive advantages, various models of national competitiveness and international capital movement. The social environment of an effectively working enterprise, if it timely experiences the necessary modernization, is not a source of economic disadvantage either for the staff of the enterprise or its owner, it’s a possible loss of manageability of the social and economic component of enterprises, a lack of social innovations caused by a sharp deterioration of the economic conditions of enterprises during the energy crisis. A lack of social innovation reinforces a number of distortions in the reproduced structure of capital investments.

Corporate Social Responsibility and the Mining Industry: Areas of Use and Opportunities to Reduce the Negative Effects of Activity

Purpose: The aim of the article is to present the level of CSR in mining industry comparing to various sectors of the economy and to indicate the differences of CSR performance in mining companies resulting from their geographical location and size. Design/Methodology/Approach: The paper is based on the literature review and statistical analysis of data derived from CSR ratings. Findings: Research showed that mining industry represents relatively high level of social responsibility. According to regional analysis European entities were awarded with the highest grades in most of indicators while Japanese companies obtained considerably lower results than other regions. Practical Implications: Although, there was no significant differentiation in the level of CSR in the mining sector resulting from the size of the company, the smallest entities performed considerably worse than other groups in all environmental and social indicators. Originality/Value: The presented research shows the degree of use of the CSR concept in the mining industry and the possibilities of improving the company's operations in accordance with sustainable development.

ASPECTS OF BUSINESS SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN THE SYSTEM OF PUBLIC POLICY OF THE COUNTRY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The article summarizes the reasons for the weak social responsibility of business entities and the consequences of further non-interference of the state in solving this problem. The sequence of stages of realization of the state policy of activization of social responsibility of business in Ukraine is substantiated. The strategic principles of the policy of strengthening the social responsibility of entrepreneurship in Ukraine are determined. The strategic priorities of the state policy of sustainable development in the context of strengthening the social responsibility of entrepreneurship are specified. Measures are proposed that will help eliminate obstacles to the intensification of social responsibility of entrepreneurship in Ukraine and its regions and ensure sustainable development of the country. It is determined that the improvement of the system of regulation of social responsibility of entrepreneurship in Ukraine requires ensuring the planning and programmability of state policy in this area, as well as the adoption of regulations to determine the main provisions, strategic guidelines, norms and principles of state policy of sustainable development. The interdependence of social responsibility of entrepreneurship with the development of the national economy, including important parameters of social security, determines the need to justify the strategy and to develop and implement measures of the relevant target program of sustainable development. It is substantiated that in order to achieve the strategic goal of the state policy of sustainable development, it is necessary to implement priority operational goals in such areas as: improving the system of protection of workers' rights and ensuring compliance with labor legislation; strengthening the social responsibility of entrepreneurship to society; improving relations between business and the consumer sector; increasing the role of business representatives in environmental protection; ensuring a high level of social responsibility of business entities to competitors and contractors. Keywords: social responsibility of business; sustainable development of the country; public policy; operational goals; development strategy.

Young adults' coping strategies against loneliness during the COVID-19-related quarantine in Greece.

SummaryCOVID-19 and the related quarantine disrupted young adults’ academic and professional life, daily routine and socio-emotional well-being. This cross-sectional study focused on the emotional and behavioural responses of a young adult population during the COVID-19-related quarantine in April 2020, in Greece. The study was conducted through an online survey. A total of 1559 young adults, aged 18−30 years, completed Steele’s Social Responsibility Motivation Scale and the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale, and answered questions about compliance with instructions, quarantine-related behaviours and coping strategies. According to the results, participants displayed a relatively high sense of social responsibility (M = 16.09, SD = 2.13) and a trend towards moderate feeling of loneliness (M = 2.65, SD = 1.62); young women reported significantly higher levels of loneliness than men. The majority complied with instructions often (46.4%) or always (44.8%). Significantly more women created a new social media account and used the social media longer than 5 h/day, compared with men. Resorting to religion, practicing sports and sharing thoughts and feelings about COVID-19 with others predicted higher levels of social responsibility; humour, practicing sports and sharing thoughts and feelings about COVID-19 with others predicted lower levels of loneliness. Conclusively, COVID-19 is expected to have a significant psychological impact on young adults. Currently, Greece is going through the second quarantine period. This study raises awareness about loneliness in young adults during the COVID-19-related quarantine and highlights the importance of developing online programmes, attractive to younger people, to nurture adaptive coping strategies against loneliness.

Business Group-Affiliation and Corporate Social Responsibility: Evidence from Listed Companies in China

Business groups have played a vital role in the development of emerging markets. However, we share very limited understanding in the role of business group that act on affiliated firms’ CSR performance. Using manually sorted data on A-share listed companies and business groups in China from 2010–2017, we examine whether a company’s business group-affiliation affects its corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance and the mediating mechanisms of this association. Our empirical models show that group companies bear a higher level of social responsibility compared to independent companies. This positive relationship between group-affiliation and social responsibility relies on resource allocation through internal capital markets, rent-seeking initiatives, and consideration of corporate reputation. Moreover, group affiliation benefits the firm’s CSR performance in employee’s responsibilities, consumers’ responsibilities and environmental responsibilities, while significantly lower the shareholders’ responsibilities. Our empirical valuation of group companies’ CSR levels can serve as a benchmark for emerging market companies implementing social responsibility policies.