Institutionalization Of Corporate Social Responsibility Research Articles

Signals from CSR competition: The influence of relative CSR performance on analysts’ recommendations

Due to the institutionalization of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and its integration into firm strategy, firms are engaged in fierce competition, which has gained stakeholders' attention. As intermediary stakeholders, security analysts screen information on firms' CSR activities to make more accurate investment recommendations. Integrating signaling through CSR competition and screening theory, we develop a framework wherein firms' relative CSR performance and improvement across two years are viewed as complementary signals reflecting their ability and intent to engage in CSR and affect analysts' recommendations. Using a panel of Chinese listed firms from 2011 to 2019 (n = 15,735 firm-year observations), we find that analysts respond positively to firms' relative CSR performance. Further analyses show that firms' CSR performance improvement has a decreasingly positive effect on analysts’ recommendations, and this effect is more pronounced for firms with higher relative CSR performance. Our study contributes to the literature on CSR and screening theory by highlighting the value of comparative CSR signals and generates practical implications for participants in CSR competitions.

Corporate Social Responsibility: the Covid-19 Test. The Response Through a Case Study Comparison in Italian Fashion Companies

This study analyzes how, during the Covid-19 pandemic, macro, meso and micro-level triggers have promoted the development of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in companies throughout the world. We propose a theoretical framework to highlight how these triggers have influenced the institutionalization of CSR in companies, implementing actions to support the Italian healthcare system, ensure the health and the safety of the population, and mitigate any social and economic problems that could be generated by the pandemic. The fashion industry is among the economic sectors that have been particularly affected by the crisis and has suffered greatly from the effects of the decision made by the Government to limit the diffusion of the pandemic. A case study comparison in Italian fashion companies is proposed here to highlight how all of these CSR actions can be interpreted, considering a more general principle of CSR promoted by owners and managers who, voluntarily, have taken decisions for the benefit of the community and their employees. These actions have both theoretical - considering future research lines on CSR - and practical implications on how companies should consider their stakeholders, in particular, employees and society as a whole, going beyond the human resource strategies and the classic commitment through philanthropic activities.

Institutionalizing corporate social responsibility disclosure: Historical webpages of the Fortune global 500 companies, 1997–2009

AbstractManagement and organization scholarships have paid increasing attention to corporate social responsibility (CSR). Less is known about the historical processes leading to the institutionalization of CSR reporting. We bridge the gap by coding and analyzing a digital archive of multinational enterprises' historical websites between 1997 and 2009. Combining in‐depth case studies of detailed environmental disclosure histories of three companies with quantitative summaries of 263 such companies, we find that these companies learned to define the CSR term and adjust their disclosing behaviors gradually, from ad hoc mentioning of idiosyncratic themes to disclosing proliferating themes, often in the dedicated separate website section. Accompanying this change was the growth of global initiatives such as Global Compact and Global Reporting Initiatives and their disclosure guidelines. These findings not only illuminate a historical perspective but also epitomize the dialectical relationship between business and institutional pressures.

Institutionalizing CSR Reporting: Historical Webpages of Fortune 500 Companies, 1997-2009

Both business history and management and organization scholarships have paid increasing attention to corporate social responsibility (CSR). However, the two remain largely isolated from each other, leaving the historical processes leading to the institutionalization of CSR reporting undertheorized. We bridge the gap by coding and analyzing a digital archive of 263 multinational enterprises’ (MNEs) historical websites between 1997 and 2009. Combining in-depth case studies with quantitative summaries, we find that MNEs learned to define the CSR term and adjust their reporting behaviors gradually, from ad hoc mentioning of idiosyncratic themes to proliferating a whole package of themes. Accompanying this change was the rise and growth of global initiatives such as Global Compact and Global Reporting Initiatives. These findings not only illuminate a key period of the recent business history but also epitomize the dialectical relationship between business and society where business is both responsive to and responsible for societal changes.

Corporate Social Responsibility through SDGs: Preliminary Results from a Pilot Study in Italian Universities

Background: In the broad scientific debate on the integration of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the strategic planning of universities and on the use of monitoring the results of the strategy of the indicators relating to the pursuit of sustainable development goals (SDGs), there is a lack of studies demonstrating the effective degree of institutionalization of CSR in universities. Methods: This analysis constitutes a pilot study relating to the Italian university context. The study was carried out through an analysis on the contents of the three-year strategic performance plans (2020–2022) drawn up by individual universities and compulsorily published on the national portal of the Public Function Department, as required by article 10, paragraph 1, letter (a) of Legislative Decree 150/2009. A matrix was made with the information extracted by the documents and relative to the presence of the SDGs in the strategic performance plan. Consequently, using a Likert scale, the different degrees of institutionalization of CSR in the strategic plan of the universities were coded. Results: The results of the pilot study highlighted that the strategic planning of Italian universities’ CSR practices and the challenges of sustainable development are hardly ever systematically addressed. Therefore, there is a low degree of institutionalization of CSR in the Italian university system, even though the literature shows a high cultural and scientific commitment to establish university and post-graduate study courses with corporate social responsibility and sustainable development content and an increasing trend in the use of the accountability tools such as the social report or the sustainability report. Conclusions: It is necessary to share the results of scientific research on CSR and SDGs with the government and governance bodies of universities in order to harmonize the CSR and sustainability culture of these bodies with that of academics.

Corporate Social Responsibility Practices and Performance of Public Organizations in Kenya: A Critical Review

There’s no doubt that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is now a global concept and a prominent feature of international business, with its practice localized and differing across countries. Past studies suggest that a firm which is socially responsible acknowledges that it exists and operates in a shared environment. The purpose of this study was to critique corporate social responsibility practices (philanthropic, ethical, economic and legal activities) on public organization’s performance. This is characterized by a mutual impact of an organization’s relation on a broad variety of stakeholders, who are affected by and can eventually affect the achievement of its objectives. This article concludes that for the institutionalization of CSR in Kenya, attention must be paid to conditions that stifle CSR uptake such as lack of government regulations and its capacity and commitment to enforce regulation. It also recommends that the government should provide incentives to organizations to enable them practice CSR more. Further research should be done to identify other variables that may influence the performance of a firm such as government policy on taxation and regulations existing in a country. Based on the findings of the study, all public organizations should embrace CSR unlike current practice where some of the organizations consider it as a strategic issue. The study concludes that CSR activities in public organizations cannot operate in isolation from other elements of the business. It is important that all the functional area strategies and capabilities, including full support from management in order to be consistent with the business unit goals and strategies, organizations to be competitive, they have to strive to achieve greater coordination and collaboration of corporate social responsibility approaches required in its management.

Social partnership and institutionalization of corporate social responsibility as a driver of regional policy effectiveness

Subject. This article examines the problems and prospects for the development of social partnership and institutionalization of social responsibility of business at the regional level. Objectives. The article aims to identify general trends in the development of social partnership and the impact of this mechanism on increasing the social responsibility of business in a regional context. Methods. For the study, we used analysis and synthesis, logical and systems approaches, and the method of theoretical generalization. Results. The article describes the institutional relationship between social partnership and social responsibility of business, the potential of this mechanism application in regional development. It identifies problems of adapting socially responsible behavior taking into account the Russian specifics. Conclusions. Social partnership creates the necessary institutional conditions for the development of socially oriented business. The spread of the corporate social responsibility culture represents a significant competitive advantage in the face of economic transformations and crises.

Diagnosis of the Institutionalization of Corporate Social Responsibility in Companies in the Metropolitan Area of Campinas – SP, Brazil

This article presents the diagnosis of the institutionalization of Corporate Social Responsibility in companies in the Metropolitan Area of Campinas – São Paulo, Brazil. The research has a qualitative approach and an exploratory-descriptive objective. Data collection is documentary and descriptive data is analyzed inductively using the content analysis technique. The survey of 16 companies concludes that social actions are focused on education and income generation, concentrated on their field of activity, being carried out in partnership with social institutions and volunteering actions. However, there are problems regarding the practice of volunteering, the use of non-standardized reports, and the lack of targeting actions with the SDGs. Most companies (57%) are in the intermediate stage regarding the institutionalization of CSR.

Corporate Social Responsibility Amid Social Distancing During the COVID-19 Crisis: BRICS vs. OECD Countries

This paper compares today’s corporate management in developing markets (BRICS countries) vs. developed markets (the OECD countries). The influence of determining a new social corporate management season considering social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic on emerging markets' economic growth is ascertained and set apart from corporate management in developing markets. This paper helps clarifying and better understanding the role of corporate social responsibility in the conditions of an economic crisis against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic. This work provides scientific arguments that allow solving critical discussions regarding the advantages (growth of quality of life, an increase of business's competitiveness) and costs (limitation of economic growth, non-commercial use of profit, and increased price for goods and services) of domestic production and consumption. In the long-term, responsible financial practices return all investments and allow countries to better cope with a crisis. The research supplies a new view of corporate social responsibility as a measure of crisis management. It reflects its advantages at a time of social distancing in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic. The institutionalization of corporate social responsibility in emerging countries is not predetermined by internal factors (approach to doing business or organizational culture), if not by external factors (market status, state regulation, and consumer awareness). These circumstances prove the high complexity of strengthening corporate social responsibility in developing countries. In the conditions of social distancing – due to the COVID-19 pandemic – corporate social responsibility goes to a new level. In both developing and developed countries, one of the most widespread manifestations of corporate social responsibility is the entrepreneurship's transition to the remote form of activities. This envisages the provision of remote employment for workers and the online purchase of goods and services for consumers.

The hollow core: breakdowns in global governance of CSR

ABSTRACT Corporations are playing increasingly significant roles in trying to resolve global governance issues through corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies and practices, in response to pressure by NGOs and cognizant consumers, and to activist shareholders. Many firms claim that they “can do well by doing good”, advertising their CSR initiatives as part of their brand. These pressures have converged towards an institutionalization of CSR, including being featured in both national and global agreements, with companies starting to work together in private regimes, and some with international organizations and NGOs in emerging mixed regimes. Examining three sectors: forestry, mining, and textiles, we find the results unsatisfactory in terms of transparency and enforcement. The article suggests improving domestic regulatory capacity via global pressure could improve governance outcomes by increasing the quality and consistency of local labour and environmental enforcement.

Communicative institutionalization of CSR: a content analysis of firms’ motivations in social reports from three market economies

ABSTRACT Drawing on institutional theory, this content analysis explored firms' social reports for a ten-year period in three market economies. Specifically, this study analyzed firms' motivations for corporate social responsibility (CSR) through a proxy of the salience of stakeholder groups in social reports. First, firms' competitive motivations for CSR were significantly higher in the stated-led market economies (SLMEs: France, South Korea) than in the liberal market economies (LMEs: US, UK), which showed the lowest level of firms' competitive motivations for CSR during all investigated periods. Secondly, firms' socially cohesive motivations for CSR significantly decreased over time in SLMEs only, while increasing in LMEs and the coordinated market economies (CMEs: Germany, Japan). Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in terms of the constitutive role of communication in the institutionalization of CSR.

The Evolution of Institutional Environment of Corporate Social Responsibility in Russia

The article is devoted to the understanding of the main stages and prerequisites of the evolutionary development of socially responsible behaviour of subjects. The stages and factors of the development of socially responsible behaviour of subjects are presented in chronological order. The author emphasised that the rich experience and traditions of charity, philanthropy, philanthropy in the Russian state were destroyed by the revolution of 1917. A retrospective analysis of the evolution of social responsibility revealed a steady trend towards institutionalisation of assistance to those in need. At the present stage, the concept of corporate socialresponsibility is an effective tool for solving a wide range of economic, social and environmental problems. The author stressed that the formation of a socially oriented society is possible provided the involvement of all its institutions in the form of a consolidated solution of the whole complex of accumulated problems. The concept of corporate social responsibility is recognised as one of the tools for solving economic, social and environmental problems. The establishment of mutually beneficial relations between business and government representatives, the multiplication of the best practices of socially responsible behavior of Russian companies based on the study and adaptation of foreign standard practices, the preparation of social reporting according to international standards, the positive dynamics in the publication of non-financial reports —it all become the norm in the Russian economy. The author concluded that the current period of development of social responsibility in Russia is characterized by the primary institutionalization of corporate social responsibility with the involvement of large businesses, non-profit organizations and other stakeholders in the sustainable development of society.

The Moral Complexity of Agriculture: A Challenge for Corporate Social Responsibility

Over the past decades, the modernization of agriculture in the Western world has contributed not only to a rapid increase in food production but also to environmental and societal concerns over issues such as greenhouse gas emissions, soil quality and biodiversity loss. Many of these concerns, for example those related to animal welfare or labor conditions, are stuck in controversies and apparently deadlocked debates. As a result we observe a paradox in which a wide range of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, originally seeking to reconnect agriculture and society, frequently provoke debate, conflict, and protests. In order to make sense of this pattern, the present paper contends that Western agriculture is marked by moral complexity, i.e., the tendency of multiple legitimate moral standpoints to proliferate without the realistic prospect of a consensus. This contention is buttressed by a conceptual framework that draws inspiration the contemporary business ethics and systems-theoretic scholarship. From the systems-theoretic point of view, the evolution of moral complexity is traced back to the processes of agricultural modernization, specialization, and differentiation, each of which suppresses the responsiveness of the economic and legal institutions to the full range of societal and environmental concerns about agriculture. From the business ethics point of view, moral complexity is shown to prevent the transformation of the ethical responsibilities into the legal and economic responsibilities despite the ongoing institutionalization of CSR. Navigating moral complexity is shown to require moral judgments which are necessarily personal and contestable. These judgments are implicated in those CSR initiatives that require dealing with trade-offs among the different sustainability issues.

Getting By or Getting Ahead? Institutional Logics, Enterprise Logics, and Firms’ CSR Reporting

We study firms’ strategic responses to the institutionalization of corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs among Chinese public firms. Borrowing insights from recent literature on practice variation, we study firms’ choice of CSR strategies based on their degree of conformity to the scope and content dimensions of the CSR practices. We propose an institutional logics framework to understand the impacts of competing logics on firms’ CSR strategies and specify the boundary conditions of these impacts. The empirical results of corporate social strategies of Chinese listed companies from 2008 to 2014 suggest that firms with greater political legitimacy tend to exhibit lower scope conformity while higher emphasis conformity, but for firms with intensive analyst coverage, they tend to favor higher scope conformity and lower emphasis conformity. Further analyses show that the influences of institutional logics are conditioned by socioeconomic conditions such as competitive intensity and illegitimate industry identity.

Social imperatives of sustainable development

The article substantiates the need to focus on the social pillar of sustainable development (SD). Methodologically, the author considers a three-dimensional approach to SD, which is based on three pillars (dimensions): economic, ecological, and social. Traditionally, the main focus of researchers is the environmental and economic pillars, while the social pillar is studied only to a lesser extent. A reflection of this situation is the lack of a generally accepted approach to the analyzing and interpreting its social parameters, indicators and imperatives. The purpose of this paper is to define SD social imperatives and the rationale for increasing their role in ensuring sustainable development. The article extends the content of the social pillar and the concept of “SD social imperatives.” The expediency of introducing the concept of “SD social imperatives” is due, on the author’s opinion, to the presence of many factors and the ambiguous nature of their impact on the SD process. This involves phenomena and processes of a social nature, emerging risks, trends, and institutions that necessitate both the transition to SD and the possibility of implementing its basic principles. The author focuses on changes that are systemic in nature, reflecting the process of increasing the social responsibility of all participants in economic activity: the state, business, citizens, and society as a whole. Among them are: the formation of socially responsible thinking by business entities, the phenomenon of socially responsible (sustainable) consumption and the multi-subject, solidarity model of social policy; the institutionalization of corporate social responsibility; and the increasing role of universities and business schools in developing socially responsible thinking and promoting principles of social responsibility and sustainable development.

On the Discursive Construction of Corporate Social Responsibility in Advertising Agencies

As the interest in corporate social responsibility (CSR) within advertising industry is growing, this paper explores the discourse on CSR among employees in advertising agencies. Different sensemaking dimensions are taken into account to examine how employees, as one of the key stakeholders involved in the joint meaning construction, make sense of CSR. In addition, this paper studies the legitimation approaches that employees use to address CSR of advertising agencies. The empirical evidence of discursive examples also indicates that there is a linkage between sensemaking and legitimation perspective in CSR discourse analysis and supports the idea that both may be a potential route toward institutionalization of CSR inside organizations or sectors.

Toward Strategic and Authentic Corporate Social Responsibility in Professional Sport: A Case Study of the Detroit Lions

The rise and institutionalization of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in sport is captured in a growing body of work in sport management. This literature suggests professional teams should be strategic in their approaches—matching internal resources with external needs—but we lack an understanding of the processes and mechanisms in the evolution to more strategic CSR, as well as specific practices that characterize these approaches. Further, by focusing on broad trends in how and why teams are adopting CSR, we miss the opportunity to learn from teams with innovative and authentic CSR approaches. To address these gaps, this article uses a qualitative case-study approach to examine how one professional team in the U.S.—the Detroit Lions—evolved their CSR to a more strategic and authentic partnership-focused model. Our findings point to key process steps and mechanisms in the decision making around, and implementation of, this approach, including the role of organizational structure, leadership, and community partnerships. We draw out themes around these central partnerships and highlight best practices. In offering a more nuanced understanding of professional sport CSR process and practice, we contribute to the literature on CSR in sport, sport-community partnerships, and sport and city revitalization.

Complete and Partial Organizing for Corporate Social Responsibility

Abstract This paper investigates different modes of organizing for corporate social responsibility (CSR). Based on insights from organization theory, we theorize two ways to organize for CSR. “Complete” organization for CSR happens within businesses and depends on the availability of certain organizational elements (e.g., membership, hierarchy, rules, monitoring, and sanctioning). By contrast, “partial” organization for CSR happens when organizers do not have direct access to all these organizational elements. We discuss partial organization for CSR by analyzing how standards and cross-sector partnerships make selective use of organizational elements. We maintain that an important feature of the increasing institutionalization of CSR—not only within businesses but also among non-governmental, governmental, and professional actors—is the rise of partial forms of organization. We discuss the contributions to this Special Issue in the context of our theorization of complete/partial organization for CSR and outline avenues for further research.

Dynamics of Stakeholders’ Implications in the Institutionalization of the CSR Field in France and in the United States

This study supports the idea that fields form around issues, and describes the roles of various stakeholders in the structuring, shaping, and legitimating of the emerging field of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). A model of the institutional history of the CSR field is outlined, of which a key stage is the appearance of CSR rating agencies as the significant players and Institutional Entrepreneurs of the field. We show to which extent the creation and further development of CSR rating agencies, and the activism of other significant stakeholders of the field (typically portrayed as “standard setters” and “regulatory agents”), contribute to the institutionalization of CSR. With this in mind, among various stakeholders that legitimate the field of CSR, we present the efforts of global and local stakeholders such as the European Union, the United Nations, the International Organization for Standardization, and governments and their interactions. We suggest that the different paths of CSR development and institutionalization in France and in the United States depend on the nature of local and global stakeholders’ involvement in this process and their interactions.

An Institution of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Multi-National Corporations (MNCs): Form and Implications

This article investigates corporate social responsibility (CSR) as an institution within UK multi-national corporations (MNCs). In the context of the literature on the institutionalization of CSR and on critical CSR, it presents two main findings. First, it contributes to the CSR mainstream literature by confirming that CSR has not only become institutionalized in society but that a form of this institution is also present within MNCs. Secondly, it contributes to the critical CSR literature by suggesting that unlike broader notions of CSR shared between multiple stakeholders, MNCs practise a form of CSR that undermines the broader stakeholder concept. By increasingly focusing on strategic forms of CSR activity, MNCs are moving away from a societal understanding of CSR that focuses on redressing the impacts of their operations through stakeholder concerns, back to any activity that supports traditional business imperatives. The implications of this shift are considered using institutional theory to evaluate macro-institutional pressures for CSR activity and the agency of powerful incumbents in the contested field of CSR.