Social Responsibility Research Research Articles

The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implications for Corporate Social Responsibility Research

AbstractThis article presents a review of the literature on the United Nations Guiding Principles (UNGPs) for the purpose of situating the UNGPs in the voluntary corporate social responsibility (CSR) infrastructure. We identify four key themes that underlie the debate: (1) a critical assessment of the UNGPs, (2) their application to different sectors, (3) a discussion of how to embed key aspects of the UNGPs into national and regional contexts, and (4) reflections on the role of due diligence. We discuss these themes and outline some practical and theoretical take-away messages. Our review highlights some similarities and differences to the discussion of voluntary initiatives in the field of CSR, especially the UN Global Compact. Our discussion helps to understand how the UNGPs are situated in the voluntary institutional infrastructure for CSR. Finally, we show how the theoretical and practical discourse on the UNGPs can be further advanced.

Progress of hotel corporate social responsibility research in terms of theoretical, methodological, and thematic development

ABSTRACT This research is a longitudinal study of 77 articles on hotel corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices published in tourism and hospitality journals indexed in the Social Sciences Citation Index. Content analysis is used to evaluate the nature of the articles, including the article profile, use of theories, use of research approaches, and research themes. A timeline is created to compare the development of the research areas over a decade. Findings confirm the development of hotel CSR research in the aforementioned areas, but increased attention is necessary to improve the research subject further. Consequently, the quality of academic activities and practical operations in hotel CSR can be enhanced.

New directions for marketing ethics and social responsibility research

ABSTRACT Marketing ethics and social responsibility research has reached a pivot point requiring a new direction. This commentary provides opportunities to access existing challenges and potential problems for research. To accomplish this, the constructs of marketing ethics and social responsibility are explored, as well as the theoretical frameworks related to decision making. Current challenges and opportunities are based on the implementation of technology and changes in marketing efforts to build rapport and provide support for the welfare of consumers. The COVID-19 pandemic created ethical issues and exposed social issues that require new strategies and initiatives. Specific problems and issues for future research related to marketing subculture, work environments, technology as well as Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) are provided as new areas for research.

How do CSR and EO relate to the efficiency of food processing enterprises Endogenous production inefficiency stochastic frontier analysis

Despite the growing interest research in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and entrepreneurial orientation (EO), it is unclear that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) should concern about the ...

Natural experiments in corporate social responsibility research: a literature review

Natural experiments in corporate social responsibility research: a literature review

Natural experiments in corporate social responsibility research: a literature review

Natural experiments in corporate social responsibility research: a literature review

Effect of CSR participation on employee sense of purpose and experienced meaningfulness: A self-determination theory perspective

The last two decades have seen a rapid increase in corporate social responsibility (CSR) research studies in the hospitality sector. However, majority of such studies have focused either on institutional outcomes like financial performance or stakeholders like customers. Correspondingly, building on the Self-determination Theory, this study developed a model to empirically test whether and how CSR participation drives employee's sense of purpose and facilitates their experienced meaningfulness to consequently enhance employee engagement and their job performance. For empirical validity, we conducted a questionnaire survey among 387 full-time employees working in selected luxury hotels of India. The results reveal that employees' CSR participation positively affects their sense of purpose and their experienced meaningfulness, which consequently affect employee engagement. The results further reveal that sense of purpose positively affects employees' job performance whereas the effect of employees' experienced meaningfulness on their job performance was found to be non significant. The findings also delineate that employee engagement positively affects employee job performance. By empirically demonstrating how employees' CSR participation can instill sense of purpose and meaningfulness to employees at their workplaces vis-à-vis enhance their engagement and job performance, we address the strategic concern of hospitality management and also exemplify a valuable academic contribution.

Market-oriented corporate digital responsibility to manage data vulnerability in online banking

PurposeThis conceptual paper explores gaps in bank privacy protection practices and advocates for banks to integrate market-oriented (MO) approaches in their corporate digital responsibility (CDR) initiatives to minimize consumer data vulnerability.Design/methodology/approachTo apply MO in CDR, this study recommends adoption of a behavior change framework comprising of the co-creation, build and engage (CBE) model and proposes the creation of consumer segments based on generational cohort and tailoring strategies through motivation, opportunity and ability (MOA) model to manage vulnerability.FindingsThe study specifies that managing consumer data vulnerability requires a unique strategy different from conventional service delivery. A holistic approach is recommended by integrating corporate digital responsibility as a pivotal element of organizational strategy and by positioning vulnerable customers as a critical stakeholder.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the research in corporate social responsibility (CSR), privacy and data vulnerability in the banking sector in two prominent ways: first, the study demonstrates the importance of MO as a premise to develop a novel version of CDR called market-oriented digital responsibility (MODR). The study considers MODR as a strategy to reposition vulnerable consumers as a key stakeholder, and, second, the study proposes an innovative set of consumer segments based on data vulnerability and introduces a data vulnerability growth model (DVGM) connecting vulnerability with age.

How CEO social capital drives corporate social performance: The roles of stakeholders, and CEO tenure

AbstractThis paper investigates the role of a chief executive officer's (CEO's) social capital on corporate social performance (CSP) through the mediating mechanism of stakeholder integration. Data were collected from 256 small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). Results from the hierarchical regression analysis suggest that stakeholder integration mediates the relationship between CEO social capital and CSP. The results further reveal that the effect of CEO social capital on stakeholder integration is moderated by CEO tenure, such that the relationship is more significant for long‐tenured CEOs than short‐tenured CEOs. These findings extend the social capital and corporate social responsibility research and practice.

Benefits and challenges of developing an eco-social orientation: implications for marketing practice

PurposeSocial and environmental actors have been added to the stakeholder balancing act required of organizations in today’s competitive marketplace. To address this, the firms may create orientations to convey their strategic priorities. The purpose of this paper is to explore how different levels of environmental orientation (EO) and social orientation (SO) influence firm outcomes. This paper leverages logic from the too-much-of-a-good-thing effect to predict that firms must strategically align their resources with performance goals to optimize these resources.Design/methodology/approachThe paper outlines a step-by-step guide that combines latent moderated structural equation modeling with response surface analysis to estimate curvilinear relationships. The approach leverages the benefits of both techniques to produce precise results and more nuanced – and meaningful – implications.FindingsThe procedure is effective in uncovering a curvilinear relationship between the indicator variables. Specifically, firms optimize environmental performance when EO is higher than SO. The opposite is the case for the outcome of social value and manager trust. Economic performance is highest when both indicators are simultaneously high.Research limitations/implicationsThis study tests the relationships between social and EOs and performance. As such, the exploratory data in this study are US-centric and self-assessment in design. These limitations open the door to confirmatory studies using objective outcome data and cross-cultural comparisons. Such studies should embrace more variables and examine potential moderating influences. Most importantly, future research should work to expand and verify the development of the eco-SO construct presented here, as the dynamics of these relationships have been overlooked in most social responsibility and sustainability research. Future studies should adopt this construct into extant models and also consider the dynamics and inter-organizational fit for partner firms with competing orientations.Practical implicationsFor managers, the results show that conveying an environmental or social outcome has unique benefits to the firm. Further, there is an incentive to try and do both simultaneously. However, there is a critical point where the effects taper off, which can guide managers as they implement social and/or environmental strategies.Social implicationsThe research questions ask if a company can simultaneously deliver: economic value to shareholders, environmental value to the planet and social value to consumers while maintaining the trust of its managers. The results generally support that to fully serve one group, a firm must underserve another.Originality/valueThe study introduces SO as a valid construct to mirror EO and then models their interaction in three-dimensional space to present an optimal firm strategy.

Impact of Strategic Planning on the Performance of Yemeni Universities

This study aimed to investigate the impact of three strategic planning dimensions (environmental analysis, strategic direction and strategy formulation) on the five performance dimensions of Yemeni universities (profitability, market share, social responsibility, customer satisfaction, and scientific research). The descriptive analytical method was used and the data were collected by using a questionnaire. The study population consisted of the academic and administrative leaders in the Yemeni universities from which a sample of 301 participants were selected using the census method. To achieve the study objective and test the hypothesis, the descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used. The results of the study revealed an interest in practicing strategic planning dimensions in the Yemeni universities under investigation. There was a disparity in the level of achieving the performance dimensions, where 'market share' was the most achieved dimension, and 'profitability' was the least achieved dimension. The results also showed a disparity in the impact of strategic planning dimensions on the performance of Yemeni universities, where ‘strategy formulation’ was the most influential dimension; and ‘strategic direction’ was the least influential dimension. It was concluded that Yemeni universities should direct more focus on their practice of strategic planning of all dimensions because it has a positive impact on their performance.
 Keywords: strategic planning, performance, Yemeni universities

Impact of Strategic Planning on the Performance of Yemeni Universities

This study aimed to investigate the impact of three strategic planning dimensions (environmental analysis, strategic direction and strategy formulation) on the five performance dimensions of Yemeni universities (profitability, market share, social responsibility, customer satisfaction, and scientific research). The descriptive analytical method was used and the data were collected by using a questionnaire. The study population consisted of the academic and administrative leaders in the Yemeni universities from which a sample of 301 participants were selected using the census method. To achieve the study objective and test the hypothesis, the descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used. The results of the study revealed an interest in practicing strategic planning dimensions in the Yemeni universities under investigation. There was a disparity in the level of achieving the performance dimensions, where 'market share' was the most achieved dimension, and 'profitability' was the least achieved dimension. The results also showed a disparity in the impact of strategic planning dimensions on the performance of Yemeni universities, where ‘strategy formulation’ was the most influential dimension; and ‘strategic direction’ was the least influential dimension. It was concluded that Yemeni universities should direct more focus on their practice of strategic planning of all dimensions because it has a positive impact on their performance.
 Keywords: strategic planning, performance, Yemeni universities

Impact of Negative Word of Mouth on Firm Value

With the development of information and communication technology and spread of smart devices, online information exchange has become a daily routine. Accordingly, the management and utilization of online word of mouth (WOM) has become an important issue for companies. Numerous studies have examined the impact of online WOM on firm performance. This study analyzes the impact of negative word of mouth (NWOM) on firm value, considering the influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) activity and research and development (R&D) investment. Using a hierarchical linear model, we find that 1) NWOM has a negative impact on firm value, 2) CSR activities do not significantly influence this impact, and 3) R&D investment reduces this negative impact. This study contributes by demonstrating the effect of NWOM on firm value, examining the influence of CSR activities and R&D investment on the impact of NWOM, and confirming that the hierarchical linear model can be applied effectively to panel data in empirical studies. As a practical implication, companies must prevent and manage NWOM, whose impact, when caused by an unavoidable incident, can be alleviated by proactively announcing that the company is striving for competitiveness, for instance, by investing in R&D.

Do consumers care about CSR activities of their favorite restaurant brands? Evidence from engagement on social networks

ABSTRACT While prior corporate social responsibility (CSR) research has focused mainly on the positive influences of CSR activities on consumers’ perceptions of and attitudes toward brands with survey and experimental design approaches, the current study examines consumers’ engagement with CSR posts on social media platforms using quantitative content analysis. With emphasis on the restaurant industry, this study was conducted in the Facebook context, aiming to investigate how consumers respond to restaurant companies’ CSR posts. The results of this study indicate that the level of consumer engagement depends on the types of CSR posts – environmental, social, or economic. This study examined whether there are differences in CSR posts between the quick service and casual dining sectors, and whether consumers’ responses differ depending on the nature of the product/service and the type of CSR activities. This study contributes to the CSR and social media literature and provides implications for the restaurant industry.

An integrated sustainability-management approach for universities

Sustainability has become a recognised important sector and a main concern in modern life. The attention towards sustainability was particularly increased when the UN set the target of achieving 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The role of universities cannot be ignored in promoting sustainability, but to play this role effectively, universities first need to be sustainable. This paper aims to describe a sustainability framework and suggests a process for using the proposed sustainability framework. A qualitative research method using a systematic review approach, semi-structured interviews and email interviews was adopted to achieve the aims and objectives of this research. The initial data were collected from 39 papers extracted from four main databases. Then, semi-structured interviews were held with a total of 11 sustainability experts working in different universities globally. A framework for sustainability in universities consisting of three main components related to the environment, social responsibility and teaching and research is finally developed and validated through email interviews held with 19 heads of different universities around the world. Each of the main sustainability components is divided into subfactors. Longitudinal studies are recommended to evaluate the impact of the proposed framework on university sustainability.

Mapping corporate social responsibility research in communication: A network and bibliometric analysis

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) exhibits irrefutable practical and theoretical importance to the field of communication. However, limited efforts have been made by communication scholars to review the progression of knowledge construction and project prospects for theory development in this area. Informed by the social construction of knowledge and invisible college frameworks, this study conducts co-authorship and co-citation network analyses on CSR literature in communication. The sample included 290 peer-reviewed articles published between 1980 and 2018 across 61 communication journals. The 9,288 foundation publications and 4,596 unique publication sources referenced by these articles were also analyzed. Results of this study reveal limited collaborations among researchers with expertise in and outside the communication discipline or across different communication sub-disciplines. The results also show a substantial influence from management and marketing perspectives on the invisible college of CSR research in communication. Moreover, the results of three longitudinal network models display the patterns of structural evolution of the scholarly collaboration and foundation literature networks, showing a maturing process of CSR knowledge construction in communication. Taken together, this study stimulates future CSR research in that it helps locate the knowledge base that may inspire new research fronts and the areas of vacancies that serve as promising venues for the discovery of CSR knowledge.

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY DALAM BINGKAI SYARIAH

Research in corporate social responsibility (CSR) has long been established yet there are still new dimensions for its discussion within the Islamic perspective. This study undertakes the investigation of CSR within the Islamic banking industry utilizing the Shariah Enterprise Theory (SET). It seeks to identify whether the factors of size, profitability and shariah compliance may play role in the disclosure of CSR by Islamic banks in Indonesia. All registered Islamic banks in Indonesia publishing their annual report for the period of 2011-2016 were employed as samples of this study. The findings demonstrated that some of the sampled banks have provided extensive and informative disclosure of CSR. Simulteanously the three studied variables consisting of size, profitability and shariah compliance were found to influence the CSR disclosure. Nevertheless, partially while bank size and profitability were found to influence the CSR disclosure yet there was no influence of shariah compliance towards CSR disclosure. This gives an interesting insight for further examination in future studies

Scoping the Evolution of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Research in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Era

Amidst a contemporary culture of climate awareness, unprecedented levels of transparency and visibility are forcing industrial organizations to broaden their value chains and deepen the impacts of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. While it may be common knowledge that the 2030 agenda cannot be achieved on a business-as-usual trajectory, this study seeks to determine to what ends the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have impacted CSR research. Highlighting linkages and interdependencies between the SDGs and evolution of CSR practice, this paper analyzes a final sample of 56 relevant journal articles from the period 2015–2020. With the intent of bridging policy and practice, thematic coding analysis has supported the identification and interpretation of key emergent research themes. Using three descriptive categorical classifications (i.e., single-dimension, bi-combination of dimensions, sustainability dimension), the results of this paper provide an in-depth discussion into strategic community, company, consumer, investor, and employee foci. Furthermore, the analysis provides a timely and descriptive overview of how CSR research has approached the SDGs and which ones are being prioritized. By deepening the understanding of potential synergies between business strategy, global climate agendas and the common good, this paper contributes to an increased comprehension of how CSR and financial performance can be improved over the long-term.

Business ethics for a global society: Howard Bowen’s legacy and the foundations of United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals

This article builds on Howard R. Bowen’s seminal treatise “Social Responsibilities of the Businessman” to portray how Bowen’s 11 Economic Goals for responsible business practice are visionary and remarkably evocative of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Drawing on the articles included in this guest issue, we reflectively discuss recent developments of corporate social responsibility and business ethics research and identify several avenues for future research. We maintain that the institutionalization of sustainable, responsible, and ethical business practices in any organization is not only achievable but also morally imperative if the subsumed contract between business and society for the effective functioning of both is to be upheld.

The Research and Evaluation of Customer Relationship Management and Social Responsibility on Competitive Advantage

In face of the rapid change in the competition environment, enterprises or organizations not being able to timely adjust the organization structure or introduce new management methods, thoughts, and business tactics would gradually disappear in the fiercely competitive market. Business managers therefore pay attention to strategies to promote the corporate competitiveness. The issue of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is gradually concerned in the society. CSR related issues used to be regarded as regional problems; however, it has developed to become global focus, including emerging markets, in past years. Aiming at high-tech industry in Tianjin Binhai Hi-tech Industrial Development Area, 600 copies of questionnaire are distributed to the supervisors and employees for this study. Total 422 valid copies are retrieved, with the retrieval rate 70%. The research results reveal significantly positive effects of customer relationship management on social responsibility, social responsibility on competitive advantage, and customer relationship management on competitive advantage. According to the results, suggestions are proposed, expecting to help domestic high-tech industry apply customer relationship management to improve business performance, enhance social responsibility effectiveness, competitive advantage, creativity, and adaptability, win new customers, consolidate existing customers, and enhance customers’ profit contribution.