{"title":"The mediating effect of a firm’s corporate reputation and sustainability practices in translating CSR into competitive performance in Indian ESG companies","authors":"Ajitabh Dash, S. Mohanty","doi":"10.1108/sbr-02-2023-0045","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/sbr-02-2023-0045","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000This study aims to explore the mediating effect of the top-performing environmental, sustainability and governance (ESG) company’s corporate reputation and sustainability practices in translating corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices into competitive performance in an emerging economy like India.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000The hypotheses proposed for this study were validated using partial least squares-based structural equation modeling on data obtained from the chief financial officers of the 122 top-performing ESG companies in India using a self-administered questionnaire.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000According to the findings of this research, the relationship between CSR practices and the competitive performance of the top-performing ESG companies in India is partially mediated by corporate reputation and sustainability practices.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000The findings of this study indicate that the corporate reputation of a company and sustainability measures accepted by an organization can improve an organization’s competitive position. Because there has been so little research done on India, this study has the potential to be regarded as a pioneering effort. It can provide a foundation for businesses operating in India to improve their competitive advantage by emphasizing their corporate reputation and sustainable business practices in addition to the CSR activities undertaken.\u0000","PeriodicalId":44608,"journal":{"name":"Society and Business Review","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44129817","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Is scepticism a barrier to green purchase behaviour? Testing a comprehensive model in the Indian context","authors":"Ranendra Sinha, Subrahmanyam Annamdevula","doi":"10.1108/sbr-09-2022-0251","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/sbr-09-2022-0251","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose This study aims to intend to contribute to the literature by testing the effect of scepticism on green consumer behaviour through environmental concern, knowledge, value and willingness to pay more in the Indian context. Thus, the comprehensive model with new directions of antecedents of green consumer purchase behaviour and direct and indirect effects was examined using structural equation modelling. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted the hypo-deductive research design to test the proposed structural model. Cross-sectional data were collected through a predesigned questionnaire from the households living in Visakhapatnam city using a purposive sampling method. The proposed theoretical model was tested using structural equation modelling. Findings The results support five antecedents’ direct and indirect effects on green purchase behavioural intentions and actual buying behaviour, except for the indirect effect of green scepticism on green purchase behaviour (GPB). Similarly, scepticism is responsible for significant variation in GPB. Practical implications The present study’s findings imply the role of scepticism on GPB, and the policies of adopting green products need to be addressed. Green buying is an obscure task; however, it can be evident by adding eco-friendly aspects and persuading consumers of a win-win situation for themselves, the environment and the company. Originality/value This study adds to the field of knowledge by exploring and testing the factors affecting GPB, which was not emphasized earlier in the Indian context and second, by developing a theoretical consensus on testing the antecedents of GPB. The results strengthen the argument that scepticism is an antecedent that drives GPB.","PeriodicalId":44608,"journal":{"name":"Society and Business Review","volume":"2 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136161898","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Board attributes, ownership structure, and corporate social responsibility: evidence from A-share listed technological companies in China","authors":"A. Ma, Yiming Chen","doi":"10.1108/sbr-08-2022-0225","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/sbr-08-2022-0225","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000The purpose of this study is threefold. The first is to conduct a comprehensive examination of the various board attributes to corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting in the Chinese technology industry. The second is to investigate the impact of ownership and board attributes on CSR. The third is to examine the moderating effect of media reporting on the relationship between CSR and company financial performance.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000All A-share listed Chinese companies during the years 2011–2019 with 1,573 firm-year observations have been investigated for this study. The data are analysed by CSR metrics in the form of environmental, social and governance (ESG) scores using an ordinary least squares regression analysis and fixed effect regression models.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000The results of this longitudinal study reveal that; no matter whether the companies are state-own or non-state-own, there is a significant positive effect of board independence, monetary incentives, director’s age and board size on the CSR disclosure of the Chinese technology industry. Also, the results support the importance of CSR performance in promoting the corporate financial performance (CFP) of the technology sector. Specifically, media reporting has a positive impact on the CSR reporting of both state-own and non-state-own technological companies in China.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study based on the ESG metrics for analysing the CSR and firm performance relationship conducted in the unique setting of the state-own and non-state-own technological companies in China. The study is an attempt to fill the gap in the extant literature, which has a scarce number of studies focused on the influence of media reporting on the relationship between CSR performance and CFP. This paper not only updates the existing understanding of CSR performance by board attributes and company ownership but also explains the significance of media reporting in enhancing the CSR performance of the Chinese technology industry.\u0000","PeriodicalId":44608,"journal":{"name":"Society and Business Review","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41590031","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Assessing the role of materialism and gratitude in life satisfaction through IPMA: the mediating role of meaningfulness in life","authors":"Damini Saini, Radha Yadav","doi":"10.1108/sbr-03-2022-0066","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/sbr-03-2022-0066","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000This study aims to create a more humane and responsible workplace, individuals’ gratitude and meaningfulness seem of utmost importance. This study is an effort to understand the role of gratitude intent of potential managers.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000This study examines the psychological characteristic of business students in India. The researchers surveyed 333 Indian students as future managers. The collected data has been analysed with the Smart PLS 3 version to assess the formative-reflective scale by comparing model fit, measurement model and structural modelling.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000The results establish that gratitude significantly affects the life satisfaction of future managers. Findings also show that materialism is negatively related to life satisfaction and meaningfulness. The importance–performance map analysis finding suggests that meaningfulness in life is a potential indicator of life satisfaction for the population studied.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000Due to the limited research available on the psychological underpinnings in the Indian context, there is a massive value in examining how materialism and gratitude concurrently and distinctively predict meaning in life and the life satisfaction of future managers. This paper gives a formative explanation of the model consisted gratitude, materialism and meaningfulness in life on the life satisfaction of future managers. This study establishes the importance of meaningfulness of life in attaining life satisfaction for young managers.\u0000","PeriodicalId":44608,"journal":{"name":"Society and Business Review","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48179432","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Explaining media effect of green advertising on audience attitude","authors":"Utkal Khandelwal, T. Singh","doi":"10.1108/sbr-03-2022-0086","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/sbr-03-2022-0086","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose This study aims to establish two aspects: first, whether green advertising through multiple media (repetition versus reversal) generates a positive purchase intention than green advertising with a single medium repeat one medium at different levels of product involvement (high versus low level). Second, whether a green advertisement presented through multiple media influences green message credibility, green advertiser credibility, green advertisement credibility, green brand credibility, green ad engagement, attitude toward the green brand and green purchase intention (GPI) than a green advertisement presented through single medium repetition under different level of product involvement, green advertising, media effects, consumer attitude, purchase intention and product involvement. Design/methodology/approach 3 × 2 mixed factorial design is used to examine the audience exposure towards repetitive green ads on multiple media sources such as television, the internet and print. This has a more significant impact on environmental claims in terms of green message credibility, green advertiser credibility, green advertisement credibility, green brand credibility, green ad engagement, attitude toward the green brand and GPI compared to audiences exposed to the same ads on a single medium under high level and low level of product involvement. Findings The audience was exposed to several media situations, repeating green advertising, has a more significant impact on environmental claims in terms of green message credibility, green advertiser credibility, green advertisement credibility, green brand credibility, green ad engagement, attitude toward the green brand and purchase intention rather than for the audience who encounter a green ad with a high and low degree of product involvement in a single medium. Originality/value Only a few studies have measured media synergy effects, and to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no one has measured media effects on green advertisements. By examining different media combination effects of green ads on the audience, the knowledge of green marketing communication and its marketing strategies has been expanded.","PeriodicalId":44608,"journal":{"name":"Society and Business Review","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48712807","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Arnaut, J. Dada, Akinwumi Sharimakin, Mamdouh Abdulaziz Saleh Al-Faryan
{"title":"Does environmental quality respond (a)symmetrically to (in)formal economies? Evidence from Nigeria","authors":"M. Arnaut, J. Dada, Akinwumi Sharimakin, Mamdouh Abdulaziz Saleh Al-Faryan","doi":"10.1108/sbr-07-2022-0181","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/sbr-07-2022-0181","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000Several studies have examined the effect of formal economy (usually proxy by economic growth) on environmental quality; however, the symmetric and asymmetric impact of the informal economy on environmental quality has not been examined in Nigeria. Therefore, this study aims to explore the short- and long-run (a)symmetric effect of formal and informal economies and financial development on Nigeria’s environmental quality between 1984 and 2017.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000The study uses ecological footprint to measure environmental quality. An increase in ecological footprint suggests a fall in environmental quality. Informal economy is calculated as a percentage of GDP using the currency demand approach. Autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL), nonlinear ARDL cointegration framework and vector error correction granger causality are used as estimation techniques.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000The study’s outcomes establish the existence of asymmetric structure in the link between economic activities and the environment both in the short and long run. The asymmetric results reveal that positive and negative changes in the formal economy increase the ecological footprint in both periods. Hence, activities in the formal economy reduce environmental quality. On the other hand, positive and negative changes in the informal economy only positively influence the ecological footprint in the long run. In contrast, it negatively impacts the ecological footprint in the short run. This suggests that activities in the informal economy worsen the long-run environmental quality. Financial development has a positive influence on the ecological footprint, thus degrading the environmental quality. Furthermore, in the short run, a unidirectional relationship from the formal economy to the ecological footprint, while a bidirectional causality exists between informal and formal economies. Meanwhile, a unidirectional causality from the (in)formal economies and financial development to the ecological footprint was found in the long run.\u0000\u0000\u0000Practical implications\u0000The outcome of this study shows that both informal and formal economies contribute to ecological footprint; therefore, mainstreaming the informal economy into the formal economy will further increase the problem of environmental degradation and worsen environmental quality.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000The study investigates the symmetric and asymmetric effect of formal and informal economies on environmental quality in Nigeria, which is largely missing in the empirical literature.\u0000","PeriodicalId":44608,"journal":{"name":"Society and Business Review","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42854856","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Minhajul Islam Ukil, Abdullah Almashayekhi, M. S. Ullah
{"title":"Feeling compassion and responsible but not starting a social venture: role of empathy and moral obligation in social entrepreneurial intention","authors":"Minhajul Islam Ukil, Abdullah Almashayekhi, M. S. Ullah","doi":"10.1108/sbr-09-2022-0227","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/sbr-09-2022-0227","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000While compassionate and morally motivated people are theorised to be more likely to engage in activities that contribute to the social good, the literature provides contradictory evidence regarding the role of empathy and moral obligation in building social entrepreneurial intention (SEI). This study aims to clarify how empathy and moral obligation influence SEI.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000The authors used survey data (n = 307) from Bangladesh, a frontier economy, to test the hypothesised relationships between empathy, moral obligation and SEI by applying partial least square–structural equation modelling in Smart PLS 3. They then conducted a second study with a larger sample (n = 339) from Saudi Arabia, an emerging economy, to further investigate how the findings withstand in a different socio-economic context.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000The findings contradicted extant conceptualisations and revealed that empathy and moral obligation influence SEI indirectly through other individual and contextual factors, such as social entrepreneurial self-efficacy and perceived social support. The findings indicate that a person with a feeling of compassion and moral responsibility to help others will not start a social venture unless they feel capable and supported to start and run the venture.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000The study contributes to a contentious area of research in SEI by demonstrating the links between various individual-level (empathy, moral obligation and social entrepreneurial self-efficacy) and contextual-level (perceived social support) variables and their relationship with SEI.\u0000","PeriodicalId":44608,"journal":{"name":"Society and Business Review","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44487213","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Simple doable goals: a roadmap for multinationals to help achieve the UN’s sustainable development goals","authors":"Ishwar Haritas, Arindam Das","doi":"10.1108/sbr-06-2022-0167","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/sbr-06-2022-0167","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000This paper aims to present an approach for business organizations, especially multinational enterprises (MNEs), to pivot their focus from the United Nations sustainable development goals (UN SDGs) to simple doable goals (SDoGs) so that the probability of impactful and sustainable outcomes increases significantly.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000Through multilevel analyses, the paper identifies the current challenges in the firm-level implementation of the SDGs. Consequently, it synthesizes an integrated solution that can help MNEs create sustainable business models, contributing to realizing the SDGs.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000The sporadic and chaotic adoption of SDGs and ambiguous outcomes reported by businesses are due to the following: SDG adoption choices are driven by the materiality effect; the differences between the UN-defined government targets and business-level targets, often chosen by businesses on their own, make an aggregation of performances infeasible; lack of validation of the firm-level reporting leads to “greenwashing”; focusing less on business model transformation and more on reporting hinders the achievement of true sustainability; and lack of coordination and integration in actionizing among stakeholders limits the holistic change that the SDGs are expected to bring to society. Based on the Prêt à faire – Gestalt matrix, the proposed framework shifts the organization’s focus to the fundamental aspects of the purpose, strategy and business sustainability, and demonstrates how the resultant SDoGs effectively contribute to the realization of the SDGs. The matrix in the framework classifies an MNE based on its overall organizational readiness to seize business opportunities and helps pursue a course of action toward true sustainability.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000The guidelines from the proposed framework offer different strategic paths for the MNE to achieve parity, temporary advantage, and, finally, sustained competitive advantage. This transformative approach enables businesses to develop their roadmaps for achieving business sustainability and supporting the realization of the SDGs.\u0000","PeriodicalId":44608,"journal":{"name":"Society and Business Review","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41689042","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Evolutionary influences on corporate social responsibility literature: a review and prognosis","authors":"Varun Elembilassery","doi":"10.1108/sbr-05-2022-0136","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/sbr-05-2022-0136","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000The purpose of this paper is to understand the evolutionary influences on corporate social responsibility (CSR) literature at a global level and propose the future studies required to enhance the CSR literature.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000This paper combines the methodologies of narrative review and historical analysis. Drawing on the archival information, this paper synthesises data from multiple sources to bring out an enhanced understanding of the external influences on the development of CSR literature.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000The findings suggest that the CSR literature in the previous decades has been influenced by several management domains like strategic management, marketing management and organisational behaviour. The future research is likely to be more influenced by the perspectives of national business system, politico-legal context and practical considerations related to implementation.\u0000\u0000\u0000Practical implications\u0000This review paper presents a case for studying the practical aspects of CSR implementation and the changing nature of the external context of CSR.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000The paper offers unique value by combining different review methodologies and abstraction at a global level. This paper is a significant addition to better understand the impact of business events on the progress of CSR and the external influence on CSR literature.\u0000","PeriodicalId":44608,"journal":{"name":"Society and Business Review","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46689953","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Organizational incivility: a conceptual framework","authors":"Anselmo Ferreira Vasconcelos","doi":"10.1108/sbr-08-2022-0209","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/sbr-08-2022-0209","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000Overall, the purpose of this paper is to define and delineate the meaning of the concept of Organizational Incivility (OI) by examining its features, scope and implications. Furthermore, it depicts a set of research propositions aiming to guide future research.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000Toward this end, this paper draws upon the literature of workplace incivility, unethical behavior, organizational dark side behavior and corporate social irresponsibility, which have been examined through distinct theoretical streams and frames them under the lens of OI concept. The ensuing analysis focuses on some well-known business-cases and their tragic consequences. In doing so, it also argues that the OI concept provides a solid theoretically based framework about how uncivil mindset have been specifically shaped at the organizational level.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000Overall, it is proposed that OI is a by-product of conscious (bad) decisions in which the organizational leaderships are allured, at some point and for distinct reasons, to embrace moral disengagement and unethical choices. In doing so, the organizations overlook or neglect their commitments to society’s well-being and environmental preservation. As a result, the organizations start to play a dirty game without any sense of respect for those that rely on them (i.e. consumers and citizens).\u0000\u0000\u0000Practical implications\u0000The implementation of strict ethical codes and governance measures have proved not to be enough to contain the OI practices. In this regard, organizational leaderships should question themselves if their companies are truly aligned with a civilized conduct. In turn, government agencies, federal laws and institutions dedicated to preserve people’s well-being should play a more incisive role by identifying and stifling the organizational dark side.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000On the face of it, it is argued that a myriad of demonstrations of organizational dark side that are identified worldwide can be theoretically explored through the lens of OI and therein lies the major contribution of this work. More specifically, it demonstrates that incivility can go, in fact, beyond organization frontiers spilling over the stakeholders in a negative manner and damaging the interactions. Further, it also contributes to theory by suggesting that OI is a process carefully designed by the organizational leaderships to achieve obscure goals and/or darker purposes.\u0000","PeriodicalId":44608,"journal":{"name":"Society and Business Review","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48213253","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}