Social Investment Research Articles

Social Value Measurement of the Social Housing Supply Case ‘Cheongchun 101’ Based on the Social Return on Investment (SROI) Analysis

Social housing has been introduced as a new residential model to address the limitations of Korean public rental housing policy and the burden of housing costs for middle and low-income families. Social housing is a private rental house that is supplied, operated, and managed by social economic agencies. Starting with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, local governments are also expanding their supply support by creating related regulations. Social housing added social values such as making residential communities, connecting with local communities, securing housing quality, providing safety, and creating jobs to the nature of existing public rental housing. Therefore, this study aims to prove the supply effect of ‘Cheongchun 101’, a women’s safe social housing supplied by Jeonju City, by measuring the return on social investment (SROI), a social value measurement method. Through this study, it is believed that it will be a starting point for stakeholders such as local governments and social economic agencies to participate in the supply of social housing for citizens’ housing stability. In addition, this study is meaningful in that it is the first study to quantitatively evaluate the social value of social housing by using SROI, and it is expected that follow-up studies will be conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of social housing supply by utilizing various social value evaluation and measurement methods.

University professor in a situation of total uncertainty

The article is devoted to the understanding of transformation of the profession and mission of a university professor in a rapidly changing world. The crisis of the theory of human capital, the return on investment in higher education is increasingly challenged, which leads to the transformation of the university. The career trajectory of a professor has been formed for decades, requires large intellectual, social and labor investments, while the institute of higher education is in a state of constant reform. The university as an institution comes into conflict with the world of uncertainty. Instability runs counter to a long-term commitment to an academic career. The educational process is conservative in nature and is associated with the development of a complex socio-cultural environment. This requires the stability of institutions, and the context is exactly the opposite. Uncertainty is generated by a huge range of forms of agency, among which proprietary agents, such as artificial intelligence, will compete with the professor in the labor market. The article raises questions about the discrepancy between the university and the market of professions, the university and the competencies of graduates, the impact of entrepreneurship and digitalization on the profession, the refraction of the conflict between investment logic and the logic of culture in academic communities. Comparative analysis of statistical data and the situation in advanced countries and Russia shows that this process is universal. Consideration of the professor as a profession determines the possible ways of managing and leveling uncertainty. Liquid modernity makes the profession of a university professor out of proportion to the situation, at most, or radically transforms it, at least in professional, social, and ethical changes.

Estimating the Mental Wealth of nations: valuing social production and investment

There is a growing global movement among economic, public policy and academic communities questioning the appropriateness of gross domestic product (GDP), and specifically its growth, as an indicator of progress. Despite the broad range of indices and dashboards that have been developed to challenge it, GDP remains entrenched as the essential indicator of national prosperity, despite its purpose being to measure the size and performance of the economy. The strength of GDP lies in its established centrality in policymaking as well as its rhetorical and conceptual simplicity; it is in essence the value of monetized tangible goods and services produced in a given period. Unlike well-being indicator dashboards, GDP provides a single measure against which governments, the media and the general community can track and compare national economic performance. And, while many composite indices offer monotonously stable findings, the weekly, quarterly and annual fluctuations of GDP prompt policymakers to act (that is, to assess reforms, identify constraints and shift policy levers to enhance its growth). By contrast, the Mental Wealth metric offers a new approach. Rather than joining the chorus of moving beyond GDP, the Mental Wealth Initiative first recognises the system of national accounts that underpins GDP as a significant human achievement. The initiative then seeks to refine, augment and improve GDP as a measure of social welfare by broadening the boundary of production to include the value of goods and services provided by populations that are not currently monetized but make genuine contributions to social prosperity and quality of life. Hence, the Mental Wealth metric provides a holistic measure of national prosperity, capturing the value of both economic and social production, and recognizing the fundamental importance of brain capital (mental capital, mental health and brain health) and collective cognitive and emotional health and well-being. This paper provides a simple, practical strategy for augmenting GDP by monetizing social production, thereby establishing a more accurate indicator of the wealth of nations. Occhipinti and co-authors argue in this Perspective that by contrast to gross domestic product, the Mental Wealth metric provides an improved indicator for assessing economic and social production, including brain capital, measuring mental health and capital and emotional health and well-being.

The marble cake of social services in Italy and Spain: Policy capacity, social investment, and the national recovery and resilience plans

This article analyses the potential implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for the infrastructure of social services in Italy and Spain. Drawing from the policy capacity framework and focusing on childcare and elderly care, we investigate how the National Recovery and Resilience Plans are likely to impact the core functions of the social investment approach. Through document analysis, the article shows that, whereas the infrastructure of the social service system remains characterised by a ‘marble cake’ type of institutional arrangement combining national and subnational responsibilities, attempts have been made by the central governments to steer the social investment policy capacity at the organisational and systemic levels. We argue that the pandemic represents a window of opportunity to rethink the overall system of intergovernmental relations in the field of social services.

The forming of space: parents’ social assemblages in a Chinese complementary school in Germany

ABSTRACT In the field of educational sociolinguistics there is a body of literature with a focus on children in complementary schooling. While timely, such work often does not often pay much attention to the parents who frequent the school setting, preferring to focus on the interactions between children. This paper addresses this absence by reporting on a study of parental social-networking and group formation in a Chinese complementary school in Germany. By investigating various parental groups in the complementary school setting, this paper explores the parents’ different ways of forming mutual space and the kinds of social investments they have in such space. This includes a focus on the linguistic and semiotic resources which the parents draw upon in the formation of their groups, as well as the cultural and class-based assumptions which underlie their choices.

Health Promotion Interventions in Occupational Settings: Fact-finding Survey among Italian Occupational Physicians.

Occupational Physicians (OPs) are essential for health promotion (HP) at the workplace, although their HP knowledge and perception are still under-searched. Between September and December 2022, the Italian Society of Occupational Medicine (SIML) - HP working group performed a cross-sectional survey on SIML-OPs aimed to address their approach, experience, strategies, and needs concerning HP plans. A total of 336 OPs completed the questionnaire. Regarding HP's OP perception, this was reported as a social investment (34.45%) and shared responsibility for all the company's preventive figures (30.18%). Over half of the enrolled OPs declared to have been involved as HP plans' organizers (57.30%) or collaborators (54.80%) in the previous 5 years. The greatest percentage of organizers were in the younger age groups (40-59 years; 50%). Additionally, following a more limited number of companies, prevalently of medium-high dimensions, and more than 500 workers were positively associated with greater OP participation in HP initiatives. Promoting healthy lifestyles was the main target of the HP plans (88.64%). Interdisciplinary collaboration, OP training on HP procedures and information on the targeted population have been reported as effective issues to support an active engagement of OPs in HP. A general interest of the Italian OPs with respect to HP was demonstrated, however, information on the potential benefits of HP in workplace aligned with OP perceptions and needs seem necessary to successfully implement HP interventions.

Resilience through social innovation for sustainable development

PurposeThis study aims to provide an example of the intersections between resilience and innovation within the social economy. It describes the Portuguese context, boosted by a pioneering public policy focused on building resilience through innovation. The sustainable development concept usually sets multilevel relationships among the government, social investors and entrepreneurs. In this sense, the study explores the role of innovation in promoting resilience in initiatives and society that may lead to sustainability.Design/methodology/approachThe authors collected the primary data through semistructured interviews with social investors and an online survey with the invested or awarded entities from 2015 to 2020. The database represents 43.63% of acknowledged Portuguese social innovative initiatives, describing a complex and multilevel result. The case also provides a unique context for deepening the understanding of popular, relevant, but still underdeveloped concepts.FindingsThe results highlight progress in overcoming social and economic challenges. This progress happens through innovative initiatives aiming to solve social problems that reflect collective interests. The data suggest a context dynamization due to an increase of 31.3% in new initiatives. This increase can potentially represent a consistent investment in resilience and sustainable development.Originality/valueThis paper helps to contextualize and structure information for three fragmented concepts. It relies on their combination to compensate for each other frailties, assuming that innovation can be a crucial factor for boosting sustainable development, making possible the countries’ resilience. It also argues that the literature state can result from a paradigm shift, and these features can favor this process toward a better world.

Was CSR in our minds? The relevance of CSR in the vision and mission of Indian companies through the lens of ownership

PurposeThis study aims to explore the patterns of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices and investments across different ownership groups and relevance of CSR practices in the vision and mission (V&M) statements of firms.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses the neo-institutional theory approach, which explains similarities and differences in the CSR practices of organisations embedded within (and between) similar sectoral contexts. The study accounts the CSR activities of the top 100 companies listed on the Bombay Stock exchange (BSE) based on their ownership and checks the overlap of the CSR activities conducted by the companies with the ongoing social development schemes launched in India during the same of time. The time period between 2017 and 2020 is chosen to analyse the CSR studies. The study uses content analysis technique to derive conclusions. A textual analysis of top 100 listed firms across all ownership groups aimed at understanding patterns of CSR practices opted by the different groups and coherence of CSR patterns in the V&M statements. CSR related keywords were analysed in the V&M statements to understand what influence reporting of CSR practices in the strategic communication of firms.FindingsOverall analysis indicated that top 100 firms prefer to invest in the areas of “Education”, “Sustainability” “Skill” where public-owned firms preferred towards “Sanitation” and “Environment/Sustainability” showing concurrence with local development goals. Private and foreign groups preferred to park their CSR funds in “Education” and “Skill” development showing coherence with the global agendas. Public-owned firms tend to report more CSR related specifically “Environment’ and “Sustainability” in the strategic documents. However, private and foreign firms do not pay any significance to CSR related keywords in their V&M statements.Research limitations/implicationsFindings suggest that despite of huge CSR investments, private and foreign-owned firms lack CSR focus and communication in their V&M statements, which may create disintegration in the CSR investment and strategic alignment of near-term and future goals. The paper suggests that private and foreign firms should also communicate their CSR practices through their V&M to stakeholders so that CSR practices may not remain mere 2% mandated expenditure by the Government of India.Originality/valueThe study contributes in confirming the success of the CSR policy mandate in supplementing government’s social development programmes along with indications on the role of family firms in accelerating the process of community development as compared to foreign firms. The study also favours integration of CSR disclosures in the V&M statements to gain long-term benefit out of these investments.

THE EFFECT OF SOCIAL PROGRESS ON FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENTS: A DYNAMIC PANEL DATA ANALYSIS FOR AFRICAN COUNTRIES

A strand in the empirical literature on development economics investigates the dependence of foreign direct investments on recipient countries' economic, institutional and structural characteristics. This paper builds upon this literature by examining the role of a country's social progress as a pull factor for inward foreign investments. It applies the dynamic panel data methodology to an unbalanced panel dataset from African countries for the 2011-2019 period. The findings suggest that social progress is a significant determinant of foreign direct investments in Africa, supporting a positive social progress-foreign direct investments nexus. For the dimensions of social progress, while access to basic needs and foundations of well-being are important factors, opportunity exhibits superior influence on foreign direct investments. Findings provide evidence for a policy that recognises the social progress in shaping a host country’s attractiveness to foreign investments.

A systems framework to analyze the impact of corporate social investment projects with an information technology focus

AbstractIn South Africa, corporate social investment (CSI) is deployed as part of Broad‐Based Black Economic Empowerment (B‐BBEE) to assist and empower disadvantaged individuals and communities. Previous research revealed that CSI projects are often short‐lived and unsustainable. This study aims to analyze the impact of South African CSI projects that focus on information and communication technology (ICT) in poor urban communities. A case study was conducted comprising four CSI ICT learning centers in poor urban communities in Soweto, South Africa. An indigenous theoretical construct was developed, in the form of a systems framework, combining aspects of soft systems methodology (SSM), Ubuntu philosophy and autopoiesis. The aim of the systems framework was to study the impact of the CSI ICT learning centers in a holistic manner. The framework contributed as follows: the descriptive components of SSM assisted to describe the social systems of interest, in each case. The ubuntu lens helped to portray how the community members supported each other to benefit from the learning centers. Autopoiesis elements showed how the learning centers were able to self‐produce and collaborate in order to be sustainable. With the insight of the framework, six guiding principles were derived to inform the successful implementation of future CSI ICT interventions.

Pricing and corporate social responsibility investment strategies for a manufacturer under information asymmetry

AbstractWe consider a supply chain comprising a dominant manufacturer and a supplier where both firms are socially concerned. The corporate social responsibility (CSR) cost of the supplier is private information. The manufacturer can determine its sales price before the supplier starts production (committed pricing) or postpone its pricing decision until after receiving components from the supplier (noncommitted pricing). Moreover, the manufacturer can determine its CSR investment level before (ex ante CSR investment) or after (ex post CSR investment) the supplier. Four scenarios are investigated to examine the optimal pricing and CSR investment strategies of the manufacturer. We find the following: First, under a noncommitted pricing strategy, the manufacturer always prefers ex post CSR investment. However, the reverse holds under the committed pricing strategy. Second, under the ex post CSR investment strategy, committed pricing benefits the manufacturer for most parameter combinations whereas noncommitted pricing benefits the manufacturer when facing consumers with high CSR awareness and low price awareness. Under the ex ante CSR investment strategy, the manufacturer always prefers committed pricing. Finally, the joint committed pricing with ex ante CSR investment strategy is optimal for the manufacturer.

The Moderating Role of Online Social Media in the Relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure and Investment Decisions: Evidence from Egypt

Despite the spread and progress in the literature related to the disclosure of corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance around the world as one of the most essential tools for achieving sustainable development in society, its value relevance is still uncertain. Using a survey approach involving investors dealing in stocks of 60 enterprises listed on the Egyptian Stock Exchange (EGX) and included in the environmental, social, and governance index (S&P/EGX ESG index) and the equal-weight index (EGX100 EWI index), we empirically examine the importance of CSR financial performance disclosure by examining the extent to which it can influence investors’ choices. In addition, we assess whether company reputation acquired through online social media (OSM) influences the extent to which CSR performance disclosure influences such judgments. To examine these matters, we conduct two tests: the first examines the influence of disclosure of company environmental activities on investors’ decisions and the other examines the influence of disclosure of company social activities on investor decisions. Turning to our key results, we find that investment decision makers in both experiments tend to invest only in companies that have higher CSR performance scores. In the context of OSM, we provide and discuss empirical evidence that investment decision makers are more responsive to investing in companies included in the S&P/EGX ESG index, which have a positive e-reputation for CSR performance, than companies included in the EGX100 EWI index, which do not have such a reputation, which confirms that e-reputation, as one of the most important outputs of OSM, has a marginal impact on investment decisions and moderates the relation between disclosure of high CSR scores and investors’ decisions. Therefore, this paper presents a modern starting point for CSR experts and academics, particularly in the emerging markets. In general, our paper expands the CSR-related investment literature. In line with the affect-as-information theory, our paper also expands the OSM literature by indicating that the effects of OSM depend on the information context, where failure to provide information to investors or other stakeholders in a timely manner may render the information useless.

CSR—HR Beyond Boundaries?

Very often CSR is presumed to be more of philanthropy, focussed more on funding/donations, and so on. Whilst it may be still there and also needed, CSR is much more evolved than that. Done properly, it is as rigorous as running a business project involving a multi-disciplinary approach. Given that this is a NHRD Publication on the theme of CSR and HR, the article attempts to illustrate how a CSR intervention also has the play of HR systems and processes. The article is a personal reflection of my recent transition to Social Investments function after being in the HR function for almost 30+ years, which has helped me to look at how the elements and science of HR contribute significantly to the success of any CSR intervention.

Analisis Social Return On Investment (SROI) dalam Penerapan Program Ketahanan Ekonomi dan Pangan Rumah Tangga Desa Dendang

Business activities in the current era are not only profit-oriented but highlight the value of sustainability. Due to global problems such as poverty and limited availability of resources, a sustainable company means that the company can maintain and improve the environmental life around the company. One of the company's efforts to create business sustainability is through a corporate sustainability strategy or the implementation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and a form of business ethics and social investment. To determine the effectiveness of a program, carried out an evaluation. This study aims to analyze the CSR program of PT SMM by using the Social Return On Investment (SROI) method. This study uses a qualitative descriptive approach to describe the implementation of PT SMM's CSR program and analyze the success of the program through the results of the SROI value. The results of the SROI calculation in this program show a ratio of 7.84, meaning that every investment made by PT SMM is Rp. 1,- getting a benefit of Rp. 7.8,-. This program can be categorized as successful because it can exceed the ratio of 1 in the SROI. If viewed from the economic, social, and environmental aspects, this program has good sustainability potential and deserves to be continued.

The Impact of Community Social Changes on the Digitalization of the Implementation of Stock Waqf

Abstract
 The practice of cash waqf, especially stock waqf, in the last 5 years in Indonesia has increased in addition to other cash waqf. This is the impact of increasingly sophisticated digitalization developments that affect people's mindsets. Stock waqf is a new innovation because waqf through money is considered to have a more flexible nature to make new breakthroughs according to the needs of the times without reducing the essence of the waqf. Waqf shares are usually intended for productive social purposes or investments, the results of which are for the benefit of the people. The public or entrepreneurs are more interested in stock waqf because it can be channeled directly through nadzir waqaf and is easy to access. In general, the model for implementing stock waqf is derived from profits management of shares which are then given to waqf management institutions for then add to the benefits of waqf in the form of productive assets as well as physical assets that are useful for social.This research is a library research using a sociological approach. The type of research used is qualitative research using documentation data collection techniques and then analyzed by reducing data, presenting data and then drawing a conclusion. So that innovation in the form of cash waqf in Indonesia due to the positive impact of social changes in society is known comprehensively and has a strong legal basis.
 Keywords: Impact of Change, Social Society, Digitization, Stock Waqf.

АНАЛИЗ СТРАТЕГИИ КОРПОРАЦИИ В СФЕРЕ СОЦИАЛЬНО-ОТВЕТСТВЕННЫХ ИНВЕСТИЦИЙ ПРИ ПОМОЩИ МАТРИЧНОГО ПОДХОДА

The article presents the adaptation of the matrix approach to assessing the effectiveness of the corporation's strategy in the field of socially responsible investments. The relevance of the research is due to fundamental changes in the financial system, which require increasing participation of large businesses in solving socio-economic problems. The study presents an econometric analysis of 10 domestic corporations for the period from 2019 to 2021 in order to confirm the growth of financial results, as well as the value of business as a result of an increase in socially responsible investments in key areas such as environmental programs, the formation and maintenance of labor resources, investments in the infrastructure of adjacent territories. The obtained results testify to the multidirectional influence of social investments, depending on their type. The article proposes a new matrix of Socially Responsible Investments, the use of which not only makes it possible to diagnose the current strategy, but also to adjust it in order to increase the effectiveness of the strategy and based on the capabilities of a particular corporation. At the end of the work, as an example, the process of assessing and modeling the strategy of TAIF-NK JSC in the field of socially responsible investments is presented, as well as recommendations are given for changing the volume of social investments of the corporation until 2026 inclusive.

An eighteen-year longitudinal examination of school victimization and weapon use in California secondary schools.

School safety has been a major public health issue in the United States and internationally for more than three decades. Many policies and programs have been developed and implemented to prevent school violence, improve the school climate, and increase safety. There are only a few peer-reviewed studies of changes in school violence over time. The study examined changes over time in school victimization, weapon involvement and school climate, comparing change trajectories by gender and race and different change trajectories among schools. A longitudinal study of the biennial California Healthy Kids Survey in secondary schools from 2001 to 2019. The representative sample included 6,219,166 students in grades 7, 9, and 11 (48.8% male) from 3253 schools (66% high schools). All victimization and weapon involvement items had significant and substantial linear reductions. The largest reduction involved being in a physical fight (from 25.4% to 11.0%). There were reductions in weapon involvement (d = 0.46) and victimization (d = 0.38). Biased-based victimization only declined slightly (d = -0.05). School belongingness and safety increased (d = 0.27), adult support increased a small amount (d = 0.05), and student participation declined (d = -0.10). Changes were smallest among White students. Ninety-five percent of the schools showed the same pattern of reductions. The findings are in contrast to the public's concerns that school violence is a growing problem. Reductions in school violence may result from social investment in school safety. A distinction should be made between school shootings and other forms of school violence.

By Way of Law. Assessment of the Actual Impact of Social Investment Projects in Russia and Worldwide

Social investment started to gain popularity all over the world in the last century, yet it still has not received a clear legislative support. This article reviews the practices of legal regulation of social investment, i.e. what legal structures have been created to formalize and regulate this sphere in Russia and worldwide, and identifies mechanisms and functions required to evaluate the actual impact, followed by identifying key areas for improvement.

Foreign and domestic practice of implementing the principles of socially responsible business

Main problem: in Kazakhstan, it is urgent to develop measures aimed at introduction and promotion of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at all levels of Kazakh society, in order to strengthen sustainability of socio-economic development, active participation of business in social modernization and human capital development. In this regard, there is problem of forming effective mechanism of social responsibility, as well as the implementation of principles of corporate social responsibility in management practice of domestic companies. Purpose: this study aims to determine the main stages of the development of CSR in business in Kazakhstan in the specific context the domestic business sector. Methods: methods of systematic, comparative and statistical analysis and of expert assessments were used. Expert survey, document analysis, secondary analysis of sociological research, case study method were used as empirical research methods. The analysis of documents was performed to study the legislative and regulatory frameworks that determine practices of implementing interaction between business and government in modern states. To identify and characterize models of CSR implementation, method of secondary data from a number of foreign comparative studies was applied. Case study method allowed identifying empirical cases of effective implementation of mechanisms of social public-private partnership in field of social investments by domestic business structures. Results and their significance: in the article, based on study of domestic and foreign experience, mechanism of interaction between business and government in solving problems of regional economic systems was considered. Main stages of evolution of CSR practices in Kazakhstan were identified and characterized, structural (subjects, institutions) and regulatory (legislation, strategies, programs, standards) components of interaction between business and government in solving problems of region in modern conditions are established. In addition, main differences between domestic CSR system and European model are considered, general characteristics of which are given in article.

Congestion effects of energy and capital in China's carbon emission reduction: Evidence from provincial levels

Global carbon emission control and resource conservation are important measures to realize sustainable development goals. There are few researches on carbon emissions from the perspective of congestion with the data envelopment analysis method. Congestion effects not only help us to reduce carbon emissions, but also achieve reasonable allocation of resources. This paper expands traditional congestion into undesirable congestion and desirable congestion, and both are divided into undesirable congestion of energy (capital) and desirable congestion of energy (capital) in 30 Chinese provinces with a two-stage model. So, purely technical inefficiency is separated from congestion, and energy and capital utilization can be analyzed simultaneously. The results show that: (1) China has a higher carbon emission reduction potential under natural disposability than that under managerial disposability. (2) The number of provinces with undesirable congestion of energy in the eastern region is small, while that with undesirable congestion of capital in the western region is small. (3) The number of provinces with desirable congestion increases. Desirable congestion of energy and capital is mainly concentrated in the eastern and central regions. Exploring the congestion effects of energy and capital will help China to achieve “dual carbon” targets and promote the environmental, social, and governance investment.