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A Framework for Understanding Corporate Social Responsibility Programs as a Continuum: An Exploratory Study
Abstract
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs are increasingly popular corporate marketing strategies. This paper argues
that CSR programs can fall along a continuum between two endpoints: Institutionalized programs and Promotional programs. This
classification is based on an exploratory study examining the variance of four responses from the consumer stakeholder group
toward these two categories of CSR. Institutionalized CSR programs are argued to be most effective at increasing customer
loyalty, enhancing attitude toward the company, and decreasing consumer skepticism. Promotional CSR programs are argued to
be more effective at generating purchase intent. Ethical and managerial implications of these preliminary findings are discussed.
... Moreover, more research has yet to explore whether companies that engage in sport femvertising are internally committed to the cause in their overall CSR program. This factor can impact brands' long-term reputation and loyalty (Pirsch et al., 2007). As mentioned, femvertising is associated with increased sales, elevated brand recognition and greater reputation. ...
... Femvertising brands adopting a washing position are more likely to experience backlash from consumers and activists, who may not accept the incongruence between the public declaration and internal programs for women. This is what Pirsch et al. (2007) suggest regarding promotional CSR when "the company is not dedicating a great deal of time or energy to contributing a portion of their assets or resources, and that while it was a good program, it is not as comprehensive" (p. 134). ...
... 134). In contrast, institutionalized CSR programs will significantly impact consumer loyalty, intention to purchase, consumer skepticism of the company's motivation for generating a CSR program, and attitude toward the company (Pirsch et al., 2007). This implies that a longer-term, more comprehensive CSR approach, which engages a broad range of the company's stakeholders, has a stronger impact on consumers. ...
Purpose
This study aims to examine whether sport companies that promote gender equality through femvertising, an advertising trend that empowers women and confronts gender stereotypes, actually support women’s rights with institutionalized approaches to challenge gender issues. Some sport brands even have won awards for their femvertising efforts, however, not all of them have modified their policies and programs to support gender equality. Sport femvertising can be a new area for CSR-washing and this study investigated this potential.
Design/methodology/approach
Utilizing a content analysis, this study compared sport brands' (award-winning vs non-award-winning) level of engagement in internal and external CSR activities regarding gender equality. Sport brands’ CSR attempts and number of women in leadership positions were analyzed through companies’ CSR reports, annual reports and websites.
Findings
Only few differences between two groups (award-winning vs non-award-winning) of sport brands were observed regarding their gender equality CSR engagement. In some cases, non-award-winning sport brands had a greater percentage of women in leadership and practiced more internal gender equality CSR.
Originality/value
This paper provides valuable information about the potential of femvertising as an advertisement, as well as CSR strategy. Results of this study broaden our understanding of how sport companies embraced this advertising/CSR technique and the repercussions. Findings provide guidance for sport marketers who seek to improve their brand image through femvertising.
... More recently, although potentially polarizing (Milfeld and Flint, 2021), brand conscientiousness started to be expressed through sociopolitical activism (Bhagwat et al., 2020). As with CSR (Guzm an and Becker-Olsen, 2010; Pirsch et al., 2007) and sustainability (Crittenden et al., 2011;Vallaster and Lindgreen, 2013), the challenge companies face in being socio-politically active is doing it in a way that is perceived as not opportunistic, but rather authentic or wokei.e. a brand that is perceived as open-minded, empathetic and aware of current social issues - (Ahmad et al., 2022;Kapitan et al., 2022;Mirzaei et al., 2022;Muniz and Guzm an, 2023;Schmidt et al., 2022;Vredenburg et al., 2020). Another challenge is keeping their shareholders happy; companies are facing shareholders' pressure advocating from both sides of the political spectrum, as well as for staying out of the political discourse (Vanderford, 2023). ...
... Perceived authenticity has been identified as a key success factor for any type of conscientious strategy. Avoiding CSR opportunism (Pirsch et al., 2007), greenwashing (Laufer, 2003) or woke washing (Mirzaei et al., 2022;Vredenburg et al., 2020) is critical for conscientious B2B strategies to be perceived as authentic (Han and Lee, 2021;Kapitan et al., 2019Kapitan et al., , 2022Moorman, 2020;Vesal et al., 2021). Recent research identifies that the source of this perceived authenticity does not necessarily have to stem from the conscientious strategy itself (Muniz and Guzm an, 2023). ...
... Thus, B2B brands respecting shareholder expectations are most likely governed by social exchange theory instead of transaction cost economics. Nevertheless, the assessment of potential risk (Milfeld and Flint, 2021;Swaminathan et al., 2020;Wannow et al., 2023) suggests that B2B brands' decision to pursue conscientiousness This study also confirms the critical role of brand authenticity (Morhart et al., 2015;Moulard et al., 2021;Schallehn et al., 2014) in developing B2B brands' conscientious strategies, reinforcing past literature regarding strategies to avoid CSR opportunism (Pirsch et al., 2007), greenwashing (Laufer, 2003) or woke washing (Mirzaei et al., 2022;Vredenburg et al., 2020). Nevertheless, past research studied the importance of authenticity from a customer perspective, not from an employee perspective. ...
Purpose
Business organizations are evermore expected to behave conscientiously, but a lack of clarity remains regarding this strategy for business-to-business (B2B) brands. This paper aims to develop and validate a B2B brand conscientiousness model that identifies what factors are driving this approach.
Design/methodology/approach
The research model is validated through a three-stage study that collects insights from high-level executives, mid-level managers and employees in B2B firms. Whereas the first two exploratory stages follow a qualitative approach to identify what factors motivate B2B firms to be conscientious and develop a model, the third stage empirically tests the proposed model through structural equation modeling.
Findings
The results suggest that brand conscientiousness is viewed as an important strategy by B2B stakeholders. Whereas perceived risk discourages, external and internal stakeholder expectations and a firm’s financial commitment to a cause encourage, brands to pursue a conscientious approach. Furthermore, a B2B conscientious strategy must be perceived as authentic. Long-term commitment to the cause, strategic alignment of brand values with the cause and a congruent delivery of the brand’s promise are the drivers of this perceived authenticity.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the emerging knowledge on B2B conscientious brands by confirming the importance of this approach in a B2B context, identifying the factors that B2B stakeholders – executives, managers and employees – believe are driving it and highlighting the importance and identifying the factors that drive its perceived authenticity.
... Scepticism towards CSR programmes (Pirsch et al., 2007), including green marketing (Musgrove et al., 2018), also attracts considerable attention and often relates to scepticism about green advertising, a facet of green marketing (Agarwal & Kumar, 2021) in which companies promote themselves as "green" through environmentally-friendly initiatives (Raska & Shaw, 2012). Green scepticism is inevitable due to greenwashing and can restrict green marketing (de Freitas Netto et al., 2020). ...
... The cause categories (D.Y. or CSR programs (Pirsch et al., 2007) that a company chooses to support or feature can influence consumer scepticism. For example, the results of Pirsch et al.'s (2007) study suggest that consumers are more sceptical of the motivations driving a promotional CSR programme (focusing on short-term effects such as increasing buying intentions) than an institutional CSR programme (emphasising building a long-term customer relationship). ...
... The cause categories (D.Y. or CSR programs (Pirsch et al., 2007) that a company chooses to support or feature can influence consumer scepticism. For example, the results of Pirsch et al.'s (2007) study suggest that consumers are more sceptical of the motivations driving a promotional CSR programme (focusing on short-term effects such as increasing buying intentions) than an institutional CSR programme (emphasising building a long-term customer relationship). In a study examining the restaurant and food service context, D.Y. note that the interaction of message type and socialcause category (e.g. ...
Consumer scepticism has attracted increasing scholarly attention in recent years. However, the scientific un-derstanding of the development and consequences of consumer scepticism towards corporate social re-sponsibility (CSR) and related programmes remains fragmented. In response, this paper reviews, synthesises and
assesses the CSR-related scepticism literature from more than two decades (1998–2021) within the ante-cedents–consequences framework. In this paper, 89 studies in the existing literature are synthesised and criticallyevaluated, and the problems and gaps in the literature are highlighted. This paper also presents an attempt todevelop an integrative framework to provide a comprehensive understanding of the antecedents and conse-quences of CSR-related scepticism. Finally, it offers future research directions based on the current knowledge
and gaps in the extant literature
... Differences related to this study's results may be caused by differences in research samples, data analysis methods, research periods, and proxies used in measuring the variables used. Stakeholder theory explains that the sustainability and success of an organization depend on the organization's ability to achieve targets based on the wishes of stakeholders (Pirsch et al., 2007). In running its business, the company will attempt to gain the trust of stakeholders, especially creditors, so that the company can access funding easily. ...
... Stakeholder theory explains that the sustainability and success of an organization depend on the organization's ability to achieve targets based on the wishes of stakeholders (Pirsch et al., 2007). In running its business, the company will always try to gain the trust of stakeholders, especially creditors, so that the company can access funding easily. ...
This study examines whether capital structure and firm size affect sustainability disclosure. In addition, this study also examines the moderating role of independent commissioners in the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. This study employs data from financial statements, annual reports, and sustainability reports of consumer goods industry companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange from 2017 to 2020. The data sources are derived from www.idx.co.id and www.idnfinancial.com and the company's official website. Based on purposive sampling, the total sample used in this study is 148 observations. Hypothesis testing is done by using multiple linear analyses for panel data. The results suggest that capital structure is not associated with sustainability disclosure, while firm size is positively associated with sustainability disclosure. This study also finds that independent commissioners fail to weaken the negative effect of capital structure on sustainability disclosure nor the positive effect of firm size and sustainability disclosure. This study has complemented the literature on the importance of sustainability disclosure as nonfinancial disclosure in the financial accounting research context.
... However, simply engaging in CSR activities may not be enough to cause a positive impact on brand value. The success and acceptance of CSR campaigns depend on the extent to which consumers perceive the CSR program to be authentic (Alhouti et al., 2016;Kim and Lee, 2009;Fatma and Khan, 2022;Markovic et al., 2022;McShane and Cunningham, 2012;Mohr et al., 1998;Safeer and Liu, 2023;Skarmeas and Leonidou, 2013;Tarabashkina et al., 2020) and not opportunistic (Pirsch et al., 2007). ...
... It is thus relevant for brands to know that co-creation, through a halo effect, increases the perceived authenticity of a brand's CSR. This potentially prevents consumers from perceiving the brand's direct communication effort as opportunistic (Pirsch et al., 2007) or woke-washing (Mirzaei et al., 2022). For example, Toms shoes, a brand that built its reputation through CSR and their one-for-one program, donated over US$2m to different community-based organizations (Garner, 2022) selected by their consumers. ...
Purpose
In response to the rise of socially conscious consumers, brands have been taking a strategic approach to corporate social responsibility (CSR) to drive brand equity. Nevertheless, merely engaging in CSR is not enough to have a positive impact on the value consumers give to a brand. The success of a CSR program depends on its consumers’ perceived authenticity. Therefore, this study aims to investigate how the perception of CSR authenticity, and consequently brand equity, can be enhanced by leveraging brand value co-creation.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses a mixed-method approach to test its hypotheses. Study 1 collects survey data from a national representative sample in the USA, which is analyzed using structural equation modeling. Study 2 collects experimental data from a public university’s research pool, also in the USA, which is analyzed using ANOVA and mediation analysis.
Findings
This study demonstrates that when consumers believe that a brand is co-creative – i.e. consumers are allowed to participate in the creation of value – they will likely perceive the brand’s CSR program as more authentic, which in turn will positively affect brand equity.
Originality/value
The findings of this study offer implications for academics and brand managers interested on how to effectively leverage CSR for brand building. Specifically, it demonstrates that embracing CSR alone may not be sufficient to enhance brand equity and that brand managers should consider leveraging co-creation to strengthen perceptions of CSR authenticity.
... However, scepticism is simultaneously more prevalent surrounding organizational attempts at CSR implementation and communication processes (Kim & Rim, 2019). Those stakeholders have become more sceptical and doubtful about corporate CSR actions and communications in general (Connors et al., 2017), for they are under the impression that contemporary business organizations, to a great extent, employ CSR as a marketing tactic to take advantage of and capitalize on consumers' goodwill (Pirsch et al., 2007). In the CSR context, scepticism originates from the conflicting paradox between the for-profit nature of business and the altruistic nature of CSR. ...
Public scepticism is becoming more prevalent surrounding organizations' corporate social responsibility (CSR) implementation and communication. Management research has tended to over-fixate on the strategic paybacks of CSR, and less attention has been devoted to examining why CSR is under siege due to the pervasive issue of scepticism coming from a plethora of stakeholders. This study provides a scoping review to appraise the status quo of CSR vis-à-vis scepticism scholarship and examine how the two concepts have been contextualized in relation to one another in the extant literature in question. The findings illustrate that the process nature of CSR scepticism is complex, given that CSR can yield both a buffering and boomerang effect on CSR practitioners. The qualitative content analysis performed on 58 studies, published from 2007 to 2022, elaborates on CSR scepticism as a multidi-mensional construct with three distinctive typologies of research approaches identified, explicating how the CSR and scepticism topicalities have been cross-examined in relation to one another: "Typology 1: Dispositional Scepticism and the Buffering Effect of CSR on Scepticism"; "Typology 2: Situ-ational Scepticism and the Boomerang Effect of CSR on Scepticism"; "Typology 3: Centrality of CSR Scepticism and CSR Scepticism Mitigation." This study offers a conceptual insight into the prevalent issue of scepticism in the CSR context, while also informing marketing, communication, and public relations professionals about the necessity of mitigating CSR scepticism, which poses a barrier to effective CSR implementation and communication processes.
... However, scepticism is simultaneously more prevalent surrounding organisational attempts at CSR implementation and communication processes (Kim and Rim, 2019). Stakeholders have become more doubtful about corporate CSR actions and communications (Connors et al., 2017) since they are under the impression that business organisations largely employ CSR as a marketing tactic to capitalise on consumers' goodwill (Pirsch et al., 2007). ...
... Overall, CSR has the potential to enhance the consumer experience, which may serve as a competitive differentiator (Pirsch, Gupta, & Grau, 2007). Brands that engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs not only provide a product, but also the satisfaction that comes from helping others. ...
Contemporary businesses cannot survive in today's cutthroat marketplace without engaging in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Examining how CSR initiatives cultivate consumer loyalty within the framework of environmentally conscious advertising campaigns, this study probes the link between CSR initiatives and public perception of brands. Community involvement, ethical work practices, and environmental stewardship are some of the CSR programs examined in this research, which seeks to understand how these initiatives influence brand image and consumer behaviour. Case studies and consumer surveys were the basis of this study, which found that CSR-active companies' reputations, as well as the trust and loyalty of their target audience, were positively impacted. Customers are more loyal than ever before to brands that reflect their values, and the research highlights the importance of companies that demonstrate genuine commitment to sustainability. Based on the findings, businesses may boost their image, get more customers involved in the long run, and differentiate themselves from rivals by making CSR a central part of their strategy. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on corporate social responsibility and sustainable marketing. It offers valuable insights for organizations that want to build a reputation that is both responsible and customer-centric.
... The evidence of false documenting of records has been provided in an ATSB (2010) investigation report on Shen Neng 1, which revealed the chief officer had contradictory work records; meaning the hours recorded did not truly reflect those worked. The motivation for such findings has been argued as a link to an increasing demand for satisfying a ship's programme and operational commitments (Pirsch et al., 2007). The increasing pressure applied on ships, particularly on superyachts, to avoid receiving any nonconformities, notably with regards to PSC, undoubtedly provides a further justification for why work records may be forged (Praetorius and Lützhöft, 2011). ...
Accidents are a prevalent feature of working in the maritime industry. While studies have shown to what extent accidents and fatalities have occurred, the current research has generally been limited to commercial shipping. There is nearly no academic research focusing on the safety issues in the superyacht industry. This paper analyses the importance of promoting safety culture in the superyacht industry, the role of maritime legislation in maintaining safety and the role of Port State Control in ensuring all legislation is implemented. It aims to provide a critical examination of safety culture in the superyacht industry and evaluate the appropriateness for further measures to ensure safe working practices. It found out that while some superyachts do maintain an effective safety system, there remains almost 50% of the investigated fleet that do not promote the desired safety culture. It becomes evident that complacency and poor education contribute to the reduced and limited safety culture. The lack of education and awareness is demonstrated when the study shows individuals believing they maintain good safety practices but still admitting to taking various life-threatening risks.
... The other theory is the stakeholder theory, which supposes that a firm must meet the stakeholders' predictions and protect the interest of all of them, including employees, shareholders, lenders, and the general public at large, as the balance of the competing demands determines the performance of management (Ogden and Watson, 1999). The attribution between the emergence of social responsibility and the stakeholder theory states that achieving the firms' economic goals (such as maximizing profit ) and non-economic goals related to the stakeholders' benefits (such as firms` social performance) reflects the success of organizations ( Pirsch et al., 2007 ). ...
Social responsibility disclosure (SRD) has become a pivotal topic in various economic sectors as it develops firms’ reputations, attracts new customers, and raises their market shares. Therefore, many entities are concerned with clarifying their role in their communities by providing voluntarily financial support to achieve their goals, especially with the persistence of competitors in the market. However, institutions still have an awareness scarcity of the social responsibility importance and the return they can obtain from it, which can affect their performance and market indicators. Besides, there is limited research on its influence on financial performance in the context of Palestinian firms. Therefore, this study investigates how disclosing social responsibility activities can impact the financial performance of the industrial companies listed on the Palestine Stock Exchange (PEX) from 2018 to 2022. Panel data from annual reports are analyzed using SPSS. SRD is measured using an index from four main categories and 20 subcategories, while financial performance is assessed using Tobin’s Q and return on assets (ROA). The results indicate that SRD significantly impacts financial performance, evidenced by ROA and Tobin’s Q. However, no significant differences in SRD are found among Palestinian industrial companies during the study period. These results suggest that increasing SRD improves financial performance, leading to recommendations for promoting SRD practices through workshops and legislation.
... Bontis et al. (2007) find corporate reputation also impacts loyalty, and customers who patronize companies with higher reputations tend to be more loyal and dedicated (Walsh et al. 2009). For example, Pirsch, Gupta, and Grau (2007) argue that loyal customers are reluctant to change suppliers and are more willing to make proposals rather than end relationships with existing suppliers when faced with disagreements. Therefore, as major customers are often wary of suppliers' irresponsible behaviour (Farah and Newman 2010), they are more likely to stop business with suppliers at risk of ESG decoupling. ...
This paper examines the influence of corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) decoupling on customer stability. Using a sample of Chinese listed firms, we discover a significantly negative nexus between corporate ESG decoupling and customer stability. Mechanism tests reveal that ESG decoupling reduces customer stability by damaging corporate reputation and increasing information asymmetry. Cross-sectional analyses demonstrate that ESG decoupling’s adverse influence on customer stability is more prominent in state-owned companies, non-high-tech firms, and firms with fiercer industry competition. Our results show that customers, as corporate primary stakeholders, punish suppliers’ ESG decoupling behaviour. This paper enriches the emerging literature on the consequences of ESG decoupling. Meanwhile, our findings offer implications for firms to maintain supply chain security and stability.
... (2) Consumers tend to be more loyal to businesses active in social and environmental activities that match their values. This can result in a more stable growth of the customer base (Pirsch et al., 2007). (3) Involvement in social and environmental activities can strengthen relationships with employees, customers, suppliers, and local communities. ...
The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic literature review on corporate social responsibility (CSR) in micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). MSMEs stand as pivotal contributors to economies worldwide, fuelling innovation and economic growth. As the business landscape evolves, the relevance of CSR practices among these enterprises becomes increasingly apparent. This study aims to collect, analyze, and synthesize findings that already exist in the literature on CSR practices among MSMEs, as well as formulate possible research directions for the future. This study seeks to bridge the knowledge gap by delving into CSR practices within MSMEs, examining both manufacturing and service sectors. It aims to identify the unique internal and external factors influencing the effective implementation and success of these CSR strategies. We will identify the specific challenges faced by MSMEs in adopting CSR, as well as analyze the benefits they can achieve through the implementation of CSR practices. The systematic literature review research methods are systematic steps to collect, analyze, and synthesize relevant literature on CSR among MSMEs. Research results emphasize the importance of CSR practices for MSMEs, acknowledge the limitations of existing research due to limited data and context-specific considerations, and highlight the theoretical and practical implications of such research for developing CSR strategies and guidelines for MSMEs. Provides a comprehensive overview of the complexities, challenges, and benefits associated with implementing CSR practices in MSMEs across various sectors and contexts. This research addresses the pressing need to understand the role of CSR in MSMEs. As these enterprises navigate the dynamic business landscape, equipping them with insights into effective CSR practices can bolster their contributions to sustainable development.
... Stakeholders demand that organizations meet long-term sustainability goals and environmental preservation amidst a social and environmental activism surge. The importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a determinant of corporate reputation is well established in the literature, supported by multiple theories such as stakeholder theory, social identity theory, legitimacy theory, and consumer inference-making theory [19]. In contrast, classical finance theories emphasize shareholder theory, which posits that the main objective of an organization is to maximize shareholder wealth. ...
This study aims to investigate the influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on both financial and non-financial performance in the Pakistani banking sector by applying a quantitative research approach to the primary data from 405 branch managers in the Pakistani banking sector. Both financial and non-financial performance indicators are analyzed in relation to CSR practices. The CB-SEM findings of this study reveal a significant and positive correlation between CSR and both financial and non-financial performance. Our results demonstrate that CSR initiatives contribute to improved financial performance, reputation, and innovation within the sector. These findings confirm the importance of prioritizing social responsibility initiatives to enhance overall performance in the banking industry. This study provides valuable insights into the impact of CSR on performance in the context of the Pakistani banking sector. The research contributes to the existing literature by highlighting the positive relationship between CSR and financial/non-financial performance. The findings underscore the relevance of CSR practices for banks in Pakistan and emphasize the potential benefits of incorporating social responsibility initiatives into their operations. This study serves as a foundation for future research, encouraging further exploration of CSR's role in the banking industry and its implications for sustainable business practices.
... This can be attributed to the harsh economic environment experienced in Zimbabwe during the period under study as most firms were incapacitated due to adverse macroeconomic fundamentals. However, as literature suggest, this may imply that in firms with less economic resources, focus is much more directed to other activities that promote the firm's earnings rather than the production of environmental and social voluntary disclosures (Hackston & Milne, 1996;Pirsch, Gupta, & Grau, 2007).The results are therefore inconclusive and are consistent with the literature which provides mixed results on whether profitability is a significant corporate CSRVD determinant (Neu et al.,1998;Domench, 2003;Brammer & Pavelin, 2006;Ali et al.,2017;Elgergeni et al.,2018). Whereas consistent with the RBV of the firm, signalling theory (Ross, 1977;Morris, 1987) and non-proprietary cost hypothesis (Dye, 1985;Dye, 1986;Prencipe, 2004), firms will signal positive information and will suppress the disclosure of negative information depending on the impact on future cash flows. ...
This study extends the literature on the determinants of voluntary disclosure of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in a sample of 61 annual reports from the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange for the year ended 31 December 2020. The purpose of the study is to determine why firms voluntarily disclose CSR and whether corporate governance mechanisms have an impact on firms’ disclosure policy. An unweighted disclosure index consisting of 30 corporate social responsibility attributes was developed; using content analysis to determine the level of corporate social responsibility disclosure. The results show that corporate social responsibility disclosure is low, with the most corporate social responsibility information disclosed being community involvement disclosure (40%), followed by environmental disclosure (30%), products and consumer information disclosure (29%), and human resources disclosure (28%). In addition, using multiple regression analysis and after accounting for size, leverage, profitability and industry, the findings indicate that board independence and board of directors’ qualifications have a significant positive influence on corporate social responsibility disclosure whereas ownership concentration was found to be insignificant. With the exception of profitability, all other firm characteristics, leverage, firm size and industry sector were positive and significant in explaining the variation in corporate social responsibility disclosure. It appears that profitable firms are not motivated to increase corporate social responsibility disclosure. This may be consistent with the shareholder wealth maximization approach which renders corporate social responsibility disclosures as less important. Financial markets in Zimbabwe may not be sufficiently efficient in penalizing firms for incomplete corporate social responsibility disclosure and that regulators may need to mandate such disclosures if information asymmetry is to be reduced and market efficiency enhanced.
... In line with the research by (Pirsch, Gupta, & Grau, 2007) CSR activities can also have a negative effect on firm value, because in carrying out CSR activities the company requires large funds. Shareholders will assume that the profits earned by the company will be used for CSR activities, and the company cannot provide maximum profit to shareholders so that JAA 6.3 ...
Purpose: This research aimed to analyze the effect of intellectual capital, CSR and firm size on firm value Methodology/Approach: this research used a purposive sampling technique and data analysis used multiple linear regression. Data collection uses documentation techniques in the form of data through the Indonesian Stock Exchange publication website. Findings: The results that indicate intellectual capital has an effect on firm value; CSR has no effect on firm value and firm size has a significant effect on firm value. Practical and Theoretical Contribution/Originality: Property sector companies should maintain company performance to remain stable, namely by maximizing intellectual capital and company size, so as to maintain the stability of company value. Research Limitation: The research method used cannot provide a detailed explanation for research results that are not in line with the existing theory, namely the relationship between CSR and company value.
... Jadi jika setiap unit variabel CSR baik, maka nilai perusahaan juga ikut baik. Teori pemangku kepentingan berpendapat bahwa kesinambungan dan keberhasilan suatu organisasi bergantung pada kemampuannya dalam memenuhi aspek ekonomi & non ekonomi, dengan cara memuaskan kepentingan stakeholder untuk dapat memenuhi aspek ekonomi & non ekonomi yang diwujudkan dalam aktivitas CSR (Pirsch et al., 2017). Perusahaan yang berinvestasi dalam aktivitas CSR akan beresiko rendah karena kemungkinan timbulnya pengeluaran di masa mendatang lebih sedikit, selain itu perusahaan akan mempunyai keunggulan yang baik. ...
Sasaran dari riset ini yaitu untuk memahami kontrol dari penerapan Tanggung Jawab Sosial Perusahaan (CSR) & desain modal pada nilai perusahaan di industri manufaktur bagian industri dasar & kimia yang tercatat di Bursa Efek Indonesia dalam kurun waktu 2018-2021. Jenis riset ini yaitu riset asosiasi dengan pendekatan kuantitatif, jumlah populasi sebanyak 54 perusahaan, serta dalam riset ini sampel yang digunakan yaitu teknik kriteria pemilihan khusus, akibatnya ditemukan sampel sebesar 26 industri. Metode dokumen dipakai sebagai metode pengumpulan data. Metode analisis data memakai analisis regresi linier berganda. Hasil riset membuktikan bahwa Corporate Social Responsibility memakai GRI-G4 & Desain Modal memakai Debt To Equity Ratio (DER) serta nilai perusahaan memakai Price Book Value (PBV) berdampak positif signifikan pada nilai perusahaan.
... There are many ways that an organization demonstrates that it is practicing its social responsibility and undertaking sustainable development. Among them are complying with codes or principles, such as the UN Global Compact Principles (Scherer & Palazzo, 2011) and OECD guidelines for MNEs (Steiner & Steiner, 2004), altering human resource management practices to align performance appraisal and reward to CSR (Steiner & Steiner, 2004), social auditing -hiring independent auditors to assess the impacts of a corporation on society (Zadek, 2004;Pirsch et al., 2007), triplebo om-line reporting (Elkington, 1998, cited in Hence, a firm undertaking CSR and sustainable development demonstrates its relationship management with diverse stakeholders. According to Carrol (1979, cited in Carroll, 1999, CSR encompasses an organization s economic, legal, ethical, and discretiona y responsibilities. ...
This paper describes a brief evolution of IFRS and its benefits. It then explains the organized hypocrisy of firms that, on the one hand, eulogized the importance of IFRS and quality financial reporting while, on the other hand, using corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainable development as a form of earnings management to depress profits, so that a firm’s share of fair tax is not paid to the State; as such there is some form of organized hypocrisy. This article also explains what can be done to address tax avoidance. Since the precursor of tax avoidance is earnings management, a simple cosmetic earnings management is analyzed using Benford’s Law for a public-listed Cambodian firm. This paper aims to illuminate that once cosmetic earnings management occurs, a grander scale of earnings management may occur for tax avoidance purposes, which, while legal, is unethical. This study sheds some light on the discourse of tax avoidance, which may become rampant among Cambodian firms in the future. Keywords: IFRS; CSR; Sustainable development; Earnings management; Tax avoidance; Organisational culture; Benford’s Law
... Another approach to classifying CSR initiatives is by identifying goal-specific orientations, such as philanthropic CSR, promotional CSR, and value-creating CSR (Austin 2000;Chen et al. 2018;Pirsch, Gupta, and Grau 2007;Varadarajan and Menon 1988). Philanthropic CSR encompasses one-way donation behaviors, such as providing monetary or material support without expecting anything in return from the consumer. ...
... These programs may include specific initiatives or projects, as well as guidelines and policies for how employees should conduct themselves in their work and in the wider community. CSR routines take various forms in practice-e.g., environmental sustainability, philanthropy, social justice, and ethical business practices-and may also be classified into institutionalized and promotional types (Pirsch et al., 2007). Our study focuses on one specific form of CSR: Charitable donation programs in the form of checkout charity campaigns, a format frequently implemented in the retail sector. ...
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities have become increasingly prevalent in retail settings. In franchised organizations, franchisors typically design and coordinate these activities, leaving operational execution to franchisees. Meanwhile, franchisors may introduce new corporate-led CSR activities over time. Even though changes to CSR activities may refocus outlets’ attention on a CSR initiative, they may also disrupt an outlet’s ongoing CSR routines. Using a longitudinal, secondary dataset consisting of an eight-year panel for a national, franchised restaurant chain, we examine CSR performance dynamics in the presence of two distinct types of CSR activities: an ongoing CSR routine and a distinct, temporary CSR campaign. We find that, when resuming the CSR routine after a temporary CSR campaign, outlets’ performance in CSR routines drops significantly (i.e., immediate decay), then improves gradually (i.e., protracted recovery). We also consider the moderating role of an outlet’s experience, finding that experience stabilizes these decay and recovery cycles. Our findings represent a first step in developing a longitudinal understanding of how a firm’s short-term CSR campaigns may impact ongoing CSR routines, thus contributing to the knowledge of CSR activity development and routinization.
... Employee views of corporate social responsibility (CSR) are critical to building a feeling of community inside the company because people connect with socially conscious businesses, which increases their Commitment and self-assurance (Pirsch, Vol. 11, Issue 12, December-2023 Archives of Business Research (ABR) Services for Science and Education -United Kingdom Gupta, & Grau, 2007). Consequently, this quantitative study examines the relationship between employee perceptions of CSR and OC using SIT (Nadkarni, Gruber, DeCelles, Connelly, & Baer, 2018). ...
There need to be more studies on how corporate social responsibility (CSR) affects personnel and Organizational Commitment (OC), even though many academics have examined the effects of CSR in various organizational situations. This study explores the relationship between hospital staff members' perceptions of CSR and OC in light of this research gap. The problem is addressed by this quantitative correlational study, which uses the social identity theory (SIT) as its conceptual framework. According to the theory, workers with higher CSR ratings will also have higher OC scores. The independent variables cover Four CSR dimensions: CSR toward consumers, CSR toward workers, and CSR toward the government. The community is the target of CSR. OC is the dependent variable. Hospitals in Pakistan were the source of research participants. The data analysis phase demonstrated a statistically significant positive association between hospital employees' views of OC and CSR. To detect any patterns or distinctions in how workers see CSR and its influence on OC, future research may want to replicate this survey with staff members from various departments and compare the results.
... ISO 26 000 states that social protection is reflected in categories such as remuneration for work performed, working hours, rest breaks, leave, disciplinary and termination procedures, maternity protection and social conditions. J. Pirsch et al. (2007) dealt with linking the concept of sustainability and social responsibility with the organization's marketing activities. According to their opinions, increasing customer loyalty should remain one of the strategic goals in the marketing plan. ...
... Thus, the stakeholders' theory captures the need for companies to settle the claims of shareholders along with the needs of other stakeholders (Aliyu, 2012). The stakeholders' theory affirms that sustainability and success of a business enterprise depends on its success in achieving economic and societal goals by fulfilling the needs and aspirations of the company stakeholders (Pirsch et al, 2007). Freeman (1984) sees the company's stakeholders as groups of individuals who can influence the business operations of a company. ...
Workplace ethics supports corporate sustainable development within the goal of meeting the needs and aspirations of the organisational stakeholders. This paper examined the role of business ethics on organisational sustainability. It also sought to ascertain the effect of managing unethical behaviour on organisational performance, as well as assess the effect of social responsibility on organisational stakeholders. The study adopted the survey research design, and a target population of 100 academic and non academic staff of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka was purposively selected and sampled. Findings from the logistic regression revealed that business ethics, managing unethical practices and social responsibility positively affected organisational sustainability, performance and stakeholders respectively. Consequently, it was recommended that ethics and accountability be promoted through the enactment, improvement and effective enforcement of codes of ethics and regulations. In addition, organisational managers should maintain a balance that responds to the concerns of all stakeholders and the society in general.
... Also, the findings of this study provide credence to that of Nkanga (2007) which showed that customers consider the ethical activities of firms before making purchasing decisions; and that regardless of higher prices, customers are prepared to patronize the products of firms that have higher ethical considerations. Similarly, Pirsch et al. (2007) found that customers constantly take into account organizational activities and practices, including ethical operations, in their intensions to buy. This suggests that customer loyalty, as can be measured by purchase decisions, may be affected by consideration for corporate ethical activities. ...
Background: Corporate social responsibility has continuously achieved recognition as an active and well-organized marketing strategy in the recent years, but gaps still exist on its understanding and impact on brand loyalty. Aim: This paper examines the impact of corporate social responsibility on brand loyalty. Method: The authors applied descriptive statistics to examine the impact of Corporate social responsibility on brand loyalty of telecommunication industry in Ghana. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from 600 customers of telecommunication companies in Ghana. The field data was analysed according to inferential and descriptive statistics. Findings: The study found that ethical and philanthropic dimensions of corporate social responsibility have significant impact on brand loyalty of telecommunication industry in Ghana. The findings have implications on telecommunication companies in Ghana and make significant contribution to academia.
... Thus, sustainability and CSR signals need to appear authentic and evoke trust from consumers to decrease consumer skepticism and avoid negative outcomes (Burgess et al., 2021). Pirsch et al. (2007) reveal that consumers make evaluations of CSR programs holistically across various areas of firms even though these elements might not be specifically targeted at their customers. In this regard, consumers who purchase sustainable products often have a strong sense of ethics and integrity (Castro-Gonz alez et al., 2019). ...
Purpose
This research examines the effect of team diversity on customer behavior (purchase likelihood) associated with sustainable luxury products and further considers the mediating role of customer skepticism and the moderating role of the growth mindset in these relationships.
Design/methodology/approach
Study 1 aims to confirm the direct effect of team diversity on purchase intention and the mediating effect of customer skepticism. Featuring a fictitious brand, Study 2 seeks to test the moderating effects of a growth mindset. This research recruits participants located in the USA who have shopping experiences with a luxury product.
Findings
The findings support the notion that team diversity can mitigate customers' skepticism while enhancing purchase likelihood. Moreover, this effect is stronger among those with a growth mindset. As such, the findings suggest that communicating the heterogeneous composition of team members can benefit sustainable luxury brands.
Originality/value
Underpinned by the signaling theory and incremental theory, this research examines the effects of team diversity on customer behavior (purchase likelihood) related to sustainable luxury products, as well as the role of customer skepticism (as a mediator) and a growth mindset (as a moderator) in these relationships. Thus, the findings broaden the current diversity research which has predominantly focused on team decision-making and performance.
... The stakeholder theory of capitalism is essentially a way of ensuring that nonshareholder interests are served, as well as how sustainable organisations are built (Kaler, 2006). Sustainability practices and stakeholder theory are integrated (Hörisch et al., 2020;Pirsch et al., 2007). There are three types of stakeholder theories that influence sustainability programmes, namely, normative, instrumental and descriptive (Rose et al., 2018). ...
Purpose
With the recent increasing relevance of sustainability, multinational enterprises are faced with divergent stakeholder demands and persistently shifting priorities. This study aims to examine stakeholders’ perceptions of the sustainability performance of a gold mining subsidiary in Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a purposive sampling technique, the authors interviewed managers and employees of the case enterprise, officials of regulatory institutions and host community members on their perceptions of the case enterprise’s sustainability performance. The authors triangulated the opinions expressed by these stakeholders with data from annual reports. The data were analysed through the lens of stakeholder theory.
Findings
The authors found that while members of the host community and the regulatory institutions were keenly interested in the case enterprise’s social and environmental activities, they perceived their performance as unimpressive, considering the economic benefits derived from the mining operations. On the contrary, the managers and employees of the case enterprise were satisfied with their environmental compliance and social intervention programmes, even though the company’s economic position had declined. The authors submit that the variations in the sustainability performance perceptions among the stakeholders are due to the lack of a deeper understanding of the other stakeholders’ expectations.
Practical implications
To equitably satisfy diverse stakeholder expectations, the study highlights the role of stakeholder collaborations in understanding the expectations of more salient stakeholder groups such as community members and employees, as well as the lesser salient groups such as academics. It also demonstrates the fluidity of sustainability and its benefits in designing a consensual sustainable management strategy. This implies that managers of the case mining enterprise make the necessary efforts to meet the diverse stakeholder needs while attaining their primary objective of creating wealth for shareholders.
Originality/value
Compared to advanced economies, studies on sustainability performance in emerging economies are limited. Nonetheless, these limited studies leave out stakeholder perceptions, focusing more on quantitative performance indicators. Using thematic and content analyses, the authors investigate stakeholder perceptions on the sustainability performance of a case mining subsidiary operating in Ghana. The study focused on Ghana because it is ranked with South Africa as the top two producers of gold in Africa. Nonetheless, unlike South Africa, Ghana faces more sustainability challenges from the mining sector due to weak institutions in enforcing sustainability standards.
... Despite this, it is possible to find studies that analyse the effect of CSR on consumers. For example, the work ofPirsch et al. (2007), the most cited publication in Period 1; where the authors carry on an exploratory study with 179 ...
Nowadays, consumer ethics represents a relevant field of review. There have been some attempts to conduct literature reviews; however, these have been few and incomplete. For this reason, this paper follows two main objectives: (1) to develop a performance analysis to measure the impact/perceptibility of academic production on consumer ethics (most cited authors, journals and themes) and (2) to visually present the scientific structure by themes of research in consumer ethics as well as its evolution along time. Using SciMAT software, a comprehensive thematic review is discussed. 568 scientific papers (2569 keywords and 8642 citations) were retrieved from the Web of Science from 1995 to 2021 (May). Our results show three main periods with two main research themes (consumer and corporate social responsibility), which remain relevant themes at the time. Also, some new themes that promote ethical consumption have gained weight or appear over time, some of which are linked to the marketing field (such as experiences, satisfaction, attitudes or privacy among others).
... Janse (2010) states that corporate social responsibility is used to develop company attitudes, strategies, and relationships with stakeholders while assuring that ethical values, economic well-being, and compliance with legal requirements are maintained. Corporations that practice good ethical values ensure corporate financial performance (Godfrey, 2005;Pirsch et al., 2007). ...
The technologies and the degree to which automation is used in reverse logistics can impact efficiency and recapture waste. Both create value for an organization. Establishing automation at a returns center can be difficult because of the considerable variation in products, value, and quantity. Many companies report that they lose money in a reverse operations center. In the last ten years, significant technological improvements have been developed as part of the fourth industrial revolution. While some of these improvements have been embraced, many others have not been fully implemented to create a factory of the future. This research paper will review items needed to create a factory of the future, such as a) advanced robotics, b) artificial intelligence, c) advanced analytics, d) digital twin technology. An in-depth analysis of digital twin technology is presented. 3
... As already noted, the concepts of CDR and CSR are intertwined and belong to the broader concept of Corporate Responsibility. One commonly accepted definition (Pirsch et al., 2007) describes CSR as encompassing society's expectations of firms regarding: (i) economic (e.g., achieving profits and creating sustainability), (ii) legal (e.g., adhering to laws and regulations), (iii) ethical (e.g., proper and fair behavior), and (iv) philanthropic (e.g., wellbeing of associated communities) matters (Carroll, 1979;Matten and Moon, 2007). Therefore, CSR initiatives fulfill these expectations and responsibilities towards society voluntarily. ...
CDR presents a comprehensive and well-structured approach to companies’ responsibilities in the digital setting. While the threats of digitalization start to materialize, research on CDR is still in its infancy, with little empirical understanding of whether and why companies engage in CDR practices. This qualitative study addresses the motivation of companies to pursue CDR by conducting 29 expert interviews. In practice, firms implement CDR activities to follow their inner motivation or to satisfy ex-
ternal expectations. Our results indicate that motivation differs primarily according to the company size and the addressees of efforts. Motivational sources for conducting CDR activities are rather company-specific while allowing for some generalization based on company types. In this way, this study enables several
future research avenues worth pursuing.
This study examines public expectations regarding Corporate Social Advocacy (CSA) using the framework of strategic issue management (SIM). A 14-item, single-factor scale was developed to measure CSA expectations, which was validated through four surveys. The CSA expectancy scale will assist businesses in effectively navigating CSA initiatives, preventing stakeholder support withdrawal, and thus bolstering organizational sustainability and social impact.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has emerged as a critical aspect of business strategy, reflecting the growing awareness of companies about their societal and environmental impact. This study explores the dynamic relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives and consumer behavior. By examining the multifaceted dimensions of CSR, including environmental sustainability, ethical business practices, and community engagement, this research aims to uncover the nuanced ways in which consumers respond to CSR activities. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to gather comprehensive insights into consumer perceptions and behaviors related to CSR. Quantitative data will be collected through a structured survey administered to a diverse sample of consumers, measuring their awareness of CSR practices and their influence on purchasing decisions. Additionally, qualitative interviews will delve deeper into the underlying motivations and emotions driving consumer responses to CSR, providing a richer understanding of the mechanisms at play. The research also investigates the role of communication channels and messaging strategies in shaping consumer perceptions of CSR. It seeks to identify the most effective ways for companies to communicate their CSR initiatives to enhance positive consumer attitudes and purchase intentions. Moreover, the study considers the impact of cultural and demographic factors on consumer responses to CSR, recognizing the need for a contextualized understanding of these dynamics in a globalized marketplace. The findings of this research aim to contribute to both academic literature and managerial practices by offering insights into the evolving landscape of CSR and its implications for consumer behavior. Understanding how consumers interpret and respond to CSR initiatives can empower businesses to align their sustainability goals with consumer expectations, fostering a mutually beneficial relationship between companies and their customer base. As businesses navigate an increasingly socially conscious market, this study provides valuable guidance for organizations seeking to leverage CSR as a strategic tool for building brand loyalty and enhancing their overall market position.
This research endeavors to analyze the impact of sustainability practices (SP) on the revisit intentions (RVI) and recommendation intentions (RCI) of young professionals staying in budget hotels through the mediating effect of guest comfort (GC). The study also examines the moderating role of technology readiness (TR) of the guest on the proposed relationships. Data were collected from 505 young Indian professionals working in service sectors located in Chandigarh Tri-city and Delhi NCR (India) and who travel for work and stay at mid-priced hotels. The structural equation modeling (SEM) technique was used to analyze the proposed hypotheses. The results show that SP has a positive impact on GC, RVI, and RCI. Further, GC has positive impact on RVI and RCI. The results also show that TR moderates the relationship between SP and GC. Finally, the relationship between GC and RCI is also moderated by TR. Customers’ RVI and RCI are not only created when hotels incorporate SP but also when the degree of GC is not compromised but enhanced. In this way, it is recommended that managers carefully use the SP as an important tool to raise the level of GC. The study reveals that young professionals tend to have strong RVI and RCI toward such hotels, which have implemented technology and SP in the hotel operations while maintaining the GC level. In this sense, the SP implemented by the hotels acts as a strategic tool in the creation of GC, RVI, and RCI.
Restaurant and foodservice industry contributes a substantial amount of food waste each year, which makes it a concern to the society. Reducing food waste requires active involvement from consumers, and advertising messages could possibly encourage consumer involvement by increasing their awareness of the food waste issue. To promote restaurant consumers' positive intentions to reduce food waste, this study proposes effective communication strategies by analyzing the relative persuasiveness of two advertising elements: temporal focuses (past versus future) and message framings (attribute versus benefit). By incorporating consumers' perceived trustworthiness toward restaurants' food waste reduction practices, this paper further investigates how these proposed communication tactics can be operationalized. Results reveal that advertisements emphasizing future promises and social benefits of food waste reduction efforts can effectively promote consumers’ intentions, specifically by triggering a higher perceived trust in both ability and integrity. The moderated mediation effects of perceived trustworthiness were confirmed.
The Government implements various direct welfare plans for the betterment of the society as a whole and creates various supporting systems to encourage other pillars of the country to act toward community
development. One of those is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) – directing the corporate companies to spend a certain amount of budget towards socially conscious activities. The NGOs and Trusts play major
roles in executing those initiatives by the Corporate Companies under the CSR.
This study embarks on a comprehensive literature review to explore the nuances of corporate social responsibility (CSR) within micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), recognizing their critical role in global economies and practices empirically. It aims to bridge the knowledge gap by delving into CSR practices specific to MSMEs, pinpointing the unique challenges they encounter in adopting CSR and evaluating the potential benefits of these practices. Employing meticulous and systematic research methodologies, this study gathered, analyzed, and synthesized the existing literature on CSR in the MSME sector. This research underscores the significance of CSR in MSMEs, acknowledging the constraints posed by limited data and the need for context-specific solutions. It also sheds light on the theoretical and practical implications of this study for formulating effective CSR strategies and guidelines tailored to MSMEs. Moreover, this study highlights critical areas where targeted support, such as marketing aid, training, and mentorship by donor agencies, can substantially improve MSME sustainability. A primary recommendation is for these agencies to perform comprehensive needs assessments for MSMEs before extending assistance, ensuring that support is customized and optimally beneficial to each enterprise's unique circumstances.
This study explored and measured the influence of corporation social responsibility (CSR) on consumers' re-purchase intentions through the mediators of brand identification and word of mouth (WOM). The quantitative method was applied in the research, and there were 287 valid respondents who had purchased something from the retailer store brands. The collected data was checked for reliability, convergence, and discriminant validity among the constructs before testing the hypothesis and the theoretical research model. In particular, the Cronbach alpha reliability, exploring factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and structural equation model (SEM) were used to analyze the research data under the support of SPSS and AMOS software. The results indicate that CSR has significant effects on brand identification, WOM, and consumers' re-purchase intentions. Brand identification has a positive impact on consumers' repurchase intentions, whereas WOM has not. The findings have significant contributions to the marketing theory and provide management implications for managers, especially in retail store brands. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2023-07-06-021 Full Text: PDF
Environmental success can only become a reality when the financial goals of firms are not compromised. Based on this proposition, the study aimed to investigate four relationships, including the effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on financial performance, the mediation of green dynamic capabilities (GDCs) between CSR and green innovation (GI), the mediation of GI between CSR and financial performance, and the moderation of perceived environmental volatility in the GI and financial performance nexus. A sample of 655 manufacturing firms was collected from Pakistan to test the proposed hypotheses, and structural equation modeling was conducted. The results demonstrate a significant positive influence of CSR on financial performance. In addition, the mediation of GDCs and GI has also been confirmed. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that high environmental volatility weakens the GI and financial performance nexus. The study results offer unique contributions to the literature and interesting suggestions for practicing emerging economy managers.
Social media has been widely used by companies and businesses for product promotion. With the widespread dissemination of information, social media is considered an effective tool to promote consumer engagement in corporate social responsibility activities. However, with the greater emphasis on gender, progressively more marketers are using feminist ideas and women’s empowerment to promote brand activism and advertising behaviors. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to investigate people’s attitudes towards feminist marketing and how companies can make better use of it. The respondents in this study were mainly Chinese and American social media users aged 15–30 years old and more than 200 people were sampled. With respect to the research methodology, data collection was conducted in the form of an online questionnaire. Then, the survey results were analyzed by the IBM SPSS 27 program. For one thing, the results showed that when femvertising aligns with the brand image, the brand’s exposure will be increased on social media. For another thing, it was also indicated that integrating corporate social responsibility in feminist marketing would improve the purchase intentions of consumers. Thus, the research suggests attention should be paid to a brand image’s adaptation to femvertising when launching relevant marketing activities on social media. Concerning the latter result, the expression of corporate social responsibility in feminist marketing is able to considerably drive purchase desire. To attain optimal marketing effects, it is necessary for companies to carefully investigate and understand their target consumers before putting feminist marketing into practice on social media.
Corporate donations towards disaster relief efforts, often called corporate philanthropic disaster relief (CPDR), are commonplace practice and one critically observed subcategory of CSR, with high visibility in the global media. We investigate whether private investors value firms differently based on their perception of firm's engagement in CPDR. Therefore, we created an experimental investment scenario in which we manipulate the magnitude of a hypothetical Firm Y's CPDR efforts to evaluate investment decisions of private investors recruited from Amazon's Cloud Research platform. Our findings suggest that higher CPDR generally affects private investors' assessment of a firm's value positively. Using a structural equation model and the CSR skepticism concept to examine private investors motive attribution to firms' CPDR, we find that private investors perceive high CPDR as an indicator for honest and values‐driven corporate social behavior and a low CPDR as an ingratiating attempt to win favor. Thus, we extend prior research by unveiling through which channels of impact CPDR potentially affects firm value and find an explanation why CPDR can have adverse effects on firm value.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to assess online corporate communication around commitments to sustainable development goal (SDG) 12, sustainable production and consumption.
Design/methodology/approach
Guided by legitimacy theory, a qualitative directed content analysis was conducted on 13 companies' webpages (81 webpages, 78,947 words).
Findings
Companies broadly failed to communicate about all 11 SDG 12 targets, neglected to consistently address multiple stakeholder groups, missed opportunities to provide concrete evidence of progress and relied on a mix of substantive and symbolic legitimation strategies.
Originality/value
SDG 12 has been under-researched and this paper is one of the first to offer an in-depth analysis of corporate communication regarding SDG 12.
Résumé
La recherche a étudié le contexte organisationnel nécessaire au développement de marques durables sans explorer comment leur transformation s’opère. En adoptant le cadre conceptuel du branding interne, nous étudions la transformation sociétale de la marque gérée par les acteurs internes et les enjeux émergeants. Une étude qualitative révèle des dynamiques de collaboration et de tension entre responsables RSE et marketing, donnant lieu à la co-création de marques durables et visant un positionnement RSE. La figure de l’ activiste, leader œuvrant pour faire de ses collègues des champions de marque en transition vers la durabilité, émerge. En connectant marketing interne et externe, des contradictions alimentent les dilemmes de la marque : communication transparente contre silence opaque, confiance en soi contre doute. Nos apports théoriques s’inscrivent en branding interne, co-création de marque et complexités des marques durables. Des recommandations visant à gérer en interne et à accélérer la transformation sociétale des marques sont proposées.
This is a literature review that entails prioritised areas of research in order to unpack local/regional manufacture of pharmaceutical commodities in sub-Saharan Africa. The specific objectives of the study shall entail: establishing the key research questions that need to be asked to inform governments if they want to develop their local manufacturing capability; determining the key research questions that need to be asked by regional bodies if they want to develop regional manufacturing capability; establishing the steps that governments should take if they want to develop their local manufacturing capability/industry; determining key considerations for regional bodies as they develop regional manufacturing capability; and, developing a prioritised research framework of key considerations for governments and regional bodies as they develop local manufacturing capability. The research output is expected to be a comprehensive knowledge repository for governments, regional bodies and private sector investors with interests in local/regional manufacture of pharmaceutical commodities in sub-Saharan Africa. The establishment of regional manufacturing hubs in Eastern, Western, Central and Southern African regions is highly recommended. This hubs could begin with pharmaceutical commodities such as tablets, capsules and general antibiotics with emphasis on importation of APIs.
Purpose
The recent development in the scholarship of cause-related marketing (CRM) highlights the growing popularity of this field of research. CRM is one of the forms of communicating corporate social responsibility (CSR). Although CSR is being extensively studied as a field of research, researchers have made limited efforts to review the development and progression of CRM research. Being an embryonic research field, a deeper understanding of the current state of CRM research and future research propositions is required. This study aims to fill this gap by providing a bibliometric review of the CRM research published in the Web of Science (WoS) database.
Design/methodology/approach
A bibliometric literature review has been conducted of the papers published in WoS database to map the field of research in CRM. Various techniques, namely, citation analysis, co-citation analysis, co-authorship analysis, co-occurrence analysis and bibliographic coupling have been incorporated, and analysis has been provided.
Findings
The findings highlight the important themes and research areas focused by CRM researchers. The study throws light on the important research avenues present in the field of CRM.
Originality/value
The findings offer both academic and practical implications. The present study is a novel study exploring the scholarship of CRM using the bibliometric analysis technique.
Le présent travail permet de mettre la lumière sur les pratiques RSE adoptées par les organismes publics. Pour ce, nous commencerons par une revue de la littérature en faisant le tour des concepts importants de la RSE et de ses différentes théories mobilisées. Ensuite, nous allons nous pencher sur le cas de Al Omrane, faisant l'objet de notre étude qualitative sur terrain. Nous allons présenter les résultats des interviews réalisées avec les différentes parties prenantes de l'organisme afin de mesurer dans un premier temps l'intérêt et la considération octroyée à ce concept. Ensuite, nous allons dresser un état des lieux de la perception de la RSE et la réputation des pratiques adoptées par l'entreprise. Finalement, nous nous attarderons avec les répondants sur la relation entre les pratiques RSE et la réputation. Abstract This work aims to shed light on the CSR practices adopted by public organizations. To do so, we will start with a literature review, going over important CSR concepts and the different theories that are mobilized. Then, we will focus on the case of Al Omrane, which is the subject of our qualitative study. We will present the results of the interviews conducted with the various stakeholders of the organization in order to first measure their interest and consideration of this concept. Then, we will provide an overview of the perception of CSR and the reputation of the practices adopted by the company. Finally, we will focus with the respondents on the relationship between CSR practices and reputation.
Digital technology has reshaped the business landscape, E-Commerce platform enterprises are becoming a new organizational vehicle, and their social responsibility has attracted extensive discussions. However, most of the existing studies focused on the connotation, boundaries, lack of responsibility and alienation motives and management countermeasures of CSR in e-commerce platform enterprises, and little research has clearly pointed out whether e-commerce platform enterprises should choose to focus on a fixed theme to carry out high coherence CSR activities or invest in diversified themes to carry out low coherence CSR activities, and whether different coherence CSR activities will have different effects on users’ purchase intention. Drawing on the social identity theory and SOR theory, the present research develops the underlying mechanism through which thematic consistency of CSR activities influences the purchase intention by including consumer-company identification as a mediator. A theoretical model proposed to describe the hypothesized relationships was tested by the method of questionnaire survey and experiment. The results shown that consumer-company identification partially mediates the relationship between thematic coherency and users’ purchase intention and that the theme coherency of CSR activities of e-commerce platform firms has a favorable influence on users’ buy intention. The results point to the need for e-commerce platform companies to implement thematic coherence strategies in order to stimulate consumers’ more favorable purchasing intents and to achieve the best possible thematic coherence strategies for social responsibility initiatives.KeywordsE-commerce platform enterprisecorporate social responsibilitythematic consistencyusers’ purchase intention
Offered here is a conceptual model that comprehensively describes essential aspects of corporate social performance (CSP). The three dimensional model address major questions of concern: (1) What is included in the definition of CSR? (2) What are the social/stakeholder issues the firm must address? and (3) What is the organization's strategy/mode/philosophy of social responsiveness.
The first dimension is the source of the original four-part definition of CSR originated: economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary (later termed philanthropic). It was later presented at the CSR Pyramid (1991).
In a recent article on conducting international marketing research in the twenty-first century (Craig & Douglas 2001), the application of new (electronic) technology for data collection was encouraged. Email and web-based data collection methods are attractive to researchers in international marketing because of low costs and fast response rates. Yet the conventional wisdom is that, as some people still do not have access to email and the Internet, such datacollection techniques may often result in a sample of respondents that is not representative of the desired population. In this article we evaluate multimode strategies of data collection that include web-based, email and postal methods as a means for the international marketing researcher to obtain survey data from a representative sample. An example is given of a multimode strategy applied to the collection of survey data from a sample of respondents across 100 countries.
This article traces the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) from its post WWII beginnings in popularity up through the end of the 1990s. The article focuses on definitions or understandings of the concept/construct. It does not focus on actual company practices during this time as they were quite varied. (This article has been ranked #1 most read in the Business and Society journal for years now).
Drawing on propositions from social identity theory and signaling theory, we hypothesized that firms' corporate social performance (CSP) is related positively to their reputations and to their attractiveness as employers. Results indicate that independent ratings of CSP are related to firms' reputations and attractiveness as employers, suggesting that a firm's CSP may provide a competitive advantage in attracting applicants. Such results add to the growing literature suggesting that CSP map provide firms with competitive advantages.
Brand loyalty is first distinguished from simple repeat purchasing behavior and then conceptually defined in terms of six necessary and collectively sufficient conditions. An experiment designed to test this conceptualization provided strong empirical support for the distinction as conceptualized.
Inconsistent findings have resulted from studies of the relationships among social disclosure, social performance, and economic performance of U.S. corporations. No clear tendency can be detected. The main reasons for these inconsistencies are: (a) a lack in theory, (b) inappropriate definition of key terms, and (c) deficiencies in the empirical data bases currently available. Suggestions are made as to how this situation can be improved.
Stakeholder theorists have typically offered both a business case and an ethics case for business ethics. I evaluate arguments for both approaches and find them wanting. I then shift the focus from ethics to law and ask: "Why should corporations obey the law?" Contrary to what shareholder theories typically imply, neoclassical or profit maximization theories of the firm can offer answers based only on instrumental justifications. Instrumental justifications for obeying the law, however, are pragmatically and normatively incoherent. This is because the modern corporation is a legal artifact. It exists because communities create the legal framework necessary for its existence. Individual corporations can therefore be said to owe their existence to a partnership (what might be called a social contract) between shareholders and governments, a partnership that is itself built on the shared though often implicit understanding that corporations have an unconditional (categorical) obligation both to obey the law and to treat their stakeholders ethically while generating wealth for their shareholders.
Modern management reporting on its company's performance is influenced by individuals' ethical considerations. Stakeholders' philosophies have continued to change over the last 75 years affecting reporting systems for companies reporting information internally and externally. These fundamental changes in philosophy have affected how information is conveyed. We are not claiming that only one philosophical view-point dominates companies reporting practices, but there does appear to be a changing trend of philosophies building on one another. We use resource dependence theory in relationship to a decision-making model to explain changing stakeholders positions over time. This paper argues that six dominant philosophical theories have influenced the way individuals and organizations report financial and other information. Further, these philoso-phies then are depicted in a model that helps us to understand what influences companies to present them-selves to the outside world. A vignette is used to depict changing philosophical views for several companies' management report over 75 years.
This paper empirically explores the relative impacts of satisfaction, brand community integration, and consumer experience on customer loyalty as expressed by future purchase intentions and behavior. Data drawn from qualitative research and a survey of 1000 patrons of a Native American casino who indicate a willingness to engage in formal marketing relationships indicate that satisfaction yields to brand community integration as a key driver of loyalty. We discuss important implications of the findings for marketing theory and practice.
The theory of the social responsibility of the firm oscillates between two extremes: one that reduces the firm's responsibility to the obtainment of (the greatest possible) profit for its shareholders, and another that extends the firm's responsibility to include a wide range of actors with an interest or "stake" in the firm. The stakeholder theory of the social responsibility of business is more appealing from an ethical point of view, and yet it lacks a solid foundation that would be acceptable to a variety of schools of thought.
In this paper I argue that the stakeholder theory could be founded on the concept of the common good. First, I explain the foundations of the theory of the common good, the concept itself, how it relates to the individual good, and its role in the firm. Following that, I explain how the theory of the common good could be applied to the stakeholder theory. Finally, I draw some conclusions.
Stakeholder theory has been a popular heuristic for describing the management environment for years, but it has not attained full theoretical status. Our aim in this article is to contribute to a theory of stakeholder identification and salience based on stakeholders possessing one or more of three relationship attributes: power, legitimacy, and urgency. By combining these attributes, we generate a typology of stakeholders, propositions concerning their salience to managers of the firm, and research and management implications.
Information processing theory and findings on advertising response suggest a nonlinear response to repetitive ad exposure, mediated by brand loyalty. The response can occur in either or both of the hypothesized stages of purchase: brand choice and quantity choice. A tobit-type analysis of scanner purchases (with TV exposures) of a mature product category appears to support these hypotheses. The effect of advertising is generally nonlinear and its impact on volume purchased is mediated by brand loyalty. Advertising seems to reinforce preference for current brands rather than stimulate brand switching. However, features, displays, and especially price have a stronger impact on response than does advertising. The effect of brand loyalty dominates that of the other variables.
Brand loyalty is first distinguished from simple repeat purchasing behavior and then conceptually defined in terms of six necessary and collectively sufficient conditions. An experiment designed to test this conceptualization provided strong empirical support for the distinction as conceptualized.
Marketing is a pervasive societal activity that goes considerably beyond the selling of toothpaste, soap, and steel. The authors interpret the meaning of marketing for nonbusiness organizations and the nature of marketing functions such as product improvement, pricing, distribution, and communication in such organizations. The question considered is whether traditional marketing principles are transferable to the marketing of organizations, persons, and ideas.
The proposal that marketing is relevant to all organizations having customer groups was advanced in the January, 1969 issue of this journal. It is now stated that the original broadening proposal should be broadened still further to include the transactions between an organization and all of its publics. The author sees marketing as the disciplined task of creating and offering values to others for the purpose of achieving a desired response. The generic view of marketing is defined by a set of four axioms and leads to new marketing typologies and views of the tasks of marketing management.
Cause-related marketing represents the confluence of perspectives from several specialized areas of inquiry such as marketing for nonprofit organizations, the promotion mix, corporate philanthropy, corporate social responsibility, fund-raising management, and public relations. The authors outline the concept of cause-related marketing, its characteristics, and how organizations, both for-profit and not-for-profit, can benefit from effective use of this promising marketing tool.
Although brand theorists suggest that what a person knows about a company (i.e., corporate associations) can influence perceptions of the company's products, little systematic research on these effects exists. The authors examine the effects of two general types of corporate associations on product responses: One focuses on the company's capabilities for producing products, that is, corporate ability (CA) associations, and the other focuses on the company's perceived social responsibility, that is, corporate social responsibility (CSR) associations. The results of three studies, including one that measures respondents’ CA and CSR associations for well-known companies and one that uses consumers recruited in a shopping mall, demonstrate that (1) what consumers know about a company can influence their beliefs about and attitudes toward new products manufactured by that company, (2) CA and CSR associations may have different effects on consumer responses to products, and (3) products of companies with negative associations are not always destined to receive negative responses. The authors conclude by discussing the implications of these findings for marketing managers and further research.
Although cause-related marketing has become increasingly popular, academic researchers have only begun to examine how consumers respond ro it. In this study, the authors explore in depth how consumers think and feel about cause-related marketing. They develop a framework of consumer responses that includes a typology of consumers. The authors also discuss implications for research, business find nonprofit marketing, and public policy.
Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach was first published in 1984 as a part of the Pitman series in Business and Public Policy. Its publication proved to be a landmark moment in the development of stakeholder theory. Widely acknowledged as a world leader in business ethics and strategic management, R. Edward Freeman’s foundational work continues to inspire scholars and students concerned with a more practical view of how business and capitalism actually work. Business can be understood as a system of how we create value for stakeholders. This worldview connects business and capitalism with ethics once and for all. On the 25th anniversary of publication, Cambridge University Press are delighted to be able to offer a new print-on-demand edition of his work to a new generation of readers.
In this article, the authors explore the effects of different dimensions of brand loyalty towards the original brand on the evaluation of brand extensions Recent research on consumer reactions to brand extension has not investigated this relationship. We find that a high affective relationship towards the parent brand may reduce the evaluation of brand extensions. Second, loyal behavioral intention towards the parent brand is important for reaching a positive evaluation of extensions. Finally, self-image relationship towards the parent brand is found to increase the evaluation of brand extensions.
Stakeholder theory has been a popular heuristic for describing the management environment for years, but it has not attained full theoretical status. Our aim in this article is to contribute to a theory of stakeholder identification and salience based on stakeholders possessing one or more of three relationship attributes: power, legitimacy, and urgency. By combining these attributes, we generate a typology of stakeholders, propositions concerning their salience to managers of the firm, and research and management implications.
Provides a comprehensive analysis of cynicism in the workforce and tells how to identify and successfully combat it in organizations. Offers case studies of companies ranging from Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream to Unisys and Caterpillar Tractor to show how businesses of all types and sizes can effectively rebuild trust and restore confidence in organizational life.
The author examines company advertising campaigns with social dimensions and compares them to matched standard, or nonsocial, campaigns. The author investigates the managers' objectives for the campaigns with social dimensions, examines the processes creating them, and develops a model for explaining success factors. Most campaigns have mixed objectives, both economic and social, which have many implications. Although these campaigns are not particularly effective in achieving traditional economic objectives, such as increasing sales, they are highly effective in achieving company-oriented objectives, such as motivating the work force or communicating the essence of the company's mission. Drawing on research and theory related to organizational identification, the author discusses causal mechanisms underlying social campaigns' effectiveness with company-oriented objectives and presents directions for further research. Ethical considerations and managerial implications are discussed, as well.
We describe two divergent approaches to stakeholder theory-a social science approach and a normative ethics approach-and examine their differences and similarities. Since neither approach is complete without the other, we propose a new way of theorizing about organizations: the development of normatively and instrumentally sound convergent stakeholder theory. This form of theory is explicitly and unabashedly normative, demonstrating how managers can create morally sound approaches to business and make them work.
Although brand theorists suggest that what a person knows about a company (i. e., corporate associations) can influence perceptions of the company's products, little systematic research on these effects exists. The authors examine the effects of two general types of corporate associations on product responses: One focuses on the company's capabilities for producing products, that is, corporate ability (CA) associations, and the other focuses on the company's perceived social responsibility, that is, corporate social responsibility (CSR) associations. The results of three studies, including one that measures respondents' CA and CSR associations for well-known companies and one that uses consumers recruited in a shopping mall, demonstrate that (1) what consumers know about a company can influence their beliefs about and attitudes toward new products manufactured by that company, (2) CA and CSR associations may have different effects on consumer responses to products, and (3) products of companies with negative associations are not always destined to receive negative responses. The authors conclude by discussing the implications of these findings for marketing managers and further research.
Much has been written about stakeholder analysis as a process by which to introduce ethical values into management decision-making. This paper takes a critical look at the assumptions behind this idea, in an effort to understand better the meaning of ethical management decisions.
A distinction is made between stakeholder analysis and stakeholder synthesis. The two most natural kinds of stakeholder synthesis are then defined and discussed: strategic and multi-fiduciary. Paradoxically, the former appears to yield business without ethics and the latter appears to yield ethics without business. The paper concludes by suggesting that a third approach to stakeholder thinking needs to be developed, one that avoids the paradox just mentioned and that clarifies for managers (and directors) the legitimate role of ethical considerations in decision-making.
So we must think through what management should be accountable for; and how and through whom its accountability can be discharged. The stockholders’ interest, both short- and long-term, is one of the areas. But it is only one.
Peter Drucker, 1988
Harvard Business Review
On average, US corporations now lose half of their customers in five years, half their employees in four, and half their investors in less than one. Customer retention is the central gauge that measures how well the company is creating value for its customers. Creating value for customers builds loyalty, and loyalty in turn builds growth, profit and more value. Profit is not primary. Profit is a consequence of value creation. The only way to achieve sustainable improvements in performance is by building sustainable improvements in value creation and loyalty. In a typical company, customers are defecting at the rate of 10-30% per year; employee turnover rates of 15-25% are common; and average annual investor churn now exceeds 50% per year. WE NEED TO SEE PEOPLE AS ASSETS, rather than expenses, and we should expect those assets to pay returns over a period of many years. Asset defection is unacceptable. Human capital, unlike most other assets, does not depreciate over time. It actually improves with age. The Fundamental Mission of Business is Not Profit, but Value Creation. There are two kinds of profit. Virtuous profit-the result of creating value, sharing it, and building the assets of the business. Destructive Profit -comes from exploiting assets, from selling off a business's true balance sheet. We need to begin basing bonuses on the enhancement of customer value and loyalty. Building a highly loyal customer base cannot be done as an add-on. It must be an integral part of a company's basic business strategy. We have to get rid of the idea that our primary mission is to maximize profits and shareholder value. To quote Henry Ford, "Business must be run at a profit... else it will die. But when anyone tries to run a business solely for profit, then also the business must die, for it no longer has a reason for existence." Promotions and year end bonuses are tied to the annual profit plan, so managers zero in on managing those numbers, one year at a time. For several generations of managers, the link between a company's long term fortunes and the loyalty of its customers, employees and investors has become invisible. The resulting mismanagement of human capital has thwarted progress in many large companies. The average Fortune 500 Company expires in 40 years. Most are outlived by their employees. This short corporate lifespan suggests some flaw in our current profit before value thinking.
A common view of the firm holds that employees, customers, shareholders, and suppliers are key or-ganizational stakeholders.^ While obligations to these stakeholders are sometimes considered to be motivated by organizational self-interest, the ethi-cal perspective asserts the rightness or wrongness of specific firm actions independently of any social or stakeholder obligations.^ Customers are key stakeholders that help establish the firm's reputa-tion and identification. For example, today Procter and Gamble is considered a textbook market-driven global powerhouse with billion-dollar brands such as Bounty, Olay, Tide, Crest, and Folg-ers.^ Understanding customer needs and wants and providing customers with high-quality prod-ucts are the key to the company's success. A mar-ket orientation focuses on an understanding of customers' expressed and latent needs and devel-opment of superior solutions to the needs.* Such an approach selects to elevate the interests of one stakeholder—the customer—over those of others. The ethical perspective asserts the rightness or wrongness of specific firm actions independently of any social or stakeholder obligations. While market orientation is considered a key strategic component of marketing strategy, the im-portance of customers in the development of ethi-cal programs and social responsibility is not al-ways clear. Although one study found the ethical climate of the firm to be positively associated with customer loyalty,^ there are many other determi-nants of customer loyalty. As companies engage in competitive markets, market orientation and a cus-tomer focus have been recognized as key drivers of marketing performance. However, intense compe-tition sometimes breeds unethical behavior even when a customer orientation is in play. When Pizza Hut and Papa John's aggressively attacked one another in advertising campaigns, each declared that they provided the 'freshest' ingredients. The matter was taken to court and resolved through civil litigation. The importance of creating cus-tomer relationships and creating value for the cus-tomer as a part of market orientation should lead to increased performance. This article provides in-sights on foundations for ethical customer relation-ships, contingent knowledge about customers as stakeholders, and insights on establishing a bal-anced stakeholder orientation from a managerial perspective.
A 9-item Likert-type scale was developed to measure consumer skepticism toward advertising Skepticism toward advertising, defined as the general tendency toward disbelief of advertising claims, was hypothesized to be a basic marketplace belief that vanes across individuals and is related to general persuasability. A nomological network was proposed, unidimensionality and internal consistency of the scale were established, and a series of studies were conducted to establish the scale's validity and to investigate the effects of ad skepticism.
The stakeholder theory has been advanced and justified in the man- agement literature on the basis of its descriptive accuracy, instrumen- tal power, and normative validity. These three aspects of the theory, although interrelated, are quite distinct; they involve different types of evidence and argument and have different implications. In this article, we examine these three aspects of the theory and critique and integrate important contributions to the literature related to each. We conclude that the three aspects of stakeholder theory are mutually supportive and that the normative base of the theory-which includes the modern theory of property rights-is fundamental. If the unity of the corporate body is real, then there is reality and not simply legal fiction in the proposition that the man- agers of the unit are fiduciaries for it and not merely for its individual members, that they are . . . trustees for an institu- tion (with multiple constituents) rather than attorneys for the stockholders.
