CSR Communication through Social Media: A Litmus Test for Banking Consumers’ Loyalty

The mediating role of electronic word-of-mouth in the relationship between CSR initiative and consumer satisfaction

The importance of CSR in today's business environment cannot be ignored, especially more and more enterprises realize that when consumers perceive CSR, it will affect consumer behavior and then affect corporate efficiency and reputation. With the widespread application of social media, corporate social responsibility behaviors are easy to be participated and discussed by consumers on the Internet, forming electronic word-of-mouth. Therefore, this paper discusses the influence of electronic word-of-mouth between CSR and consumer satisfaction, taking China's largest Internet enterprise Tencent and its consumers and users as the research object. The overall purpose of this study is to explore the mediating role of electronic word-of-mouth in CSR and consumer satisfaction. This study uses Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) theory as the theoretical framework to explain the relationship between CSR initiatives, eWOM and consumer satisfaction. Using the quantitative method of questionnaire survey, taking China's enterprise Tencent as an example, a total of 490 valid questionnaires from Tencent WeChat users from four different levels of cities were received. The PLS-SEM model was used to deeply study the impact of CSR on consumer satisfaction and electronic word-of-mouth. The study found that philanthropic responsibility has a significant impact on consumer satisfaction, but environmental responsibility has no significant impact on satisfaction. At the same time, electronic word-of-mouth plays a key mediating role between the dimension of charitable responsibility and consumer satisfaction, but there is no mediating relationship between the dimension of environmental responsibility and consumer satisfaction. This study is beneficial to other enterprises in the formulation and planning of social responsibility, helps enterprises better understand consumer demands under different CSR dimensions, and provides a useful reference for the formulation of more accurate CSR strategies.

Green sustainability in the hotel sector: The role of CSR, intrinsic green motivation, and personal environmental norms

In the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs), this study accentuates the role of the tourism and hospitality sector in promoting sustainability. The primary purpose is to unravel the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and energy-specific sustainable behavior of employees (ESBE), with particular emphasis on the mediating roles of green intrinsic motivation and personal environmental norms. Utilizing a three-wave data collection approach, we secured 325 valid responses from sector employees at various levels (manager-non managers) and applied Structural Equation Modeling through the SMART-PLS tool to assess the hypothesized relationships. The findings highlight a pronounced interconnection between CSR, ESBE, and the designated mediating variables. These results not only augment the academic literature by illustrating the psychological underpinnings bridging CSR to ESBE, but also equip the tourism and hospitality industry with actionable insights. Through informed CSR initiatives aligned with employee values, the sector can galvanize sustainable behaviors and create business models that resonate with the aspirations of the UN-SDGs, pointing the way to a more sustainable industry.

Psychology in action: Social media communication, CSR, and consumer behavior management in banking

In today's digitally interconnected world, social media emerges as a powerful tool, offering different opportunities for modern businesses. Not only do organizations use social media for marketing purposes, but they also endeavor to influence consumer psychology and behavior. Although prior studies indicate social media's efficacy in disseminating corporate social responsibility (CSR) communications, there remains a dearth of research addressing the impact of CSR-related messaging from banks on consumers' brand advocacy behavior (CBAB). Our study seeks to bridge this gap, exploring the CSR-CBAB relationship within the banking sector of an emerging economy. Additionally, we investigate the roles of consumers' emotions and values in mediating and moderating their CBAB, introducing two mediating factors, consumer happiness (HP) and admiration (BRAD), and moderating variable altruistic values (ATVL). Data collection involved an adapted questionnaire targeting banking consumers. The structural analysis revealed a positive correlation between a bank's CSR-related social media communications and CBAB. HP and BRAD were identified as mediators in this relationship, while ATVL emerged as a moderator. These findings hold significant theoretical and practical implications. For instance, our research highlights the indispensable role of social media in effectively conveying CSR-related information to banking consumers, subsequently enhancing their advocacy intentions.

Responsible Tourism and Hospitality: The Intersection of Altruistic Values, Human Emotions, and Corporate Social Responsibility

The burgeoning tourism and hospitality industry is plagued by numerous challenges that pose significant hurdles to its long-term success and sustainability. These challenges encompass a range of factors, including fierce competitive convergence, rapid obsolescence of innovative strategies, and the relentless pursuit of ever-greater competitiveness in the marketplace. In such a service-oriented industry, where customer satisfaction is the sine qua non of success, the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in shaping consumer attitudes and behavior cannot be overstated. Despite this, the empirical evidence on the impact of CSR on brand advocacy behavior among hospitality consumers (BADB) remains somewhat underdeveloped and incomplete. In light of this knowledge gap, the basic objective of our study is to examine the complex interplay between CSR and BADB in the context of a developing country’s hospitality sector. The authors place a particular emphasis on the mediating role of consumer emotions and the moderating influence of altruistic values (ALVS) in shaping this relationship. Through rigorous empirical analysis, the authors demonstrate that CSR positively and significantly impacts BADB, with consumer engagement (CENG) serving as a crucial mediating variable that facilitates this relationship. These findings have significant theoretical and practical implications for the tourism and hospitality industry. Specifically, the authors show that the judicious deployment of CSR initiatives in a hospitality context can foster a positive behavioral psychology among consumers and, in turn, enhance their advocacy intentions towards the brand. This underscores the importance of carefully crafted CSR strategies to secure a competitive advantage in this dynamic and rapidly evolving sector.

The Role of CSR Information on Social Media to Promote the Communicative Behavior of Customers: An Emotional Framework Enriching Behavioral Sciences Literature

Studies have shown that an organization's corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities affect customer behaviors such as loyalty and satisfaction. In spite of this, the role of social media in informing customers about a brand's CSR activities and in fostering customer advocacy behavior (CADB) has been underexplored. To fill this knowledge gap, this study investigates the relationship between the CSR-related communication of a banking organization and CADB. This study also examines how emotions such as customer-company identification (CCI) and gratitude as a mediator and a moderator. Using a self-administered questionnaire (n = 302), we collected data from banking customers. Hypotheses were evaluated by using structural equation modeling, which revealed that CSR positively predicts CADB, whereas there are mediating and moderating functions of CCI and GA. Theoretically, this study highlights the role of human emotions in behavior formation from the standpoint of social media. Practically, this study provides important insights for the banking sector's administrators to realize the important role of CSR communication, using different social networking websites, for converting customers into brand advocates.

The role of customers' awareness towards the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of banks on their behavior

Banks and sustainable development have lately gone hand in hand. Of late, banks have focused on sustainable management in order to improve their environmental footprint, to eliminate financial risks, to promote social issues, and to exploit new opportunities. The sustainable development management of organizations attracts new customers over and above conventional institutions thus leading to greater market share and increased revenues. This paper aims to examine if and how sustainable development goals (SDGs) adopted by banking institutions play a role in customers' decisions and behavior. The way that banks, SDGs, and sustainable image affect customer behavior, attitudes, trust, loyalty, satisfaction, and perceived fair pricing policy is assessed. To this end, 1084 questionnaires were collected and the PLS-SEM method was utilized. The findings show a positive relationship between the stance of banks relating to SDGs and customer trust, loyalty, and perceived fair pricing policy. Finally, the SDGs adopted by banks are an important strategic tool which strengthens relationship with their customers.

From Corporate Social Responsibility to Employee Well-Being: Navigating the Pathway to Sustainable Healthcare

Purpose

Despite extensive research on the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on employee outcomes, only limited research has been conducted to investigate the impact of CSR on healthcare employees' burnout (BUO). Additionally, the underlying mechanism by which CSR may reduce BUO has not been fully understood. In order to fill these gaps, we explored the relationship between CSR and BUO, as well as the possible mediating effects of subjective wellbeing (SW) and compassion (CM). Also, employee admiration (AM) was examined as a moderating factor.

Methods

The study utilized a questionnaire to collect data, which was distributed using the paper-pencil method. A total of 335 healthcare employees, including nurses, doctors, paramedics, and general administration, participated in the study. Specifically, we focused on the healthcare segment of Pakistan. A survey was conducted to assess participants' perceptions of CSR practices, BUO, AM, SW, and CM within their organizations. The questionnaire consisted of several standardized scales validated in previous research.

Results

We investigated the relationship between CSR and BUO using the AMOS software. BUO was negatively associated with CSR, suggesting that organizations with strong CSR practices may be able to reduce employee burnout. Moreover, the relationship between CSR and BUO was mediated by both subjective wellbeing (SW) and compassion (CM), revealing how CSR may impact employee burnout. Furthermore, we found that employee admiration (AM) buffered the relationship between CSR and BUO.

Findings

BUO is a growing concern among healthcare professionals and has the potential to negatively impact the quality of patient care, staff morale, and, ultimately, the success of healthcare organizations. BUO in healthcare settings can be effectively addressed by implementing CSR strategies. Effective CSR strategies should be implemented in a meaningful way to employees and provide them with opportunities to engage in activities that align with their values and interests.

The Relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility on Social Media and Brand Advocacy Behavior of Customers in the Banking Context

This research study aims to investigate the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR)-related communication on social media and brand advocacy behavior of retail banking customers in a developing country. This study also proposes a dual mediating mechanism of customer engagement and customer-company identification in the above-proposed relationship. The data were collected from retail banking customers with the help of a self-administered questionnaire (n = 356). To test the hypothesized relationships, a theoretical model was developed in this study. For hypothesis testing, we used the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique in AMOS software. The empirical analysis results confirmed our theoretical assumption that the manifestation of CSR-related communication on social media by a bank significantly influenced the advocacy behavior of retail banking customers. Our study also confirmed the mediating function of customer engagement and customer-company identification. The findings of this study offer different implications for the banking sector. For example, our study highlights the critical role of CSR-related communication on social media for meaningful customer-brand relationships by promoting the advocacy behavior of customers.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Energy-Related Pro-Environmental Behaviour of Employees in Hospitality Industry

Tourism and hospitality are at a crossroads. The growth and developmental potential of these industries indicate the economic benefits for an associated nation at one end. However, the environmental issues related to tourism and hospitality create challenges for the administration at another end. In most cases, a sheer amount of carbon emission in hospitality lies with energy consumption, especially electrical energy. However, past studies on environmental management have mainly focused on the supply side of energy (production) and left the terrain of the demand side (consumption by individuals) unattended. Recently, behavioral scientists have indicated that corporate social responsibility (CSR) actions of a firm can promote sustainable behavior among individuals, including employees. We tend to spark this discussion from an energy consumption perspective by investigating the relationship between CSR and energy-related pro-environmental behavior of employees (EPB) in the hospitality sector of a developing country (Pakistan). To understand the underlying mechanism of this relationship, this study proposes the mediating role of green intrinsic motivation (GIM) and the moderating role of human emotions, e.g., employee admiration (ADM). We developed a theoretical model for which the data were gathered from different hotel employees with the help of a questionnaire. We used structural equation modeling for hypotheses testing. The empirical evidence indicated that CSR significantly predicts EPB, and there is a mediating role of GIM. The study also confirmed that ADM moderates this relationship. The findings of this study will be helpful for hotel administration to understand the profound importance of CSR-based actions to promote energy-related sustainable behavior among employees, e.g., EPB. Other implications for theory and practice have been highlighted in the main text of this draft.

Stock Market Forecasting Using the Random Forest and Deep Neural Network Models Before and During the COVID-19 Period

Stock market forecasting is considered the most challenging problem to solve for analysts. In the past 2 years, Covid-19 has severely affected stock markets globally, which, in turn, created a great problem for investors. The prime objective of this study is to use a machine learning model to effectively forecast stock index prices in three time frames: the whole period, the pre-Covid-19 period, and the Covid-19 period. The model accuracy testing results of mean absolute error, root mean square error, mean absolute percentage error, and r2 suggest that the proposed machine learning models autoregressive deep neural network (AR-DNN(1, 3, 10)), autoregressive deep neural network (AR-DNN(3, 3, 10)), and autoregressive random forest (AR-RF(1)) are the best forecasting models for stock index price forecasting for the whole period, for the pre-Covid-19 period, and during the Covid-19 period, respectively, under high stock price fluctuations compared to traditional time-series forecasting models such as autoregressive moving average models. In particular, AR-DNN(1, 3, 10) is suggested when the number of observations is large, whereas AR-RF(1) is suggested for a series with a low number of observations. Our study has a practical implication as they can be used by investors and policy makers in their investment decisions and in formulating financial decisions and policies, respectively.

Investigating the Effects of Capital Structure and Corporate Governance on Firm Performance: An Analysis of the Sugar Industry

The objective of this paper is to investigate the impact of capital structure and corporate governance on firm performance. To test the hypothesis of study, data was collected from annual reports of sugar sector companies listed in PSX. This study data covers from 2015 to 2020. The results of study showed that both proxies of capital structure, i.e., D/A and D/E negatively influence the company performance. Whereas two out of three proxies of corporate governance, i.e., board size and chairman/CEO duality negatively indicate association with company performance while audit committee size has a positive impact on the company performance.

Monitoring and Efficiency in Governance: A Measure for Sustainability in the Islamic Banking Industry

Corporate governance is a set of rules, regulations, procedures, processes, and practices through which an organization is controlled and directed. The present study aimed to examine the monitoring methods used in Islamic banking, including standardized measures for better performance, an individual's aptitude towards Islamic financial markets, risk propensity, and the level of efficiency of the Islamic banking industry in Pakistan and Malaysia. There is room to improve monitoring systems for Islamic banking operations and standardized measures could improve efficiency, leading to more sustainable performance. The study uses a self-developed semi-structured scale based on literature and expert interviews, after content and context validity to gain a wide range of diverse information. In Pakistan and Malaysia, individuals' perceptions are different because of differences in the banking environment and preferences. Eventually, the Islamic banking growth rate may differ in Pakistan and Malaysia. Thus, there should be regular monitoring to improve banking performance. Similarly, standardized measures for Islamic banking operations and governance performance in Pakistan and Malaysia will result in more sustainable performance. The antecedents of Islamic corporate governance could be improved to enhance banking performance, which helps individuals make decisions based on available product information. The business growth of the banking industry is based on convenient monitoring policies, standardized performance measures, and, most importantly, excellent corporate governance mechanisms. Improved monitoring measures will further enhance these business operations.

Unleashing the Role of CSR and Employees’ Pro-Environmental Behavior for Organizational Success: The Role of Connectedness to Nature

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and an organization’s financial performance are well discussed in the literature. However, the role of employees to spur the financial performance, especially the mediating effect of employees’ pro-environmental behavior between CSR and financial performance, is not well explored. Literature also shows that connectedness to nature can drive the pro-environmental behavior of individuals. However, the role of connectedness to nature in a CSR–financial performance framework has not been realized. Observing the above knowledge gaps, the current study investigates the CSR-financial performance relationship in the SME sector of a developing country with the mediating effect of employees’ pro-environmental behavior. The current study also notes the conditional indirect effect of connectedness to nature in the above-mediated relationship. A self-administered questionnaire (n = 489) with a paper–pencil technique was employed for data collection. Structural equation modeling was considered to validate the hypothesized relationships. The findings revealed that CSR could lead an SME to a higher level of financial performance via pro-environmental behavior. It was also noted that connectedness to nature produces a significant conditional indirect effect. Such findings have seminal implications for the SME sector, which are discussed in detail. One important implication is to realize the importance of employees’ pro-environmental behavior, through CSR and connectedness to nature, to thrive the financial performance of an SME.

Exploration and explication of the nature of online reviews of organizational corporate social responsibility initiatives

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to comprehend the nature of online reviews received on various social networking sites and internet-based platforms regrading organizational corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

Design/methodology/approach

Given the novelty of this field, a qualitative exploratory research study was carried out. For this research, 28 Indian CSR experts on online CSR reviews were interviewed with a semi-structured open-ended questionnaire for data collection. Thematic and relational content analysis was applied for data analysis. The data was analysed based upon the theoretical anchors of micro foundations approach, organizational egoism (reputational and economic) concept and organizational logic (instrumental and integrative) literature and stakeholder salience.

Findings

The study analysis indicated that online CSR reviews that organizations received on various social networking sites and internet-based platforms from different individual and institutional stakeholders were complaints, appreciations, observations and recommendations in nature. Online CSR reviews appreciated more of integrative organizational logic than instrumental organizational logic. CSR reviews present on online platforms valued organizational reputational egoism more than organizational economic egoism. The salience of stakeholders was getting redefines in Web 2.0 based online CSR reviews. Finally, micro foundations approach was becoming a more potent perspective in the CSR narrative.

Research limitations/implications

This research study was anchored in the micro foundations approach of CSR (Hafenbrädl and Waeger, 2017). This study ascertained those individuals did matter in organizational CSR narrative (Maak et al., 2016). Furthermore, how firms were evaluated through online reviews based upon organizational egoism (reputational and economic) (Casali, 2011; Casali and Day, 2015) and organizational logic (instrumental and integrative) (Seele and Lock, 2015; Liu, 2013; Gao and Bansal, 2013; Bansal and Song, 2017) was studied. Finally, in the world of online reviews, the notion of salient stakeholders (Mitchell et al., 2011; Magness, 2008) was getting redefined, and this aspect was also covered in this research study.

Practical implications

Firms have been engaging in CSR initiatives towards provision of social benefits and community engagement. Regarding firm CSR initiatives, CSR managers traditionally used to receive feedback from the stakeholders based upon written and special surveys conducted post or during the late stages of CSR engagement. The advent and ubiquitous presence of digital mobile devices and Web 2.0-enabled internet connections altered the way firms received feedback. This was because increasingly online reviews were received from stakeholders on firm CSR web pages, social networking sites and other online spaces. Many of the online CSR reviews were regarding the compliments and achievements that the CSR initiatives had achieved. However, a significant portion of online CSR reviews were regarding the complaints regarding the CSR initiatives. Online CSR reviews received from an array of stakeholders are inputs for firm managers. Online CSR reviews are thus an asset for an organization. Managers need to develop capabilities towards applying this asset for the expressed purposed. These online CSR reviews could be used as inputs to draw new CSR initiatives, redefine extant CSR initiatives. Furthermore, these online CSR reviews could be used as inputs to alter the organizational resources, capabilities, competencies and process regarding CSR initiatives.

Originality/value

This was one of the first studies that integrated the theoretical aspects of salient stakeholders, organizational logic, organizational egoism through the lens of micro foundations approach in the context of organizational CSR initiatives. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this was indeed a novel contribution, as the same was explored and explicated based upon online CSR reviews on internet-based platforms.

Scientometric Analysis of Research on Corporate Social Responsibility

This work shows how Corporative Social Responsibility (CSR) has been filtering into different management areas, providing an insight into its evolution, and presenting literature reviews and efforts to incorporate conceptualisations and recommendations on its application. It can be understood through a scientometric and bibliometric analysis, using the WoS documents on the “Social Responsibility” concept in the “Business and Economics” category, analysing a total of 8728 papers up to the year 2020. In this work, CSR is associated with views from different fields of study in economics and business, highlighting diverse management fields; it seeks to explain the correlation between CSR and concepts from such fields of study, suggesting that there is a need to order and question the current understanding of CSR and show its relevance so it can be considered an area of specialisation within the management of businesses.

Proposing Employee Level CSR as an Enabler for Economic Performance: The Role of Work Engagement and Quality of Work-Life

The aim of the current research is to foster the economic performance of a hotel enterprise through employee-level corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities with the mediating effect of work engagement (W.E) and quality of work-life (QWL). A hypothesized model was developed for this purpose. The data were collected from the hotel employees of a developing economy (n = 396). The hypothesized relations were tested by employing the structural equation modeling technique. The current work’s statistical outcomes validated CSR’s seminal role to influence W.E and QWL perceptions of hotel employees, which eventually contribute to the economic performance of a hotel enterprise. The findings of the current analysis have different theoretical and practical implications. To the extent of theory, the current work advances the fields of enterprise management and employee wellbeing from an individual-level perspective of CSR. Practically, the current study helps the hotel management to realize that a carefully planned CSR strategy not only improves the economic performance of a hotel enterprise through employees but also helps to fulfill its social responsibility, hence leading a hotel enterprise towards a win-win situation.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a Framework for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

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.

Unleashing the Potential Role of CSR and Altruistic Values to Foster Pro-Environmental Behavior by Hotel Employees

The hotel sector, around the globe, has a bad reputation due to its oversized carbon footprint. Therefore, this sector requires different approaches to improve its environmental management efforts. In this regard, the importance of employees' pro-environmental behavior (PEB) has been recently discussed to reduce an enterprise's carbon footprint. Reflecting this, the current work aims to improve PEB of employees as an outcome of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and altruistic values (ALV) in the hotel enterprises of an emerging economy. A total of 489 valid responses was collected from hotel employees, which were then analyzed through structural equation modeling (SEM). Different hypotheses were validated by employing SEM, and the results confirmed that CSR, directly and indirectly, via ALV as a mediator, improves PEB. The current work offers insights into the hotel industry for improving its environmental footprint through CSR and ALV. Moreover, academically, the current work advances the literature on CSR and environmental management from the perspective of hotel enterprises and by highlighting the role of individual values, especially ALV.

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.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Pro-Environmental Behavior of the Individuals from the Perspective of Protection Motivation Theory

Several research studies have investigated the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and pro-environmental behavior of individuals in the industrial context (considering the employees as individuals) while ignoring the non-industrial context. Climate change and related issues associated with the interaction of humans with the environment are of great importance in today’s context, hence, it is equally important to test such a relationship in a non-industrial context. Therefore, the current study aims to investigate the relationship between CSR and pro-environmental behavior of students (SPEB) in the higher education sector of Pakistan. Given that university students are more inclined to act pro-environmentally, as they partake in different climate change activities and are part of the debate on the global environmental crisis, considering this sector to promote SPEB is of the utmost importance. The current study also proposes emotional affinity towards students (EATN) as a mediator between the proposed relationship. The current study data were collected from university students (n = 656) studying in different universities of Pakistan. The results were validated by employing the structural equation modeling technique (SEM). The results confirmed that there exists a positive association between CSR perception of a university and SPEB, and EATN partially mediates this relationship. The findings of the current study will be helpful to the higher education policymakers in Pakistan to mitigate the country’s environmental footprint by promoting the sustainable behavior of students as an outcome of CSR. Moreover, these findings will also be helpful to the academia for policymaking pertinent to educational governance.

Improving Firm's Economic and Environmental Performance Through the Sustainable and Innovative Environment: Evidence From an Emerging Economy

Businesses in the present era are dealing with a complex and unprecedented brew of social, environmental, and technological trends. This requires sophisticated, sustainability-based management. Yet organizations are often reluctant to place sustainability core to their business strategies with the mistaken belief that the costs associated with environmental investments outweigh the benefits. The Global Climate Risk Index has placed Pakistan on 5th position in the list of nations, most susceptible to climate change in its recent report. Pakistan lost the lives of 9,989 people, incurred economic losses of $ 3.8 billion, and faced 152 shocking climates between 1999 and 2018. Based on this information, it is established that Pakistan's susceptibility to climate change is growing unprecedentedly and industrial pollution is one of the biggest contributors in this respect. The country needs to take emergency measures to address this issue. With this background, the present study aims to investigate the impact of environmental sustainability on environmental and economic performance (EP) with the mediating effect of environmental innovation (EI) in the manufacturing sector of Pakistan. The results show that environmental sustainability is a significant predictor of environmental performance and EP and EI mediates this relationship. The findings of the present study provide better insights to policymakers to address the environmental degradation, resulting from industrial pollution.

CSR and Workplace Autonomy as Enablers of Workplace Innovation in SMEs through Employees: Extending the Boundary Conditions of Self-Determination Theory

The current business environment characterized by high uncertainty, volatility, and stiff situation of competitiveness that is evident in almost every sector has increased the importance of workplace innovation for contemporary businesses. In this regard, a considerable attention in realizing employees of an organization as a source of innovation is not evident from the existing literature. In this aspect, the current study is an attempt to foster workplace innovation through employees in the SME sector of an emerging economy. In doing so, the authors propose that corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives of an SME, along with workplace autonomy, are helpful in creating an environment at the workplace that fosters innovative employee behavior (IEB). Furthermore, the current study also extends the boundary condition of the theory of self-determination by arguing that this theory provides a comprehensive framework to explain employees’ motivation for workplace innovation. The data of the current survey was obtained from the SME sector situated in two large cities of a developing country through a self-administered questionnaire which was then analyzed through structural-equation-modeling (SEM) using the AMOS software. The results confirmed that CSR directly relates to IEB and workplace autonomy mediates this relationship. The study also discusses the implications of this survey for theory and practice.

The Impact of CSR on the Capital Structure of High-Tech Companies in Poland

So far, CSR’s role in the high-tech industry is not fully explained by academic research, especially concerning the most burdensome obstacle to firms’ growth: acquiring debt financing. The paper aims to solve this puzzle and investigate whether young high-tech companies can attract more debt by engaging in CSR activity. To address the high-tech industry specificity, we divided CSR-reporting practice into three broad categories: employee, social, and environmental and analyzed their impact on the capital structure. Our sample consists of 92 firm-year observations covering the period 2014–2018. Using a regression method, we found out that only employee CSR plays a statistically significant role in shaping capital structure. We did not find evidence for the influence of the other types of CSR-reporting practices. The results suggest that employees are the key resource of high-tech companies, and, for this reason, they are at the management’s focus. This fact is visible at the financial reporting level and, as we interpret results, is also considered by credit providers. In a more general way, our results suggest that firms tend to choose CSR based on the importance of crucial resources.

Exploring the Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility Communication through Social Media on Banking Customer E-WOM and Loyalty in Times of Crisis

Previous studies have largely explored corporate social responsibility (CSR) for organization-centric outcomes to achieve organizational performance, organizational commitment, or organizational citizenship behavior. However, the importance of CSR to achieve customer-centric outcomes is underexplored to date. Contemporary researchers have recently turned their attention toward CSR from the viewpoint of customer-centric outcomes. Therefore, the present study attempts to test the influence of CSR communication on social media and customer loyalty in the banking sector of a developing economy in times of crisis. This study also investigates the mediating effect of electronic word of mouth (E-WOM) with this relationship. The data of the present study were collected from different banking customers using a self-administered questionnaire. The empirical findings of this study validated that the CSR communication of a bank on social media increases customer loyalty, and E-WOM partially mediates this relationship. This study will be helpful for the banking sector to understand the importance of CSR communication to increase customer loyalty, which is very important for every bank in times of crisis.

The Relationship of Corporate Social Responsibility on Digital Platforms, Electronic Word-of-Mouth, and Consumer-Company Identification: An Application of Social Identity Theory

The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an ever-evolving concept in the field of business management. Even in 2021, its boundaries are evolving and researchers are linking the concept of CSR to different variables to achieve different outcomes. However, the concept of CSR in the healthcare sector is not well-explored in prior literature. The current study is an application of social identity theory to induce electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) from consumers for a specific brand, through its CSR engagement on social media (CSRS) and consumer-company identification (CCI) in the healthcare sector of an emerging economy. The data of the current survey were collected from different patients of four large hospitals in a large city through a self-administered questionnaire (paper-pencil technique). To validate different hypotheses of the current study, the authors employed the structural-equation-modeling (SEM) technique using AMOS software. The output of SEM analysis confirmed that CSRS positively influences eWOM, and CCI mediates this relationship. The findings of the current study will be helpful for policymakers in the healthcare industry to improve their understanding of CSRS and CCI, inducing eWOM through the lens of social identity theory.

The Relationship of CSR Communication on Social Media with Consumer Purchase Intention and Brand Admiration

With the advent of the Internet and other digital technologies, contemporary businesses from all sectors are using social media for communication with consumers to engage them meaningfully with a brand. However, the use of social media for corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication is relatively new to the existing literature. Likewise, the impact of CSR communication through social media (CSR-S) on consumer emotions and behavior is, to date, underexplored. To address this, the present research aims to test the relationship of CSR-S on brand admiration and consumer purchase intention. The study proposes a direct relationship between CSR-S and purchase intention with a mediating effect of brand admiration. The data were collected from the banking consumers of Pakistan through a self-administered questionnaire. The authors distributed 800 questionnaires and received 463 questionnaires useful for data analysis, so the present research study response rate was around 59%. The data were analyzed using the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique in AMOS. The results revealed that CSR-S is positively related to purchase intention (β = 0.233). The results further showed that brand admiration partially mediates this relationship (β = 0.079). The survey respondents confirmed that their bank’s CSR communication helps enhance their purchase likelihood and their feelings of admiration for their bank. These findings will help policymakers at banking institutions better understand the importance of CSR communication on different social media platforms to achieve consumer-related outcomes.

The Relationship of Sustainability Communication on Social Media with Banking Consumers’ Loyalty through e-WOM

Prior literature has largely addressed corporate social responsibility (CSR) from outcomes related to organizational themes. However, its importance for achieving consumer-related outcomes is something that has been largely ignored by contemporary researchers. Likewise, how CSR communication through social media can create positive emotions on the part of consumers has to date been under-explored. Hence, the present study aims to fill these gaps by investigating the impact of CSR communication of an organization through social media on consumer loyalty. The study also proposes electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) as a potential mediator between this relationship. The proposed model of the present study was tested in the banking sector of a developing country. The data were collected from a self-administered questionnaire and analyzed through the structural equation modeling technique (SEM). The results of the present study validated that CSR communication of a bank through social media directly and indirectly, through e-WOM, influences consumer loyalty in a positive manner. The results of the present study will be helpful for policymakers to better understand how well-planned CSR communication of an organization on social media can lead towards better consumer-related outcomes such as consumer loyalty and e-WOM.

Using Social Media as a Medium for CSR Communication, to Induce Consumer–Brand Relationship in the Banking Sector of a Developing Economy

Social media has emerged as a flexible and interactive communication medium in the present digital era. Contemporary businesses use social media to achieve different communication objectives. However, using social media as a communication medium for corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication with stakeholders like, consumers is not well-explored in the existing literature. Furthermore, prior studies have also failed to consider the blend of CSR communication and social media to achieve consumer-related outcomes, for example, their loyalty and purchase likelihood. To this end, the objective of this study is to examine the relationship of the CSR communication of a bank through social media with consumer loyalty and purchase intention. The current study also proposes brand admiration as a potential mediator between this relationship. The data were collected from the banking consumers through a self-administered questionnaire in a developing economy. The data were analyzed through the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique using AMOS software. The results of the current survey confirmed that CSR communication of a bank on social media has direct and indirect, via brand admiration, relations with consumer loyalty, and purchase intentions. The outcomes of this survey will be helpful for the policymakers to understand the importance of CSR communication on social media to enhance the loyalty, and purchase intention of banking consumers.

The Relationship between CSR Communication on Social Media, Purchase Intention, and E-WOM in the Banking Sector of an Emerging Economy

Modern businesses in the present digital age are facing different challenges for survival and growth due to the stiff competitive environment that prevails almost in every sector. Technology, especially digital technology, has changed the way of doing business around the globe. Marketers need to develop new strategies by incorporating the element of digital technology to overrun their competitors, as conventional competitive strategies will not produce extraordinaryresults. The rise of social media, in this regard, is a game-changer in the context of marketing as it provides a strategic touchpoint to the marketers to involve the customers with a brand. Prior research has largely ignored the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices of a brand and positive customer experiences. Hence the present study aims to test the relationship of customer-related CSR activities on social media on behavioral consequences of customers, such as their purchase likelihood and electronic word of mouth (E-WOM). The data were collected from the banking customers of a developing economy and were analyzed through structural equation modeling in AMOS software. The results revealed that customer-related CSR activitieson social mediainfluence customer behavioral outcomes like E-WOM and purchase intentions. The result also revealed that brand attitude mediates the relationship between customer-related CSR, E-WOM, and purchase intentions. The findings of the present study can help policymakers to understand the importance of CSRpractices from the perspective of marketing, which is largely ignored by contemporary CSR researchers.