Corporate social responsibility, firm reputation, and firm performance: The role of ethical leadership

Psychological Capital and Organizational Citizenship Behaviors of Construction Workers: The Mediating Effect of Prosocial Motivation and the Moderating Effect of Corporate Social Responsibility

Due to construction industry projects' large-scale, long-period, and outdoor operation characteristics, employees' organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) plays an essential role in cost-saving, high-efficiency, and environmentally friendly development strategies. This study discusses how to improve employees' OCB from two levels of employees' psychological factors and corporate social responsibility (CSR) at the organizational level. We verified this study's hypotheses based on 336 valid questionnaires collected from 56 teams. The results indicated that (1) positive psychological capital (PsyCap) was a positive predictor of employees' OCB; (2) PsyCap was positively related to employees' prosocial motivation, and prosocial motivation partially mediated the relationship between PsyCap and employees' OCB; and (3) CSR moderated the relationship between PsyCap and prosocial motivation and played a significant moderating role between prosocial motivation and OCB. These findings provide an empirical research basis for the theories of conservation of resources (COR), self-determination, and affective events. This research also has managerial implications for improving employees' OCB in the construction industry.

Can small and medium businesses endure the COVID-19 crisis through strategic philanthropy?

Purpose

Small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) are typically reported to have a limited interest in broader societal concerns across the world. As a result, the purpose of this study is to develop a model of SME’s strategic philanthropic performance in light of the societal reactions to the COVID-19 issue, particularly in terms of the intervention of corporate spirituality and the solid regulatory motive behind these.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic mixed review analysis has been executed to analyze the strategic philanthropic performance configuration triggered by the recent COVID-19 crisis, in which over 369 publications are read and reviewed by the authors. It has also established the reliability and validity of literature analysis. Also besides, a short form of qualitative investigation has been used to support the direction of the study.

Findings

Through regulatory adjustments, the study's findings effectively developed a strategic philanthropic performance configuration for SMEs. In this case, the strategic philanthropic convergence of corporate giving, corporate volunteering, corporate foundation and food bank has the potential to help SMEs thrive in the long run. The study also discovers that corporate spirituality might potentially mediate between appropriate regulations and strategic philanthropic performance of SMEs in the context of a supportive external environment.

Research limitations/implications

Prior empirical attempts are subsequently required to inquiry about the proposed conceptualization from different perspectives.

Practical implications

The decision-makers of SMEs, with the efficient implementation of the proposed outline, will use the understanding given for their required actions to develop the competitive advantage in terms of social concerns. On this note, the outcomes of the study can also enhance business differentiation and competitiveness. It can also serve as a strategic guideline for firms to develop organizational values for long-term survival.

Social implications

In the COVID-19 reality, SMEs will contribute to the concerns through philanthropy activities that are better suited for both enhanced social good and greater corporate advantages. The idea can also serve as a basis for SMEs to accomplish the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Originality/value

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first research that conceptualizes the influence of government regulation on the strategic philanthropic performance of SMEs while taking corporate spirituality into account in order to survive the COVID-19 crisis.

Advancement of cloud-based accounting effectiveness, decision-making quality, and firm performance through digital transformation and digital leadership: Empirical evidence from Vietnam

The accounting literature is silent about how digital transformation can be transformed into outstanding business performance through cloud-based accounting effectiveness (CBAE) under the supervision of digital leaders. In the digital age, this mechanism is practically significant for emerging market firms to promote accounting practices and decision-making effectiveness. Thus, this study investigates how CBAE and decision-making quality (DMQ) mediate the impact of digital transformation on firm performance. In addition, the moderating effects of digital leadership on the relationships between digital transformation and CBAE and those between CBAE and DMQ are investigated. The proposed model and its hypotheses are evaluated using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) on survey data from 252 large-sized Vietnamese firms. The study's findings are as follows: (1) digital transformation positively affects CBAE, which affects DMQ and firm performance; (2) when digital leadership is strong, the effects of digital transformation on CBAE and CBAE on DMQ are amplified. These findings demonstrate how the interaction between digital transformation and digital leadership can contribute to the success of firms in emerging markets that use cloud accounting. In addition, the current study elucidates the mechanism by which digital transformation influences the digitalization of accounting practices and contributes to our understanding of digital transformation research in accounting by introducing digital leadership as a boundary condition.

Research on Corporate Social Responsibility: Insights and Future Directions

Our current review paper aims to discuss the various issues pertaining to the future research avenues of CSR, and possible expansions that this scholarly field could have considering the growing interests from numerous academic disciplines and practitioners across the globe. In particular, we briefly discuss the work that has been performed on CSR, major theories that guided this area of research, and a summary of prior research findings. Then, we suggest future directions on specific drivers that motivate firms to engage in CSR activities. Specifically, we provide insights on how research should focus on within-firm variables, namely personality traits of TMTs and their possible impact on their firms’ stances towards CSR. We also briefly discuss the need for more advanced method of CSR rankings that takes into account consumers’ perception about the existing CSR rankings, such as KDL, and also consumers’ satisfaction and responses towards firms’ CSR. Finally, we highlight the need for two separate measurements of CSR; a measure that speaks to external stakeholders of the firm, and another measure that speaks to the internal stakeholders of the firm.

Assessing Influence Mechanism of Management Overconfidence, Corporate Environmental Responsibility and Corporate Value: The Moderating Effect of Government Environmental Governance and Media Attention

China's economic development has gradually entered a new period of slowing down and changing from quantity to quality, which has put forward higher requirements for environmental quality. How to better fulfill environmental responsibilities and realize a virtuous circle of "environmental protection for development" and a value growth model are essential issues that enterprises should consider and solve. Overconfidence, as one of the significant psychological characteristics of management, has caused more and more attention to its economic consequences. In order to clarify the internal logical relationship between the two and help enterprises optimize their environmental responsibility decisions, the paper is based on upper echelon theory and stakeholder theory. It focuses on the micro-situation of the corporate, empirically testing the influence of management overconfidence on corporate environmental responsibility by using the OLS regression analysis method, taking the manufacturing listed companies in the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchange of China from 2010 to 2017 as the research sample. The study discusses the moderating effect of government environmental governance and media attention on the relationship between management overconfidence and corporate environmental responsibility. The empirical results show a negative correlation between management overconfidence and corporate environmental responsibility. Both government environmental governance and media attention will weaken the negative correlation between management overconfidence and corporate environmental responsibility. Further research finds that management overconfidence has a weakening effect on corporate value, and corporate environmental responsibility plays a partial mediating role between management overconfidence and corporate value.

Perceived corporate social responsibility, ethical leadership, and moral reflectiveness impact on pro-environmental behavior among employees of small and medium enterprises: A double-mediation model

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is ever-evolving concept and gaining significance in the business world. This research proposes a research model that elucidates the mechanism by which Corporate social responsibility (CSR), ethical leadership, and moral reflectiveness promote pro-environmental behavior among employees of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). In today's ever-changing environment, small and medium companies (SMEs) are critical for any economy to thrive and prosper. SMEs account for more than 30% of the GDP in Pakistan. However, little is known about the processes by which type of leadership influence the pro-environmental behavior, or the circumstances under which such impacts are strengthened or mitigated. The current study attempted to fill the gap by investigating a dual process model in which ethical leadership and a moral reflectiveness acted as two explanatory mechanisms in the impact of Corporate social responsibility (CSR) on pro-environmental behavior among employees working in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The structural equation modeling technique was used to test the research model's hypothesized relationships. A survey was used to collect data from 390 employees. Results showed that perceived CSR directly impacted moral reflectiveness and ethical leadership. Moreover, the moral reflectiveness and ethical leadership mediated the relationship between the perceived CSR and pro-environmental behavior. These findings contributed significantly to perceived CSR, ethical leadership, moral reflectiveness, and pro-environmental behavior among employees by exploring and integrating the holistic research work into one framework to add to the body of knowledge. Practical implications and future research directions are also highlighted.

Real effects of social trust on firm performance during COVID-19

This study uses a difference-in-differences estimation method to address potential endogeneity between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and firm performance using a natural experiment of COVID-19, with a cross-country sample of 80,454 firm-quarter observations across 51 countries. We find that high-CSR firms show better performance, raise more debt, and invest more during COVID-19. The positive effect of CSR on firm performance is more pronounced in countries with better governance and among non- International Financial Reporting Standards adopters. Our findings suggest that when trust in firms and markets falls during an economic crisis, the trust established between a firm and its stakeholders via socially responsible behavior pays off.

Barriers to institutional social sustainability

Social sustainability is a work field characterised by an emphasis on social aspects, e.g. equity, ethics, health, gender balance, or empowerment, within a broader sustainability context. Although the concept seems to be reasonably well established and deemed worthy of pursuing, some obstacles prevent its wide dissemination. Through a bibliometric analysis focusing on the literature on social sustainability at institutions, with a focus on companies, this paper aims to investigate and describe some of the barriers associated with social sustainability implementation. Apart from identifying that sustainability reporting, environmental disclosure and financial performance play a central role in successfully achieving social sustainability, in the context of which gender-related issues seem more tangential, the results indicated some solutions commonly reported for overcoming barriers and obstacles to a company's social sustainability implementation within different sectors. These solutions have to do, among many other factors addressed in this study, with strengthening communication transparency and trust, contributing to awareness, using technology to document and promote social sustainability. Thus, empowering organizations and citizens, recognized as essential factors to social development, and addressing the challenges in a multi-dimensional way.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Firm Performance in GCC Countries: A Panel Smooth Transition Regression Model

There is evidence for mixed effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on corporate financial performance. In particular, evidence is reported to be positive, negative, and insignificant. These controversies are generally explained by two opposing schools of thought, which are the social impact hypothesis and the shift of focus hypothesis. This paper attempts to contribute to the ongoing debate by investigating whether the relationship between CSR and firm financial results is nonlinear. Therefore, this research relies on a panel smooth transition regression (PSTR) model in order to calculate the value transition threshold of CSR in 70 Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) firms from 2015 to 2020, using the CSR composite index and various CSR dimensions, which include environmental, social, and governance transition dimensions. Empirical findings indicate that investment in CSR does not help to boost corporate value until it exceeds the value transition threshold. However, when the marginal benefit exceeds the cost, CSR investment becomes a positive contributor to corporate performance. Furthermore, results indicate that the nonlinear relationship persists when using the individual CSR dimensions, i.e., governmental, social, and environmental CSR measurements. Finally, an interesting finding shows that the social CSR dimension is associated with the highest threshold level. Hence, firms should invest more in the social aspects of CSR in order to see their profitability increase.

How Corporate Social Responsibility Boosts Corporate Financial and Non-financial Performance: The Moderating Role of Ethical Leadership

Corporate social responsibility has always been considered an important topic, and many studies discuss the association between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate performance, but the results are still inconclusive. This study is to examine the impact of CSR on corporate performance (financial and non-financial) with the moderating impact of ethical leadership. Data is gathered from 222 companies in Morocco using a simple random sampling technique. Moreover, for measuring customer satisfaction and corporate image in the kinds of customers targeted by the CSR activities of the firms, we collected data from customers and got 209 responses. For analyzing the results of this study, structural equation modeling has been used, while for moderation, the hierarchical regression technique has been adopted. Findings revealed a significant positive association found between CSR and corporate finance as well as non-financial performance (corporate image and customer satisfaction). Ethical leadership helps in increasing the financial and non-financial performance of an organization. The findings further revealed that ethical leadership moderates the relationship between CSR and firm financial and non-financial (corporate image and customer satisfaction) performance. This study will assist management in realizing the importance and implementation of CSR practices in organizations, especially in the Moroccan context.

Responsible Leadership and Sustainable Development in East Asia Economic Group: Application of Social Exchange Theory

This study aimed to investigate the integrated relationship of responsible leadership, knowledge sharing, and sustainable performance, drawing from social exchange theory. Data from 264 employees of manufacturing firms in China were collected using online survey forms, exhibiting a response rate of 52.80 percent. Subsequently, the partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was applied to examine responsible leadership’s direct and indirect effect on sustainable performance. Current empirical evidence revealed that responsible leaders influence sustainable performance significantly among these firms. Moreover, knowledge sharing has partially mediated the link between responsible leadership-sustainable performance. Overall, the present study contributed to the responsible leadership theory and enriched the literature on sustainable development, where it was found that responsible leaders play a critical role in the latter. Policymakers and practitioners in organisations should take the initiative in fostering specific leadership training and knowledge sharing activities. Accordingly, several recommendations were suggested to policymakers, in which strong leadership is considered the primary role behind several organisational aspects. These aspects include success, knowledge, and information, encouraging sustainable development goals.

Exploring the journey of Responsible Business Model Innovation in Asian companies: A review and future research agenda

Responsible Business Model Innovation is increasingly becoming a relevant challenge in academic research and business practice, mainly in the Asian context. Changes in business models are widely acknowledged as a key strategy for achieving long-term innovation. However, little is known about the design journey of Responsible Business Model Innovation. By applying the knowledge-based view and stakeholder theory, this paper introduces the founding pillars of Responsible Business Model Innovation, namely: Corporate Social Responsiveness, Inclusiveness, and Reflective Knowledge Exchange. Based on the analysis of extended bodies of literature published between 2011 and 2021 on business model innovation, sustainability innovation, stakeholder theory and responsible innovation, the article explores the state of the art of business ethics and dynamic capabilities in Asian organizations. Findings show that recent research in the field of sustainability and ethical values are improving the impact on business models, thus encouraging the advent of Responsible Business Model Innovation. This article contributes to the emerging field of responsible innovation and offers novel theoretical and practical implications for academy and practitioners, including a first attempt to develop a road map to be followed to achieve of sustainable and ethical values for business and society at large.

Factors Affecting Reputational Damage to Organisations Due to Cyberattacks

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought massive online activities and increased cybersecurity incidents and cybercrime. As a result of this, the cyber reputation of organisations has also received increased scrutiny and global attention. Due to increased cybercrime, reputation displaying a more important role within risk management frameworks both within public and private institutions is vital. This study identifies key factors in determining reputational damage to public and private sector institutions through cyberattacks. Researchers conducted an extensive review of the literature, which addresses factors relating to risk management of reputation post-cyber breach. The study identified 42 potential factors, which were then classified using the STAR model. This model is an organisational design framework and was suitable due to its alignment with organisations. A qualitative study using semi-structured and structured questions was conducted with purposively selected cybersecurity experts in both public and private sector institutions. Data obtained from the expert forum were analysed using thematic analysis, which revealed that a commonly accepted definition for cyber reputation was lacking despite the growing use of the term “online reputation”. In addition, the structured questions data were analysed using relative importance index rankings. The analysis results revealed significant factors in determining reputational damage due to cyberattacks, as well as highlighting reputation factor discrepancies between private and public institutions. Theoretically, this study contributes to the body of knowledge relating to cybersecurity of organisations. Practically, this research is expected to aid organisations to properly position themselves to meet cyber incidents and become more competitive in the post-COVID-19 era.

Corporate social responsibility and performances of firms operating in the tourism and hospitality industry

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to assess whether a relationship exists between corporate social responsibility (CSR) engagement and tour operators' performances.

Design/methodology/approach

A web survey was submitted to tour operators worldwide. A large sample of tour operators from different countries and continents participated in the survey. Principal component analysis was performed and a regression model was developed to analyze the relationship among variables.

Findings

Empirical evidence indicates that tour operators with high CSR engagement experienced a significantly higher short-term growth of profits and sales volume. Results also show that applying CSR principles, facilitating CSR values and fostering local economic linkages have a positive and significant influence on tour operators' performances.

Practical implications

Tour operators should cultivate a sustainable corporate culture requiring a commitment to sustainability of the company and its suppliers. The findings contradict with the tendency of “enclavisation” of package tourists within self-sufficient tourism complexes and suggest that locals are part of the tourism place-product.

Originality/value

This research reviews the literature on the relationship between CSR and firms' performances in tourism and hospitality. The relevance of this study is its focus on tour operators, a context with a fundamental importance for the sustainability of the tourism industry worldwide. Tour operators are the players that mostly reflect the variety of sectors within the tourism industry, combining travel services such as accommodation, food, transports, entertainment and excursions. This is the first time that a study on the relationship between CSR and firms' performances has been developed on tour operators worldwide. The paper is based on the data collected through a survey on 201 companies from 42 countries from all continents.

Improving the Environmental Footprint through Employees: A Case of Female Leaders from the Perspective of CSR

Environmental quality strongly depends on human behavior patterns. Many environmental challenges are rooted in human actions, and thus, it is believed that these problems can be reduced through the promotion of pro-environmental behaviors (PB). Owing to this reality, the current study aims to reduce the environmental footprint of a hospital by promoting its employees' environment-specific behavior via corporate social responsibility (CSR) and ethical leadership (EL). More importantly, the study also considered the role of female leaders in the proposed relationship. The current study collected the data from the respondents employed in different hospitals of a developing economy through a questionnaire (paper-pencil method). A total of 489 valid responses were collected, which were analyzed by employing the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique. As per the current study's findings, there is a positive relationship between CSR, while EL mediates between CSR and PB. Likewise, the moderating role of female leaders in the proposed relationship was more significant than that of male leaders. More specifically, the study's findings have considerable theoretical and practical implications, as it opens paths for researchers to further investigate the applicability of different dimensions of CSR and the role of gender in environmental sustainability. It provides insight to policymakers on how to restructure their CSR preferences, priorities on the environment, and gender differences.

Collaborative leadership with a focus on stakeholder identification and engagement and ethical leadership: a dental perspective

The dental profession is susceptible to change. In order to cope and adapt, individuals and organisations will need to work together, now more than ever. One approach that may be beneficial in these times, and beyond, is collaborative leadership. This is where a mutually beneficial relationship is established between two or more parties, who work towards common goals by sharing authority, responsibility and accountability for achieving results. When groups of individuals look beyond their personal interests and instead collaborate, they may channel their efforts to successfully achieve shared goals. However, for this to be fruitful, stakeholders (to include different individuals or groups that have a vested interest) will need to be identified and engaged, and ethical values based on the objectives of the organisation and those advocated by professional and regulatory bodies must be upheld. This paper explores how the traditional practices of stakeholder identification and engagement, as well as ethical leadership, may be of relevance in attaining success through the contemporary collaborative leadership approach.

In these times and beyond, embracing mutually beneficial relationships based on trust, integrity and empowerment shall be more important than ever; therefore, there is a great need for collaborative leadership within the dental profession.

An awareness of, and ability to use, the traditional practices of stakeholder identification and engagement as well as ethical leadership may allow dental organisations and professionals to better exercise collaborative leadership.

Alike with clinical knowledge and skills, dental organisations and professionals must self-reflect on their own leadership capabilities, be self-aware of their strengths and weaknesses, and aspire to improve themselves accordingly.

The Role of CSR and Ethical Leadership to Shape Employees’ Pro-Environmental Behavior in the Era of Industry 4.0. A Case of the Banking Sector

The phenomenon of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an ever-evolving concept due to its multidimensionality. However, a plethora of studies have investigated CSR to achieve different organizational-related objectives, and its potential link to shape employee’s extra-role behavior, especially employee pro-environmental behavior (EB) in the era of Industry 4.0, is underexplored in the literature. To bridge this gap, the current study aims to explain the relationship between CSR and EB with the mediating role of ethical leadership (EL) in the banking sector of Pakistan. The data of the current survey were collected (n = 459) from different banking employees within the city of Lahore through a self-administered questionnaire (paper–pencil technique). The hypotheses were validated through the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique in AMOS. The empirical results of the current study confirmed that CSR positively relates to EB, and EL partially mediates this relationship. These findings are helpful for professionals to realize the significance of CSR and EL to shape EB in order to mitigate the environmental footprint of an organization.

Reputational assets for local political leadership

In political games, a good reputation is an invaluable asset. Hence, this research intends to expand the current understanding of the determinants of success imperative for the reputation of local political leaders. This article reviews the literature on reputation management, as well as empirical cases, to elucidate the reputational success factors of political leaders. Empirically, this study targets tenured mayors in Norway to distinguish key sources of their political reputation, which can be practically beneficial for political leadership. The theories delineated in the literature regarding political leadership were used to construct a typology containing three constructs to analyse political reputations. The findings in this article reveal that the key elements from behavioural, symbolic, and ethical constructs are important and should act in concert to build a good reputation. Within a system with limited formal political powers, efforts are needed to build soft power networks that provide the capacity to act. Politicians can learn ways to secure their support and enhance their power base from the identified reputational success factors.

Are All Narcissistic CEOs Socially Responsible? An Empirical Investigation of an Inverted U-Shaped Relationship Between CEO Narcissism and Corporate Social Responsibility

We investigate the relationship between CEO narcissism and corporate social responsibility (CSR). We suggest an alternative to the current assumption of a linear relationship between CEO narcissism and CSR. Instead, we propose an inverted U relationship between the two. Although narcissistic CEOs may engage in CSR, we argue that highly narcissistic CEOs may be drawn to actions that would garner greater attention and they may be less inclined to engage in CSR. Based on a sample of Fortune 500 firms during the period 2006–2013, we find support for an inverted U relationship and support for our arguments that CEO power moderates the relationship between CEO narcissism and CSR.

Developing an understanding of the determinants, disclosures, and outcomes of CSR practices – a focus on developed and developing countries: a past review of 10 years

Purpose

The increased awareness among consumers and strong competition have forced companies to put extra efforts and fulfill their social responsibility along with earning profits. The research aims to review corporate social responsibility (CSR)-related literature specifically determinants, outcomes and disclosure of CSR while adapting a comparative approach for developing and developed countries.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on theoretical frameworks of CSR, the authors have reviewed past studies conducted in past 10 years. While using keywords and synonyms, the databases such as JSTOR, Emerald, SpringerLink and ScienceDirect were used for searching impact factor and Scopus journals. Thematic analysis has been used as a method in the paper while identifying the key themes in study and presented them separately. Only those articles have been included which have key words in abstract. The review has been done while using logical process to improve inter-rater reliability. The key databased have been used to cover articles from multiple and diverse domains. The authors studied the key themes of literature found and identified the gaps. The paper has also incorporated the comments of authors who conducted credible studies.

Findings

It has been found that there are different determinants which lead the companies to involve in CSR practices in developing and developed countries. It has also been found that consumers are more aware about CSR in developed countries which effects the CSR decisions by firms. There is lack of literature available in developing states and researchers have been focused to conduct studies mainly developed countries such as in Europe and USA. Mostly the CSR behavior of companies has been linked with their financial and reputational benefits in empirical studies. There is large gap in literature on CSR involvement in small companies. The authors have developed and presented model which provides comparison of determinants leading toward CSR involvement by companies in developed and developing countries. Another framework has been developed which summarized all the factors which force the company to take part in CSR activities.

Practical implications

The study has made significant contribution toward research field and summarized the determinants based on social and economic factors of countries. The study also presented the comparison between CSR in developing and developed country which is valuable contribution by the authors. The study has also found lack of progress in theory development in this area which needs further attention by researchers. The authors have developed a model and framework which will contribute in field of CSR.

Originality/value

This is the review paper which provides integrated view of literature regarding determinants, outcomes and disclosure of CSR in developing countries while using a comparative approach.

The Inter-Relationship between CSR, Inclusive Leadership and Employee Creativity: A Case of the Banking Sector

The stiff situation of competitiveness in every industry has posed some serious challenges for businesses all over the world. Thus, every segment of the business is realizing the importance of creativity to remain alive in a cut-throat competitive environment. However, the banking sector has not received due attention in this regard. To bridge this gap, the current study was carried out to explore the relationship of employees’ perception of corporate social responsibility (CSR) of their bank and employee creativity with the mediating effect of inclusive leadership (IL). The data for the current study were collected from the banking sector of Pakistan through a self-administered questionnaire (n = 533) and were analyzed by using structural equation modeling (SEM) in AMOS. The statistical findings of the current survey validate the direct relationship between CSR and employee creativity. The results also confirm the mediating effect of IL in this relationship. The findings of the current survey will help policymakers from banking institutions to improve their understanding of CSR. Furthermore, these findings will help policymakers to embrace employee creativity as a “new normal” for this sector.

Corporate social responsibility impacts on Palestinian and Jordanian consumer purchasing

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between customer social responsibility (CSR) and consumer purchasing behaviour (CPB) in terms of consumer awareness of CSR and consumer trust.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was developed and distributed to a sample of 150 consumers from different industries in Palestine and Jordan. Multivariable regression models were developed to identify the characteristics to determine and investigate the relationship between CSR and CPB.

Findings

The results of the investigation showed that CSR has a positive impact on CPB. Moreover, when organizations implement CSR in their operations, it enhances their competitive advantage.

Originality/value

There is insufficient research on developing nations on this subject, while they comprise the most rapidly growing economies worldwide, and they are countries in which social and environmental crises are felt most acutely. Accordingly, the understanding of the primary relationship between CSR and consumer behaviour is essential for the economic development of these nations.

The relationship between social responsibility and public libraries accountability: The mediating role of professional ethics and conscientiousness

Public libraries are powerful social institutions whose services have a positive contribution to civil society. As one of the most important and most visited social institutions, such libraries are responsible to the community. Promoting social responsibility in public libraries requires addressing issues such as librarians’ accountability, professional ethics, and conscientiousness. Accordingly, this study strives to address this research gap by examining the relationship between organizational social responsibility and accountability perceived by staff in public libraries. Based on theoretical foundations, librarians’ professional ethics and conscientiousness were considered as mediating variables. Quantitative research method was used for this study and six hypothesized relationships were formulated to develop a conceptual model. Study data were collected through a questionnaire. Data obtained from 362 librarians of Iranian public libraries were analyzed running SPSS software and Smart PLS 3.0. The results revealed that perceived social responsibility of public libraries directly contributes to their perceived responsiveness. Furthermore, the implementation of social responsibility by public libraries reinforces the professional ethics and conscientiousness of librarians. As a result, the professional ethics and conscientiousness will lead to improving the accountability of public libraries. Accordingly, this study can help public library administrators, policymakers, and librarians to develop more comprehensive strategies for providing services to citizens by focusing on their social responsibilities, thereby establishing their place in society.

The New EU Remuneration Policy as Good but Not Desired Corporate Governance Mechanism and the Role of CSR Disclosing

The recent global financial crisis (GFC) has put under scrutiny the sound remuneration policy and consequently the incentives design that influences risk-taking by managers in the banking industry to be a politically charged variable. In particular, this paper analyzes the new EU remuneration regulation of bank executive compensation and the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on this. Though all the EU efforts put into remuneration practices suggest commitment in aligning risk, performance, and compensation and aim at easing bank managers’ risk appetite for variable payments, the new regulation might drive unintended consequences, creating adverse selection problems in EU banks and hidden compensation habits that lower transparency, thus threatening financial system’s sustainability. Focusing on European Banking Authority (EBA) reports spanning from 2010 to 2017, the data reveals increasing values on the fixed component, less involvement in bank discipline by economic agents, and a potential for accounting-based incentives compensation that might reinforce attitudes towards building countercyclical buffers and smoothing earnings. As well, the new regulation might reduce the number of best-performing bank managers in the Eurozone, since “bad risks” are accepted to the detriment of “good risks,” which might stimulate their migration. In contrast, CSR investment is supposed to offset such practices and incentives that harm EU financial stability. As a result, policymakers, banks, and regulators should promote the transparency of CSR disclosure.

Corporate social responsibility and corporate reputation: the moderating roles of CEO and state political ideologies

Purpose

While the link between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate reputation (CR) has been well-established in the prior literature, studies that identify boundary conditions to better understand how CSR matters for CR in the eyes of stakeholders are still limited. Incorporating stakeholder theory with upper echelons theory and institutional theory, this study aims to explore whether and how the CSR-CR relationship is influenced by political ideologies (conservatism vs liberalism) of chief executive officers (CEOs), as well as the states in which firms’ headquarters are located.

Design/methodology/approach

A longitudinal sample of 172 US firms between 2009 and 2014 was collected. Random effects models were used in analyzing the panel data in the study.

Findings

The relationship between CSR and CR is stronger when firms are led by more liberal CEOs or headquartered in more liberal states.

Originality/value

The study highlights the role political ideology plays in improving the effectiveness of the influence of CSR on corporate reputation.

Responsible leadership and employees’ turnover intention. Explore the mediating roles of ethical climate and corporate image

Purpose

Employee turnover, building a positive corporate image and ethical lapses in the corporate world demand business leaders to perform their jobs with a higher sense of responsibility. This study aims to investigate the mediating effect of ethical climate and corporate image by using the corporate social responsibility theory and social identity theory.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 280 employees from the banking sector of Pakistan was collected through a questionnaire-based survey by using the convenience sampling technique. The structural equation modeling technique using Smart partial least square was used to test the hypothesized model.

Findings

The findings of the study affirmed a significant positive correlation between responsible leadership and ethical climate and ethical climate is significantly positively correlated with corporate image. Meanwhile, the corporate image is negatively correlated with employees’ turnover intention. Results further corroborate ethical climate mediating effect between responsible leadership and corporate image and corporate image likewise mediates between ethical climate and employee turnover intention.

Research limitations/implications

This study enriches the present literature on the subject of responsible leadership, ethical climate, corporate image and turnover intention from the employee’s point of view. Elucidating from previous studies, most of the investigations about the corporate image was conducted from the customers’ perspective and there has been a scarcity of studies focusing on employees’ perspective.

Practical implications

This study guides a value proposition that is concerned with the turnover of employees for human resource professionals from the banking industry. It explores a new dimension of the debate on employee turnover intention.

Originality/value

This study marks the first step toward corporate image as an organizational behavior construct by demonstrating that corporate image impact turnover intention. This study tests a model that demonstrates the role of ethical climate and corporate image in the linkage between responsible leadership and employees’ turnover intention.

Personality traits and bricolage as drivers of sustainable social responsibility in family SMEs: A COVID‐19 perspective

Motivated by the social and environmental challenges resulting from the COVID‐19 pandemic, this research examines the influence of the “big five” personality traits; extroversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism on sustainable social responsibility with a mediating role of bricolage. We collected empirical evidence from 245 family‐owned SMEs. The results indicate that the personality traits do not directly influence sustainable social responsibility, although the traits (except extroversion) influence bricolage. Moreover, we found that open, conscious, and agreeable personalities indirectly contribute to sustainable social responsibility, with bricolage as a mediator. Our findings encourage enterprises to focus on those personality traits during crises (especially COVID‐19) that empower people to effectively manage existing resources (e.g., bricolage) and protect their stakeholders. Family‐owned SMEs need to assign resource utilization tasks to family members having personalities of openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism because these kinds of people have high capacities for bricolage.

Corporate social responsibility awareness and performance: the case of Chinese airports

Purpose

This study examines the corporate social responsibility (CSR) awareness of major Chinese airports during the 2013–2017 period as well as its influence on the airports' performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors first used a content analysis to quantify CSR awareness of the examined airports reflecting their annual and CSR reports. Alongside other characteristics such as location and size, CSR awareness’ influence on the airports' performance (measured by data envelopment analysis [DEA]) was consequently examined.

Findings

The CSR awareness varies among airport and over time; however, an increasing concern about this issue is found in the Chinese airport industry. Particularly, Chinese airports tend to focus more on customers and the society and that increase of CSR awareness could improve the airports' performance.

Research limitations/implications

The authors analyzed only four Chinese airports, and the data may be influenced by other factors such as politics, culture, business behaviors or management. Studies with larger sample (e.g. more airports from China and/or other countries) or with more CSR aspects and indicators will contribute to this matter.

Originality/value

This is the first study to combine the content analysis and the DEA into a single framework to examine the relationship between CSR awareness and performance, especially for Chinese airports. It can therefore provide important practical implications to Chinese aviation managers.

Do Higher-Rated or Enhancing ESG of Firms Enhance Their Long–Term Sustainability? Evidence from Market Returns in Korea

In this study, we investigate the effects of the level and changes in environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) rating, an index developed to represent a firm’s long-term sustainability, on the stock market returns of Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) listed firms over the period 2011–2018. We find that the changes in ESG ratings have statistically significant short-term effects on their abnormal returns. However, their impacts on short-term abnormal returns decrease some days after the disclosure and become negative in the third year. The results imply that investors in the Korean stock market do not view corporate social responsibility activities as a means of supporting their long-term sustainability, judging from the firm value for a long period after their rating. Rather, based on the effects of the changes on coefficient signs over the period—positive in the year and the year after, no effects in the following year, and negative in the third year and later—we can infer that the short-term oriented market sentiments of investors might worsen their long-term stock performances, thus deteriorating their sustainability and growth opportunities.

Effect of board- and firm-level characteristics on the product responsibility ratings of firms from emerging markets

Purpose

Consumers have increasingly become more concerned about environmental degradation, wastage of critical resources and safety. Therefore, firms are adopting sustainability management practices to attract these conscious consumers. Product responsibility (PR) is an important indicator of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability management. This study examines the relationship between the board- and firm-level characteristics and the PR ratings of firms.

Design/methodology/approach

A temporal design with a lag of one year for a sample of 403 firms from the global emerging economies is analyzed for this purpose.

Findings

Hierarchical regression analysis shows that total revenue, board size, and board diversity have a positive effect on PR ratings.

Research limitations/implications

These findings have implications for policy-level decisions on the composition of boards for the sustainable future of firms.

Originality/value

The study is one of the few studies that have looked into the factors affecting the PR ratings, which are an important indicator of the sustainable practices of an organization.

Does CSR influence firm performance? A longitudinal study of SME sectors of Pakistan

Purpose

This study aims to examine whether corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities influence firm performance based on a longitudinal survey for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Pakistan. Empirical studies suggest that the SME sector plays an essential role in the economic development of Pakistan and can be considered the backbone of the economy.

Design/methodology/approach

The data for this study were collected from SMEs located in the cities of Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad in Pakistan. A well-designed questionnaire was administrated over 240 entrepreneurs to analyze and measure the impact of CSR on financial performance for a 12-month period. The authors used econometric analysis of the data using structural equation modeling.

Findings

Results reveal significant relationships between CSR and two determinants of firm performance, namely, employee commitment and corporate reputation.

Research limitations/implications

Findings of the study are important for policymakers, entrepreneurs and other professionals in SMEs sectors both in under-developed and, with further application and exploration, in developing countries.

Originality/value

There is no single longitudinal study prior to this has been carried out on the relationships of CSR and firm performance in the SME sector in the context of the Pakistani economy. Hence, this study significantly fills an important gap in the research.

Social and financial aid for disaster relief operations using CSR and crowdfunding

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the interlinkages between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and crowdfunding in the context of disaster relief operations (DRO). It intends to explore how information quality moderates the relationship of CSR and crowdfunding to achieve financial and social stability. The study also controls variables such as type of disaster, size of the firm and sector to which the firms belong while drawing implications.

Design/methodology/approach

The study collects empirical data in an Indian context through a structured questionnaire. The respondents belong to organizations which made a financial contribution toward DRO during the past decade (2008–2018). The sample size for data analysis is 232 responses belonging to different industries like plastic, chemical, textile and apparel, automotive parts and electronics, and construction. The study employs partial least squares structural equation modeling for testing the hypothesis.

Findings

Results indicate a positive effect of CSR activities on donation-based crowdfunding to achieve financial and social normalcy in a DRO. CSR can thus be used as an alternate way to support DRO. Results also reveal that quality of information positively impacts the relationship between crowdfunding and social aid as well as financial aid offered to the victims of the disasters. It is further observed that the type of disaster accounts for the inflow and frequency of funds made by companies as a part of their CSR activities.

Research limitations/implications

The study restricts its analysis to CSR contributions made by Indian firms for DRO in an Indian context. While the study is centered in an Indian context, it holds strong implications by offering guidelines and framework for integrating funds of the government, CSR contributions of companies and donations made by citizens. The outcome also provokes thoughts on testing the results with multiple disasters across the globe in order to validate the findings and possibly extend them.

Originality/value

The approach of the study holds a unique slot in understanding concepts relating to CSR, crowdfunding and information science literature in the context of DRO. The study offers unique contribution in making the readers aware how CSR funds, when guided through a donation-based crowdfunding platform can help achieve social and financial aid for the victims of natural disaster.

Interrelations Between Ethical Leadership, Green Psychological Climate, and Organizational Environmental Citizenship Behavior: A Moderated Mediation Model

Synthesizing theories of ethical leadership, psychological climate, pro-environmental behavior, and gender, first, we proposed and tested a model linking supervisors’ ethical leadership and organizational environmental citizenship behavior via a green psychological climate. Then, we tested the moderating effect of gender on the indirect (via a green psychological environment) relationship between supervisors’ ethical leadership and organizational environmental citizenship behavior. Time-lagged (three waves, 2 months apart) survey data were collected from 447 employees in various manufacturing and service sector firms operating in China. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling, bootstrapping, and multigroup techniques to test the hypothesized relationships. The results showed a positive relationship between employee ratings of supervisors’ ethical leadership and organizational environmental citizenship behavior. Moreover, a green psychological climate mediates the relationship between supervisors’ ethical leadership and organizational environmental citizenship behavior. Importantly, the multigroup analysis revealed that gender moderates the indirect relationship (via green psychological climate) between supervisors’ ethical leadership and organizational environmental citizenship behavior. The study carries useful practical implications for policymakers and managers concerned about environmental sustainability.

Employees' Environmental Protection and Charitable Donation and Ethical Leadership: An Empirical Study

The sustainable development of the environment and society depends not only on firms’ social responsibility initiatives, but also on employees’ socially responsible behavior during their daily work life. Hence, it is important to study why and how employees go about the socially responsible behaviors (SRB), such as environmental protection and charitable donations. Although research has been done on the antecedents of employees’ SRB from personal, contextual and leadership perspectives, little is known about the mechanism through which they affect these behaviors. Moreover, compared with the other two perspectives, research from the leadership perspective is relatively scarce. In this paper, we aim to fill these research gaps. Based on 936 respondents from 109 corporations, we empirically test the cross-level direct effect of ethical leadership on employees’ SRB and the cross-level mediating effect of perceived organizational virtuousness. In our empirical analyses, we adopt statistical methodologies such as hierarchical linear modeling and multilevel mediation analysis. Our results show that perceived organizational virtuousness partly mediates the influence of ethical leadership on employees’ environmental protection and charitable donation. In other words, ethical leadership enables employees to form the perception of organizational virtuousness, and therefore employees are more engaged in environmental protection and charitable donations. This research provides important insights for firms and their employees to become more socially and environmentally responsible.

Corporate social responsibility, reputation and visitors’ commitment as resources for public policies’ design for protected areas for tourism sustainable exploitation

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the influences of perceived corporate social responsibility (pCSR) over the brand reputation (BR) and the visitor commitment of protected areas (PAs) of Quintana Roo visitors, to create useful resources for the design of public policies in accordance to the expectations of the stakeholders from a sustainable development (SD) approach.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional causal multistage research was conducted. First, a literature review was performed to develop the hypotheses and the theoretical model on the basis of the paradigm of “sustaincentrism.” Afterwards, the model was empirically contrasted with data gathered from a representative sample of 440 real visitors of three Mexican PAs. The data covariance structures were examined through confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results of the study undercover the direct and indirect effects that pCSR has over the BR and the commitment of PA’s visitors, evidencing their relevance as valuable resources for the design of public policies.

Originality/value

This research manifests the capacity to benefit from the studied variables as resources for the design and implementation of public policies that incorporate the development and execution of SD-attuned CSR programs able to create competitive advantages required by PA to their sustainable tourism exploitation.

A Study on Determining the Relationships Among Corporate Social Responsibility, Organizational Citizenship Behavior and Ethical Leadership

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has emerged as a prominent term in management literature. CSR refers to the extent to which businesses meet the economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary responsibilities imposed on them by their stakeholders. CSR is suggested to have a positive effect on employees’ organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Also, managers are likely to perform ethical behaviors in their leadership roles when management supports CSR initiatives. In this study, we examined the relationship among CSR, OCB and ethical leadership using a sample of 60 employees from Nevşehir(Cappadocia-Turkey). Our findings indicate a significant and positive relationship between CSR and ethical leadership. However, no significant relationship was found either between OCB and CSR, nor OCB and ethical leadership.

The effects of entrepreneurs’ moral awareness and ethical behavior on product innovation of new ventures

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to apply the social cognitive theory and social learning theory to examine the different mechanisms through which entrepreneurs’ moral awareness and ethical behavior affect the product innovation of new ventures.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collected survey data from 150 founders and 389 founding team members of new ventures in China in 2015. The final sample contained 113 questionnaires from entrepreneurs and 246 questionnaires from their founding team members. Regression analyses were used to test direct effects, and Preacher and Hayes’ (2004) formal mediation test approach with bootstrapping method was used to evaluate the mediation effects.

Findings

The findings indicate that the ethical levels of entrepreneurs can affect the product innovation of a new venture through two paths: entrepreneurs with low levels of moral awareness tend to be more individually creative, which facilitates product innovation, and entrepreneurs with high levels of ethical behavior can make founding teams more creative, which also promotes product innovation.

Practical implications

The findings of this study suggest that entrepreneurs are not negatively affected by their low moral awareness as long as they exhibit high ethical behavior with founding team members. But such low moral awareness has to be genuine. The best way to promote product innovation in the long run is to create an organizational culture of ethical behavior rather than to ignore moral issues in decision-making.

Originality/value

This study challenges the assumption that moral awareness and ethical behavior are always consistent. It takes an initial step to resolve the contradiction in the current literature regarding the relationship between the ethical levels of entrepreneurs and product innovation in the context of founders and founding teams in new ventures.