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In the present study, we investigate, from a consumer perspective, the importance of different types of marketing actions frequently used by online apparel retailers to serve different beneficiaries during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of a Maximum Difference Scaling experiment among German consumers recruited from an online panel (n = 503) reveal that marketing actions with other-benefit components, such as corporate social responsibility initiatives, have the potential to outperform traditional sales promotion methods, such as price discounts. By deploying latent class analysis, two consumer segments can be distinguished according to their preferences: those valuing marketing actions with other-benefits and those preferring marketing campaigns with mere self-benefits. Finally, combinations of marketing actions with maximum reach are identified, from which recommendations for action by retailers are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition from primary sustainable goals to crisis management exemplifies a new era of corporate social responsibility, sustainable business models, corporate sustainability, and stakeholder theory. This study examines the varied dynamics of corporate social responsibilities (CSR) during COVID‐19, as well as its potential and limitations, in order to gain a better understanding of CSR. The results expand upon the instrumental version of CSR and the application of stakeholder theory during COVID‐19. It reflects on the necessity for a wider integration of societal issues in CSR's driving philosophy as well as the underlying need to study diverse sectors of governance across the globe due to the increased potential for exploitation of the weak, particularly during times of crisis. This study examines the theoretical foundations of the themes and the lines of divergence between CSR's past and present by reviewing the social, intellectual, and conceptual structure of the literature. It emphasizes the importance of post‐COVID‐19 policies that prioritize job creation by implementing stronger labor market standards. Governments should eliminate barriers and implement pro‐SME laws and programs. A sustainable fiscal policy takes future generations into account. Sustainable corporate finance incorporates long‐term financial goals and social values into stakeholder theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been in place since 2015 to address global challenges at the social, economic, and environmental levels. Nowadays, the fashion industry plays a significant role in contributing to these issues. The study examines the SDGs' importance and presence in the case of Hungarian fashion SMEs. This research used semi-structured in-depth interviews and investigated seven Hungarian fashion SMEs' operation and business activities to reveal and understand the environment they function in, their CSR, and their interpretation of their responsibility. Although the analysed SMEs' mission and vision involve specific elements of corporate social responsibility and ethical values, their day-to-day activities do not include impact assessment: they focus on value for money, maintaining and promoting quality products rather than running their internal audit systems or developing their reporting habits. The research focuses on the corporate sector's interpretation of sustainability and corporate social responsibility concepts, specifically on SMEs, to help to understand the environment and circumstances and identify barriers and possible future ways to develop their sustainable and responsible operation. Based on the findings, the author suggests some practical recommendations to help businesses improve their CSR and SDGs engagement. Although SMEs are not expected to engage in CSR activities in Hungary, the European Union is constantly working on the future mandatory introduction of CSR. Preliminary research may make it easier to link CSR and the SME sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, a growing number of stakeholders recognise that sustainability determines success on multiple levels. Therefore, asset managers in developing and emerging countries increasingly focus on sustainable investment opportunities. While institutional investors largely centred on governance considerations pre-2020, the Coronavirus pandemic highlighted substantial social and environmental concerns at companies worldwide. As South Africa is the most unequal country globally according to the World Bank, decisions made by local institutional investors can have significant implications for individuals and environments where capital is invested. The objectives of this study were hence to analyse the sustainability themes on which South African asset managers focused in their stewardship reports and to explore the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that they addressed through their investment mandates. A content analysis was performed on stewardship reports that were published in 2020 and 2021 to consider the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. The findings indicate that prioritised sustainability themes include climate action, infrastructure development and social considerations. The considered asset managers accordingly focused on addressing climate action (SDG 13), decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), and affordable and clean energy (SDG 7). Promising investment opportunities in companies that address key social issues, including the health and well-being of society (SDG 3) and broadening access to quality education (SDG 4) were also highlighted. The leaders of local investee companies are thus encouraged to ensure concise, transparent reporting on these material matters to enhance communication and engagement with institutional investors and other key stakeholders. This study offers a novel perspective on sustainable thematic investing in a highly unequal society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The debate about whether corporate social responsibility (CSR) and analyst coverage facilitate financial transparency is still open among academics and practitioners to date. Drawing from the information asymmetry view, this paper aims to investigate the impact of CSR on stock price crash risk, and to examine the moderating effect of analyst coverage on the 'CSR – crash risk' nexus. Using a sample of 8037 firm-year observations from Chinese-listed firms between 2010 and 2018, we find that CSR is negatively associated with crash risk. Analyst coverage cannot catalyse the positive role of CSR in reducing financial opacity, and thereby weakens the negative association between CSR and stock price crash risk. This implies that analysts fail to sufficiently disseminate firm-specific information, which in turn aggravates the information gap between insiders and outside investors. Our results remain robust after considering potential endogeneity and alternative CSR measures. The current study advances the understanding of 'CSR – crash risk' relationship with the moderating effect of analyst coverage. We also provide important references for investors and policymakers to better understand abnormal stock price fluctuations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and firm performance in the MENA region before and after COVID-19. It also seeks to understand how earnings management moderates that relationship. The final study sample consisted of 661 firm-year observations from 2007 to 2021. This study employed the random effect estimation (RE) method to examine the relationships and used GMM regression for robustness to investigate the results' consistency. The RE findings demonstrate that environmental, social, and governance (ESG) scores have a favorable impact on return on assets (ROA), even after adjusting for COVID-19. Regarding the moderating effect of EM, the outcome shows that CSR has an insignificant positive impact on financial performance. However, the results demonstrate that ESG has little impact on ROE. Additionally, the findings show a strong positive link between ESG and Tobin's Q. This study provides policymakers, board directors, and managers with a set of recommendations that are relevant to the context by enabling a better understanding of how managers react to CSR disclosure and the impact of minimizing earnings manipulation on firm performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Business Ethics are often characterized as a "permanent struggle against the impossible", noting that they essentially create a system in every organization that allow the organization to co-exist with its employees in the best possible way. Business Ethics usually coexist with Corporate Social Responsibility which can be described as the art of wealth accumulation and the relationship between the companies and the society. At the same time, people wonder what is the legalization of the assumption of Social Responsibility by a company, as it does not always co-exist with the ethical issues that arise and does not solve the company's problems. Nevertheless, it has often been spoken about the need to reconcile business logic and ethics which is not at all a given and certain concept, as the business world aims to generate profit; while on the other hand, ethics has solidarity, justice and ethical values as its main basis. Seeing Business Ethics in its every aspect we come across a continuous cycle of crises without breaks in the recent decades, referring to the economic and environmental crisis, the pandemic and the recent Russian-Ukrainian war. In these circumstances, that business attempt to describe the basic dilemma in "ethical management", it is emphasized that people and companies must as individuals and as communities decide whether to follow "a priori" principles of ethics such as solidarity or equality or whether, taking into consideration first the consequences of each action, then make the decision on which principles to follow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Organizações em Contexto is the property of Revista Organizacoes em Contexto and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The relationship between Earnings Management (EM) and Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) has raised a considerable number of attentions, especially, in financial and accounting field since they determine firms' performance as well as market positioning. On the contrary, in an emerging country as Vietnam, the number of relevant studies are rare together with several limitations. Thus, this paper is the pioneer investigating the cause and effect among Accruals Earnings Management (AEM), Real Earnings Management (REM) as two proxies for EM, and CSR. Next, Granger's causality replacing for traditional method is employed in order to interpret this nexus. The analysis relies on the sample size of 225 companies during the period 2014–2018 from Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX) and Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HOSE). We figured out executives prefer REM to AEM when implementing earnings manipulations. Consistent with the expectations and prior scholars, we found there is a negative correlation in the association of AEM and CSR while it is positive in the case of REM and CSR. Besides the consistent results with multivariate regression analysis (MRA) in terms of CSR-EM association, the fsQCA findings also explore more combinations regarding the relationship between CSR-EM. Additionally, all empirical results also provide evidence that there is cause-and-effect relationship in terms of AEM, REM and CSR which has never been researched and discussed over the past several years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate social responsibility and its relationship with firm performance have been the focus of studies concerning the area of social responsibility of companies over the last four decades. The area has undergone significant progressions and shifts over time. There is a tremendous interest among the researchers in analyzing the relationship between corporate social responsibility and firm performance, as evident by the increasing surge in the research publications in this domain, especially since 2010. This study intends to highlight the knowledge expansion and research dispersion in the broad area concerning corporate social responsibility and its effect on firm performance. For this purpose, the research articles published in the Scopus database from 1987 to 2021, covering 34 years, have been taken to perform a bibliometric analysis. The study explains the descriptive trend of research publications focusing on performance indicators and uses a thematic evolution tool to highlight the major themes. The results of the bibliometric studies reveal that the focus of research encompasses the dimensions of sustainability, strategic management, institutional pressures, disclosure, and corporate social responsibility reporting. Based on these dimensions, the paper presents insights into the existing studies and offers the scope for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building a sustainable organization is one of the most important goals in business. To build sustainability, firms need to have strong social commitment to establish value‐creating stakeholder relationships. As boards of directors play a critical role in setting strategy, providing management oversight and monitoring, it is also their responsibility to ensure the firm's commitment to its social responsibilities. With the right composition, boards can be effective in driving long‐term vision and creating good stakeholder relationships, contributing to firms' social capital. In this paper, we analyze board characteristics of publicly listed US firms and find evidence that support the diversity theory. In particular, that board gender diversity (proportion of female directors) is positively associated with firms' social commitment to human rights, product responsibility, and their community and workforce, evidencing female directors' contribution to firms' sustainability. To ensure the robustness of our analysis, we conduct additional analyses including propensity score matching, entropy balancing, and instrumental‐variable analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates whether and how non‐pecuniary employee rewards based on corporate social responsibility (CSR) in association with human resource management (HRM) affect firm value. In the context of Japanese manufacturing firms for the 2006–2019 period, the regression results provide several important findings. Non‐pecuniary rewards work individually and synergistically with pecuniary rewards to enhance employee motivations for innovation, through which the CSR‐HRM nexus increases firm value. However, non‐employee perception of employee‐oriented CSR negatively moderates the relationship between innovation and firm market value. In the Japanese market, investors are fully aware about the CSR‐HRM effect on employee motivations and highly concerned with risk due to conflicts of interest between employees and non‐employee stakeholders. This suggests the importance of stakeholder engagement to link organizational innovation capability with firm value. These findings provide useful implications for the alignment of CSR strategies with HRM policies for optimizing innovation performance for corporate sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper concerns Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the hotel industry. The main goal was to find out how the CSR activities of hotels changed during the coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19). The research on this topic was executed in the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic, due to the local tourism diversity, provides a representative picture of the topic in a European context. A unique questionnaire survey of 154 respondents selected by quotes was performed in May 2022. Managers of hotels answered questions about CSR efforts before the coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19) and now. CSR activities were examined in several areas of economic, social, and environmental responsibility. The picture of CSR evolution over time influenced by the COVID-19 crisis can be seen. The paper presents several surprising facts. It shows that smaller facilities can also perform CSR and that lower annual turnover is not a barrier for hotels. The gathered data and implications are analysed in detailed contingency tables and visualized in a graph. Due to the specificity of the data, the uncertainty coefficient and Cramer's V coefficient were chosen to explore possible associations in the dataset. The largest benefit of this study is that the data represents not only external reports of CSR but also strategic thinking of hotel facilities. The next benefit of the study is a unique model of specific CSR activities that hotels perform now. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite there was significant increase in the corporate social responsibility (CSR) literature, in the last decade, little attention has been devoted to shed light on strategic CSR practices in the hospitality industry, especially in the context of developing countries. This paper uses a case‐study methodology to investigate the CSR practices of eight hotels in Santa Marta, Colombia. The results show that the hotel companies were implementing different CSR behaviors that can be classified as philanthropic‐reactive, legal‐reactive, and active groups. The findings revealed that their CSR activities were focused on adding value to their economic performance. This contribution implies that Individual improvement plans for each establishment and a CSR management model for the entire industry are proposed. The results have important theoretical and practical implications for academia and the hospitality industry. Future research should take into account more stakeholders and companies from other industries in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The objective of the paper is to assess food and beverage companies' levels of communication about their activities and sustainability performances, in terms of their compliance with the requirements of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards and the consistency of the contents of the sustainability reports they publish on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Design/methodology/approach: To this end, a content analysis of the non-financial reports published by 102 food and beverage companies in the year 2018 has been conducted to identify the most adopted GRI guideline and the nature of the communicated SDGs. Finally, three t-tests have been used to understand how the presence on a listed market, the geographical settlement and nature of the company affects the corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication. Findings: The study has revealed how the transition to the more recent GRI Standards guidelines is still on going. Also, it has emerged how food and beverage companies are supporting the pursuit of the SDGs through the reduction of work inequalities. At last, the analysis has showed how the presence on a listed market is a driver of CSR communication. Originality/value: The findings of the present study provide a picture of the current CSR practices in the food and beverage sector and allow companies to effectively choose the most suitable non-financial indicators and GRI guidelines. Also, the present contribution has revealed the key SDGs considered by food and beverage companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the effect of sharia governance to corporate social responsibility disclosure in Indonesia Islamic banks. Design/methodology/approach: The data in this study are taken from the annual reports of ten Islamic banks in Indonesia in the period 2011–2018. The data analysis method used in this study is multiple linear regression analysis. Findings: This study finds that the effectiveness of the board of directors plays a vital role in enforcing corporate social responsibility disclosure. Whereas, the audit committee and sharia supervisory board are found to have no significant effect on corporate social responsibility disclosure in Islamic banks. Research implications: Results of this study reveal that sharia supervisory board in Indonesia Islamic banks only still focuses on the compliance of Islamic banks with the sharia principles regarding the products and operations. Originality/value: The novelty of this study lies in highlighting the effect of sharia supervisory board as a unique characteristic of sharia governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the effects of various internal (board independence, gender diversity, and specialized sustainability committee) and external (analysts' coverage and institutional ownership) corporate governance mechanisms on firms' decision to purchase external assurance for their corporate social responsibility (CSR) report. Using an international sample, we show that board diversity, the existence of a CSR committee, analysts' coverage, and institutional investors increase the probability of assuring a CSR report, while board independence decreases it. The findings further suggest that several configurations of these mechanisms complement each other in improving the credibility of nonfinancial disclosure through assurance. However, other configurations do not work in tandem, supporting the existence of substitution effects. Overall, bundling various governance mechanisms effectively could be more useful in formulating and implementing a corporate strategy than individual mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manuscript type: Research paper Research aims: This paper aims to examine how the political effectiveness and board independence moderate the effect of managerial entrenchment on corporate social responsibility (CSR). Design/Methodology/Approach: Data of non-financial firms from the BRICS countries for the period of 2010-2018 were obtained from Thomson Reuters (asset 4) and financial reports. Panel regression model was employed to analyse the data. Research findings: The results show that there is a positive relationship between managerial entrenchment and CSR. Political embeddedness was found to strengthen the positive relationship between managerial entrenchment and CSR. Independent directors was reported to weaken the relationship between managerial entrenchment and CSR. Theoretical contribution/Originality: Theoretically, this study contributes to the literature on agency theory. The finding provides novel insights into how managerial entrenchment affects CSR activities. It also expands the body of knowledge on corporate governance and CSR by focusing on manager's self-interest to shareholder's interest. Practitioner/Policy implication: Practically, this study provides valuable information to stakeholders, regulatory authorities and investors who wish to assess various antecedents of CSR. Research limitation/Implications: Future study should consider comparing the developed and developing countries. Other aspects of CSR should also be considered for better understanding. This study sheds light on the relevance of promoting the social and environmental awareness mechanisms surrounding companies in addition to developing CSR policies focused on corporations of BRICS countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) emerges from the Chinese city Wuhan and its spread to the rest of the world, primarily affected economies and their businesses, leading to a global depression. The explanatory and cross-sectional regression approach assesses the impact of COVID-19 cases on healthcare expenditures, logistics performance index, carbon damages, and corporate social responsibility in a panel of 77 countries. The results show that COVID-19 cases substantially increase healthcare expenditures and decrease corporate social responsibility. On the other hand, an increase in the coronavirus testing capacity brings positive change in reducing healthcare expenditures, increased logistics activities, and corporate social responsibility. The cost of carbon emissions increases when corporate activities begin to resume. The economic affluence supports logistics activities and improves healthcare infrastructure. It linked to international cooperation and their assistance to supply healthcare logistics traded equipment through mutual trade agreements. The greater need to enhance global trade and healthcare logistics supply helps minimize the sensitive coronavirus cases that are likely to provide a safe and healthy environment for living. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior literature has largely dealt with the effect of either corporate social responsibility (CSR) or innovation on firm financial risk. No earlier research has examined the combined effect of a firm's simultaneous pursuit of CSR and innovation on firm financial risk. This study investigates the combined effects with a view to fostering our understanding of relationships of CSR and innovation with financial risk. Using the patent application and CSR data of 2,174 Chinese listed firms over the period 2010–2016, this study finds that firms with higher levels of imitative innovation and good CSR performance exhibit higher financial risk. The results remain after a series of robustness tests including the use of an alternative measure of firm financial risk and CSR. The results indicate that firms with a higher level of imitative innovation exhibit greater financial risk; however, the risk cannot be mitigated by firms' good CSR performance. CSR performance helps firms boost the positive image of a "good citizen" and reduce firm financial risk; however, the combined effects of CSR and imitative innovation trigger higher financial risk. The results of this study support the umbrella theory of CSR that exacerbates the moral hazard for those firms that rely on imitative innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to study the influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) over small and medium‐sized enterprise (SME) innovation and the effect of two mediating variables, debt terms and human capital. Based on a sample of 2825 Spanish SMEs and applying a structural equations modeling, the results demonstrate that the effect of CSR on innovation is mediated by debt terms and by good human resource practices. Part of the positive effect of CSR on innovation occurs through these two variables, which, alone, positively and significantly affect innovation in SMEs. Consequently, the positive effect of CSR practices on debt terms through a decrease in asymmetric information goes further, also having repercussions on innovation. Additionally, the suitable development of human resource practices based on strategies oriented toward CSR allow companies to carry out greater and more efficient innovative activities. This paper contributes to the CSR literature considering the human resource management and the debt access in the relationship between CSR and innovation. The findings reveal important implications for policy makers and managers. For the former, the results show that it would be interesting to carry out actions aimed at assisting SMEs, especially those with fewer resources available, to implement a suitable CSR strategy, supporting sustainable development in SMEs. And, for the latter, CSR‐oriented innovation has proven to be a valuable strategy for more efficient SMEs management because of the multiple competitive advantages it generates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although previous studies revealed the positive effect of CSR perceptions on customer behaviour, the relationship between CSR and perceived firm innovativeness (PFI) has been underexplored. The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it attempts to propose and validate a model to comprehend the relationship between CSR and PFI. Second, it aims to investigate the mediating role of corporate image stemming from CSR and PFI in order to foster customer advocacy intentions. Data were collected from 360 customers of the retail banking industry in Pakistan, and the results indicate that customers' CSR perceptions directly and positively influence PFI. Interestingly, corporate image fully mediates the relationship between PFI and advocacy intentions, whereas it plays a partial mediation role in the CSR-advocacy intentions relationship. The findings of this research expand the corpus regarding the roles of CSR and PFI in creating advocacy intentions among customers through the corporate image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the relationship between corporate social responsibility, corporate innovation, and corporate performance in developing countries. Firm level governance and corporate social responsibility data for 150 companies from 12 developing countries were collected from Datastream and Bloomberg for 2014–2019. The results show that in the context of developing countries there is no significant relationship between corporate social responsibility and corporate innovation. Our findings raise concerns about the level of R&D investments and commitment to corporate social responsibilities in developing economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate governance has long been the subject of interest for researchers in business administration. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices decided by boards of directors are now a key issue in the decision‐making process of companies. The relationship between the governance structure and CSR policies is crucial to defining the companies' strategic view. In this paper, we identify how the characteristics of corporate governance impact CSR disclosure. Our findings show that a large board of directors reduces the probability of adhering to practices that involve stakeholders more closely in company activity, while companies with more independent directors have a higher level of stakeholder protection almost by definition. Thus, there is a need for additional ways of involving stakeholders in company activity. Our results also reveal that an overlap between the roles of the CEO and the board chairman is an undesirable influence on a CSR report. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) presents a valuable tool of a better management of enterprises for the benefit of the whole society. Small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) have been facing this challenge for a shorter time than large enterprises. The aim of the article is to evaluate the impact of the CSR indicators on the sustainability of SMEs in Central European (CE) countries. Factors of the sustainability of SMEs are innovative ways to win new markets and retain existing customers, the innovation of our products and services, and lower probability of SMEs' bankruptcy. Linear regression analysis was applied to verify causal relationships. The sample size was constructed of 1,585 SMEs on basis of the questionnaire's answers. The results show that the knowledge of the CSR concept and its assertion in business is the most important CSR indicator with a positive impact on each factor of SMEs' sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the need to change and quickly adjust the company's business strategies to the needs of its stakeholders in order to strengthen mutual trust and develop resilience to the new situation. In such circumstances, the application of corporate social responsibility (CSR) becomes inevitable, but also socially expected. The aim of this paper is to identify CSR activities carried out by the 10 best companies in the Republic of Croatia in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The content analysis method analyzes the websites of these companies in relation to CSR during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the socially responsible activities are categorized according to the three most important stakeholders for the company: employees, customers and the community. The results of the research determine the equal representation of CSR activities towards all observed stakeholders and the importance of coordination between external (customers and communities) and internal (employees) CSR activities during Covid-19 in order for companies to maintain their competitiveness and relationship with stakeholders. The paper provides practical implications for the effective management and implementation of CSR activities in the period of pandemics and other crisis situations, but it is also possible to maintain certain additional activities after the cessation of these circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate social responsibility implies business with concern for ethics, human rights, community needs, and investment in environmental protection. It is especially evident in crisis situations when the expectations of the environment about the application of these principles of the company are higher. The Covid-19 pandemic, as a crisis situation in which companies found themselves, led to changes in business models that had an impact on their stakeholders as well. In this segment, corporate social responsibility can be a useful and effective way to mitigate the potential effects of a pandemic and make it easier to deal with the consequences of a crisis. The aim of this paper is to provide a theoretical framework for the study of corporate social responsibility in crisis situations with special reference to the situation related to Covid-19. For this purpose, the research methodology includes a review of the literature on corporate social responsibility in this situation by classification into external (community, customer, and environment) and internal (employees) dimensions of the application of corporate social responsibility. The paper highlights the problems and challenges associated with corporate social responsibility in the Covid-19 pandemic and suggests further research opportunities in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to examine the exact pattern and structure of corporate social responsibility (CSR) within multinational enterprises (MNEs) working in Pakistan. Global reporting initiative (GRI-G4) guidelines were taken as key indicators to measure the boundaries of CSR activities and sketch the pattern of CSR disclosure (CSRD) based on economic, social and environmental dynamics. This research has observed that social disclosure comprised of almost 2/3 of the total CSRD; followed by environmental and economics. Market presence and economic performance are the most disclosed indicators in economic dimension. Environmental disclosure is leaded by products & services, overall and effluents & Waste. Water, biodiversity, compliance and transport are the least disclosed dynamics under the environmental dimension. Similarly, Social dimension records almost identical values for labor practices & decent work and product responsibility; followed by society and human rights indicators. Findings of this study reflect overall satisfactory report about CSRD for a period of 4 years (2016-2019). In general, this research study has extended basic but overall perception about the CSR structure within MNEs working in Pakistan. This study has first time developed an overall CSR's catalog for MNEs based on content analysis which includes all dimensions and indicators expressed in GRI-G4. The results of this study are beneficial for government and other institutions/organizations that are responsible for handling, formulating and implementing sustainability related issues/strategies. The combined effects of the local institutional forces and the interpretation of universally acceptable guidelines play an important role to ensure the rights of stakeholders and compel the enterprises to be more ethical. This study offers the first CSR structure of overall G4 guidelines indicators based on wide range of corporations and included every published document over a period of 2016-2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to clarify the implications of COVID-19 on corporate social responsibility (CSR). The research outlines an important role of CSR during the crisis and examines the pandemic impact on CSR practice of a company. The paper attempts to address the gap in the literature by considering CSR as a response strategy to uncertainties, pandemics, and crises. The study proposes how to adapt to the new normal applying CSR and examines the role of CSR in navigating through ambiguities. The paper analyzes the response to the pandemic crisis in terms of CSR and investigates the CSR approach of companies in Georgia. A semi-structured interview method was applied to collect primary data from companies implementing CSR activities. The novelty of the research results highlights the significance of strategic CSR practice during the pandemic to overcome challenges countries and societies are facing around the world. It contributes to the field of CSR management in times of pandemic and suggests future studies in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many European countries enacted laws to promote effective gender equality in management positions. Moreover, investors increasingly consider the sustainable valuation of companies in their portfolio selection. Previous research demonstrates the positive relationship between female directors and corporate social performance. The aim of this study is twofold: we examine the extent to which this relationship remains positive according to the level of gender diversity and compare the behaviour in American and European markets, considering that the US has no gender quota. We apply a panel data methodology, with fixed effects, to examine companies listed in the S&P 500 and Euro Stoxx 300 indices during 2015–2019. The results show the increasing influence of women directors up to a limit, both in the American and European markets, and this influence is higher in Europe. This result implies that gender‐diverse boards are favourable to the sustainable behaviour of companies. Therefore, policymakers should promote gender policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combining the postulates of the upper echelons theory and the economic theories of information disclosure, one might expect that the effect of chief executive officers' (CEOs') managerial ability on their firms' disclosure policies has both a direct and indirect nature. The latter would be associated with the mediating role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance on the relationship between CEOs' ability and corporate transparency. Using a sample of 956 international firms over the period 2006–2014 (6,442 firm‐year observations), we examine the role that the CEO ability plays in determining the relevance of CSR disclosures and whether this role is mediated by CSR performance. By proposing several regression models, we document that more able CEOs are more willing to disclose comparable and useful CSR information that favours stakeholder engagement. This relationship is mediated by the impact that CEO's ability has over the implementation of sustainability strategies that improve CSR performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The information contained in corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports is a controversial issue, and it has generated an important debate among academics regarding company disclosure strategies. Environmental matters are especially relevant given their impact on sustainable development. The present study has two objectives. The first is to determine which Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) environmental indicators are reported less frequently. The second is to predict the evolution of these indicators in light of the institutional pressures that companies try to resist. Specifically, the study of the environmental dimension of the GRI focusses on an analysis of the following: materials, energy, water, biodiversity, emissions, effluents and waste, products and services, compliance, transport, environmental assessment, and environmental grievance mechanisms. A content analysis of CSR reports from some of the world's largest companies reveals that the indicators least disclosed by companies relate to the environmental aspects of biodiversity. The dissemination of environmental indicators is influenced by normative, mimetic, and (to a lesser extent) coercive pressures. In addition, we observe that mimetic institutional pressures under a national and industrial vision influence the dissemination of environmental information. In terms of cultural dimensions, companies located in long‐term, feminine, and collectivist countries tend to disseminate environmental information accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study attempts to reveal the corporate social responsibility (CSR) programming and communication strategies of companies from controversial versus noncontroversial industry sectors and stakeholders' responses to these online CSR communications. A content analysis of CSR videos from 58 companies among the Fortune 500 and user comments on YouTube found that controversial and noncontroversial industries tended to use different strategies in their online CSR communications. Videos that (a) used information strategies, (b) took a company‐dominant perspective, and (c) described high fit CSR programs received more negative and skeptical comments; CSR videos that (a) emphasized the companies' commitment to the programs, (b) demonstrated the impact of CSR programs with anecdotal evidences, and (c) balanced their stated CSR motives between social benefits and business interests received less negative and skeptical comments. Most importantly, stakeholders' responses towards these communication strategies differed by industry sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines if the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and innovation is homogeneous or depends on the type of CSR practice and/or the type of innovation. The paper focuses on the three dimensions of the "three bottom line" of CSR (economic, social, and environmental) and on the so‐called "fateful triangle" of innovation, which together with studied product and process innovation types also considers organizational innovation. The theoretical framework is based on the resource‐based view and the knowledge‐based view approaches. In analysing sustainable innovation in the Spanish context, we look at a set of firms taking data for the 2009–2014 Spanish Community Innovation Survey. The empirical study uses random effect probit panel data methodology. The results show that, although the positive effect of CSR on innovation is confirmed for the majority of the cases, there are differences depending on the innovation type and the CSR dimension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Gender policies concerning the composition of board of directors are included in the legislation of many countries, especially promoted by the European Commission to reach gender equality in the processes of decision making. On the other hand, in the last decades, sustainable development problems caused by economic progress have enhanced the interest in environmental policies. Using the data from top Spanish listed companies, from 2003 to 2017, we test if the higher number of women on their board influences corporate social responsibility (CSR), through the disclosure of reports following the Global Reporting Initiative guidelines and the inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. By using probit models and instrumental variable estimation to address endogeneity and reverse causality problems, we find that the female presence in management positions is positively linked to a voluntary disclosure of CSR reports and the inclusion in a sustainability index, which supports gender legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complexity of the business world and current business models has motivated an increasing number of companies to disclose corporate information through sustainability reports. This reporting and stakeholders engagement may bring shared value to business and society in general although working towards sustainable development goals. This work adopts a new analytical approach by determining the global reporting initiative indicators related to labour practices and decent work, human rights, society, and product responsibility that are reported less frequently by companies. The final objective is to predict the influence that society's cultural values will play as a normative institutional pressure in their evolution. The results obtained for a sample comprising the 201 largest international companies that report in accordance with the recommendations of the G4 Guide in 2015 indicate that more than 50% of these large companies do not report specific mechanisms implemented to avoid violations of human rights and labour rights, or information on incidents related to production and commercial relations. Regulatory pressures associated with cultural values have limited effectiveness as drivers of greater corporate transparency in this area, as they are able to predict a favourable evolution for only 40% of companies that currently do not report. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the new economic scenario, characterized by a rapidly changing environment, companies are pushed into seeking new responses in order to survive and succeed. Companies are looking for new activities to improve their economic performance. Furthermore, these activities have been focused on innovation and/or socially responsible aspects. This paper analyzes the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR), innovation and its effect on performance. Especially, it shows if innovation has a fundamental role in the development of socially responsible practices or if social issues are responsible for practices that lead to greater innovation and, consequently, to greater performance. Data were collected from a sample of 121 Spanish wineries. The results show that CSR and innovation act as a mediator depending on the measurement of performance used. CSR, specifically, acts as a mediator between innovation and objective performance. However, managers perceive that the relationship between CSR and performance improves through innovation activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study adds clarity to inconclusive results in previous literature about the link between board characteristics and the level of social responsibility performance by using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis. Specifically, we propose a new holistic framework based on the complexity theory. From a sample of 471 non-financial companies from the USA for the period 2008-2010, our findings support the four tenets of complexity theory: equifinality, complexity, asymmetry, and causal asymmetry . More concretely, they suggest that CSR performance depends on a complex configuration of some board characteristics, such as size, independency, diversity and activity, and other corporate attributes (i.e., company size, leverage, and growth opportunities). These factors play a key role as the ingredients of the recipe and, in a proper combination, contribute to obtaining high levels of social responsibility performance. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over recent decades corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become a major topic in economic literature, especially from a business perspective. This is due to the positive connection between responsible behaviour and profitability. The increasing role of CSR in sustainable growth and employment generation in the world's economies means that it is now a priority in political agendas across the globe. This work proposes a study of CSR from an international comparative perspective, conducting an analysis of CSR as an intermediate variable. The results confirm the role of CSR as an interface between levels of internationalisation and business innovation, on one hand, and economic development and social change, on the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to examine if certain board characteristics have an impact on the corporate social responsibility (CSR) score of corporations. Design/methodology/approach – The authors’ paper analyzes the link between the ratings of CSR of the largest publicly traded Canadian firms (i.e. those included in the S&P/TSX 60 index) and the traits of their boards. Findings – The authors’ examination concludes that the CSR score is positively linked with the percentages of women and independent directors. The study did not find a link in the cases of board characteristics, namely, director’s remuneration, director’s tenure and director’s ownership. Research limitations/implications – The study focuses on the 60 largest public Canadian firms, which are strongly scrutinized. An analysis that includes smaller firms as well may show different results. Practical implications – To improve the ability of boards of directors to deal with CSR, the appointment of women and independent directors should be given greater emphasis. Data show that all boards in their sample are composed of at least 50 per cent of independent directors, with an average of 80 per cent. Thus, there is a more limited room to ameliorate CSR by adding independent directors. In contrast, women represented, on average, only 14.25 per cent of all directors. Companies wanting to improve their CSR should consider appointing more female participation in their boards. Originality/value – The paper contributes to the extant literature on corporate governance by presenting evidence of a link between CSR and certain board characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the crucial role of entrepreneurial foreign activity as a source of corporate profits and competitive advantage, it is of interest to investigate which factors may help promote it. This paper evaluates whether entrepreneurial foreign activities of small and medium-sized multinational enterprises (SMNEs) of Latin American developing countries are affected by international certifications, corporate social responsibility and green management. To that aim, we use a sample of 100 Peruvian exporting firms from several sectors and a methodology consisting of partial least squares structural equation modeling. Results reveal that, while acquiring and holding international certifications as well as the investments carried out in actions related to corporate social responsibility do not have positive effects on the performance of entrepreneurial foreign activities of Peruvian SMNEs, green management exerts a positive influence. Therefore, environmental management is revealed as an effective tool to help firms from developing countries compete successfully in the markets and, in turn, improve the economic situation in those regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public and private universities tasked with incorporating principles of social responsibility (SR) into their activities face the multiple challenges of addressing expectations of diverse stakeholders, establishing mechanisms for dialogue, and achieving greater information transparency. This article has two goals: first, to analyze whether SR has become an essential element in activities associated with university accountability, information transparency, and the use of the Internet; second, to analyze whether SR is used by universities as a differentiating factor in relation to their status. A comparative study of public and private US universities shows that neither is strongly committed to the online disclosure of SR information, including in relation to sustainability-related activities. Moreover, there is a uniformity in the accountability activities of both university types, suggesting that the challenges are not being faced, and SR is not being used as a differentiating factor in the pursuit of positional or competitive advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade, a growing number of organizations worldwide have started reporting on issues concerning their economic, social and environmental behaviour. However, public administrations show a delay in this regard although there is growing interest from citizens regarding sustainability transparency. This paper contributes to intra-country analyses of non-financial reporting in the public sector by studying transparency concerning sustainability in municipalities; it analyses the coherence between societal values, identified using Hofstede's cultural dimensions, and local governments' corporate social responsibility disclosures. We undertook a content analysis of 101 Colombian, Portuguese and Spanish local government websites and employed different graphical and statistical techniques to analyse the extent of disclosure and the relationship with societal expectations of transparency. The results showed several thematic differences between countries in disclosure preferences relating to societal cultural values of collectivism, femininity, tolerance and equity. Countries with equilibrium in all cultural values are more transparent; those with a prevalence of masculine and uncertainty avoidance cultural dimensions are particularly oriented to social perspectives and show a higher preference for strategic and economic information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been an articulated practice for over 7 decades. Still, most corporations lack an integrated framework to develop a strategic, balanced, and effective approach to achieving excellence in CSR. Considering the world's critical situation during the COVID-19 pandemic, such a framework is even more crucial now. We suggest subsuming CRS categories under Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) be used and that they subsume CSR categories since SDGs are a comprehensive agenda designed for the whole planet. This study presents a new CSR drivers model and a novel comprehensive CSR model. Then, it highlights the advantages of integrating CSR and SDGs in a new framework. The proposed framework benefits from both CSR and SDGs, addresses current and future needs, and offers a better roadmap with more measurable outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Objectives: Inequality in the global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines has brought about great challenges in terms of resolving the pandemic. Although vaccine manufacturers are undoubtedly some of the most influential players, studies on their role in global vaccine distribution have been scarce. This study examined whether the pharmaceutical industry is acting according to the principles of corporate social responsibility (CSR) during the pandemic. (2) Methods: Three categories were used to analyze the CSR of vaccine developers. The first was research and development: effectiveness, funding, and profits were measured. The second was transparency and accountability: the transparency of clinical trials and vaccine contracts was analyzed. The final was vaccine delivery: the status of the provision of vaccines to COVAX and lower-income countries, intellectual property management, manufacturing agreements, and equitable pricing were measured. (3) Results: Vaccine developers have acquired large profits. The vaccine delivery category faces the most challenges. Participation of pharmaceutical companies through COVAX was significantly low, and most vaccine supply agreements were secretive, bilateral deals. It was not clear if companies were maintaining equitable pricing. The evaluation indicated that the companies' CSR practices have differed during the pandemic. (4) Conclusions: Our study contributes to the methodology of assessing the CSR of vaccine developers. This would help understand the current COVID-19 vaccine distribution inequality and propose that pharmaceutical companies re-examine their roles and social responsibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examined the role of perceived CSR in deriving customer loyalty by exploring direct and mediated effects of corporate reputation and customer satisfaction in Pakistan's food chains. The data were collected through a survey method from 322 customers of McDonald's in Pakistan during October 2019 and January 2020. The collected information was then analyzed through the Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) technique to test the hypothesized relationships. The results revealed a significant positive impact of perceived CSR on customer loyalty, corporate reputation, and customer satisfaction. Further, customer satisfaction and corporate reputation appeared to mediate the relationship between perceived CSR and customer loyalty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has had serious health, social and economic consequences. In this difficult context, companies are called upon to implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities to support society and the weakest individuals. This study examines how Spanish companies have supported society and vulnerable individuals through partnerships with non-governmental organizations (NGOs). In this regard, a multiple case study analysis based on 14 companies listed on the Madrid Stock Exchange that have created collaborations with different NGOs was conducted. The results show that these partnerships are mainly aimed at providing food, health, social and technological support to society and vulnerable individuals. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that examines the support provided by companies to society during the COVID-19 pandemic in the European context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Practices of corporate social responsibility (CSR), especially in organizations providing key services, related to the supply of fuel, water and energy, are extremely important from the point of view of identifying stakeholders with the functioning of enterprises in line with the principles of a closed loop economy. The article discusses the origins and evolution of the concept of corporate social responsibility, with particular emphasis on the water supply and sewage industry. The research problem was the perception and expectations of stakeholders toward prosocial activities of PWiK Rybnik (Sewage and Water Supply Ltd. Rybnik). The hypothesis assumed in the study was that the external stakeholders of PWIK Rybnik positively assess the company's involvement in the tasks carried out as part of corporate social responsibility, they notice the involvement in educational activities and additional initiatives of PWIK that improve the quality of life of its inhabitants. For the purpose of this study, a quantitative method was used. For the purpose of the survey, the authors' questionnaire "Survey of customers' opinions on the activities undertaken by PWiK Rybnik" was created. The surveys conducted confirmed the hypothesis that the external stakeholders of PWIK Rybnik positively assess the company's involvement in the tasks performed as part of corporate social responsibility; they notice the involvement in educational activities and additional initiatives of PWIK that improve the quality of life of its inhabitants. The results of the research made it possible to formulate guidelines for the operation of water supply and sewage companies in accordance with corporate social responsibility in the light of the opinions of their stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]