The impact of corporate social responsibility on brand equity

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Yang ◽  
Kelly Basile
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Brand Equity ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
The Other ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Interaction Terms ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose Despite the significant investment in research on corporate social responsibility (CSR), there still exists a lack of clarity in terms of how different types of CSR activities lead to the outcomes a firm desires with their investment in CSR. The purpose of this paper is to provide greater insight on the relationship between types of CSR activities and brand equity (BE). The authors develop and test a conceptual framework, which examines the unique relationship between each CSR dimension and BE, as well as the interaction of product-related CSR activities and employee-related CSR activities with CSR activities across the other dimensions. Design/methodology/approach The authors collected data from multiple secondary sources, including Kinder, Lydenberg and Domini (KLD) Research and Analytics Inc., Interbrand, Compustat and CMR. The authors used random-effect estimations to estimate panel regressions of BE as a function of the different dimensions of a firm’s CSR, interaction terms between CSR dimensions and product quality and interaction terms between employee relations and other CSR dimensions, as well as a set of control variables and Year dummy variables. Findings Based upon a large-scale panel data set including 78 firms for the period of 2000–2014, the results show that diversity- and governance-related CSR have a positive effect on BE, employee-related CSR has a negative effect on BE and both product and employee dimensions play important roles in the relationships between other CSR dimensions and BE. These results have important implications for both theory and practice. Originality/value This study makes several contributions to extant literature on CSR and brand strength. First, this study examines the impact of CSR on BE vs alternative measures of brand-related outcomes. This study uses the KLD database to determine scores for firm CSR activity. It is the first to use the extensive KLD database to examine the relationship between types of CSR activities and BE. Last, this study seeks to better understand some of the organizational factors which influence the success of CSR outcomes. Specifically, the research will examine the interaction of product-related and employee-related CSR activities with CSR activities across the other dimensions.

Measuring the impact of corporate social responsibility practices on brand equity in the banking industry in Bangladesh

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 806-822 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Hafez
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Brand Equity ◽  
Banking Industry ◽  
Corporate Image ◽  
Brand Awareness ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe banking industry in Bangladesh is now conducting business under the growing pressure to conform to every aspect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) for the welfare of their clients and society. The value of CSR practices is attributed to the relationship between corporate image, brand awareness, brand equity (BE), competitive advantage and financial result. The purpose of this paper is to measure the impact of CSR on BE and to establish the moderating impact of corporate image and brand awareness.Design/methodology/approachStructural equation modeling was used to test the proposed hypotheses using a sample of 200 public and private bank customers in Bangladesh.FindingsThe results of this study demonstrated that CSR has a significant direct effect on the corporate image, brand awareness and BE. The results also confirm that corporate image and brand awareness partially mediate the relationship between CSR and BE.Practical implicationsThe findings indicate that successfully CSR practices will enhance a bank’s image in the mind of customers. Customers will feel that they are contributing to social causes because they are receiving services from socially responsible organizations. CSR practices also create customer awareness regarding the financial services provided by a bank. Consequently, good reputation and brand awareness contribute to building strong BE for banks.Originality/valueThis research shows the mediating role of brand awareness and corporate image with CSR and BE in the context of the banking industry in Bangladesh which is rarely studied. Therefore, the findings of this study will add value to the existing literature.

Impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) awareness, affordability and management system sophistication on CSR performance

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anura De Zoysa ◽  
Nobyuki Takaoka ◽  
Yuqian Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Management System ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Japanese Firms ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the impact of three key factors — corporate social responsibility (CSR) awareness, CSR affordability and CSR management system (CSRMS) sophistication—on the CSR performance of Japanese firms.Design/methodology/approachUsing responses to 36 items developed on the Global CSR standard of ISO26000, two CSR indexes were constructed to assess the CSR management system sophistication and performance of Japanese firms. The relationship between the three key variables (CSR awareness, affordability and management system sophistication) and CSR performance was then examined through a partial least squares (PLS)-based structural equation model. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey of 146 firms.FindingsThe results of the study found a positive relationship between CSR performance and three exogenous variables (CSR awareness, affordability and management system sophistication). Furthermore, the study found that CSRMS sophistication played a mediating role in the relationship between CSR performance and firms' CSR awareness and affordability.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was limited to examining the CSR practices of a major province in Japan, which may hinder the generalisation of the findings to the rest of the country. Moreover, the data used for assessing the variables in this study were self-reported by the participating firms, in addition to being cross-sectional. The findings of this study clarified areas that policymakers, including Japan's business associations–Keidanren and Keizai Doyukai, and other relevant parties need to focus on for further improving CSR performances of Japanese firms.Originality/valueThis study highlights the role CSR awareness, affordability and CSRMS sophistication play in improving CSR performance. On the one hand, it identifies the critical role CSRMS plays in mediating the relationship among CSR performance, awareness and affordability. On the other hand, it advances CSR theory providing insight for practitioners to generate positive CSR outcomes.

The relationship between corporate social responsibility and corporate reputation in a turbulent environment: Spanish evidence of the Ibex35 firms

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 563-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Luis Fernández Sánchez ◽  
Ladislao Luna Sotorrío ◽  
Elisa Baraibar Diez
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Financial Crisis ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Corporate Reputation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Current Financial Crisis ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Positive Effect

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to provide more knowledge about the model to generate reputation and its relationship in the long term with companies’ strategy of social responsibility. Particularly, research is done to test whether there is a positive effect of firms’ social behaviour (corporate social responsibility [CSR]), analysing differences of intensity and consistency, on their corporate reputation (CR) and whether the current financial crisis is a factor that has changed the relationship between both variables (moderator factor). Design/methodology/approach – This study uses a sample of 26 Spanish large firms of the Ibex35 index and covers an eight-year period from 2004 to 2011. To test the hypotheses of this research, a fixed-effects model was estimated using moderating regression analysis. Findings – The results obtained show that, for the Spanish Ibex35 companies, CSR practices according to their consistency have a significant positive effect on CR and in turbulent environments, as in the current financial crisis, it has had a significant positive influence on the CSR-CR relationship. Originality/value – Although a substantial number of empirical studies have examined the relationship between firms’ strategy and their performance, only a few of them have analysed the impact of the external environment on this relationship, whereby there is a need for longitudinal studies with different economic scenarios to achieve better knowledge of the CSR–CR relationship.

Corporate social responsibility and institutional investors: the intervening effect of financial performance

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shafat Maqbool ◽  
Nasir Zamir
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Institutional Investors ◽  
Decision Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe research on the role of corporate social responsibility in investors' decision process has proliferated over the past few decades. This paper aims to explore the mediating role of financial performance in the relationship between corporate social responsibility and institutional investors.Design/methodology/approachPanel regression was performed on a sample of 29 commercial banks nine years from 2009 to 2017.FindingsThe initial findings of the study show that that corporate social responsibility has a positive and significant impact on institutional investors. However, when the interaction term (financial performance) was incorporated, the relationship between CSR and institutional turns out to be neutral. The study concludes that financial performance plays a pivotal role in the selection of investment avenues.Originality/valueIn Indian context, there is a dearth of research work which studies the impact of sustainable practices on investors' decision process. This topic has received wider attention but lacks insights from developing countries, like India. This article presents a new approach to verify the relationship through the mediating variable (financial performance).

Impact of a retailer’s CSR activities on consumers’ loyalty

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (8) ◽  
pp. 793-816 ◽  
Author(s):  
Didier Louis ◽  
Cindy Lombart ◽  
Fabien Durif
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Brand Equity ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multidimensional Construct ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of the main dimensions of a retailer’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities (philanthropic activities, respect for the environment, respect for the consumers and respect for the workers) (e.g. Maignan, 2001; Brunk, 2010a; Öberseder et al., 2014) on consumers’ loyalty towards this retailer. Mediation (through consumers’ trust in this retailer and/or retailer’s perceived brand equity) and moderation effects (depending on the groups of consumers considered) are also studied. Design/methodology/approach This research was conducted on 547 consumers, representative of the Quebec population. These consumers were asked to select a retailer of their choice that they were familiar with (notably with its CSR activities) and to complete a questionnaire with regard to that retailer. Findings This research highlights that: the impact of a retailer’s CSR activities on consumers’ loyalty differs according to the dimensions considered (philanthropic activities, respect for the environment, the consumers and the workers), is fully or partially mediates by consumers’ trust in this retailer and/or retailer’s perceived brand equity and depends on the groups of consumers considered (the very responsible consumers, the local sceptical recyclers and the least responsible consumers). Research limitations/implications This research indicates that when CSR is considered not as an aggregate construct, but in terms of its dimensions, their impacts on consumers’ loyalty towards the retailer may differ or appear under certain conditions. Moreover, this research points out that consumers’ trust in the retailer is a partial mediator (for the philanthropic activities dimension of a retailer’s CSR activities for the very responsible consumers and the local sceptical recyclers) of the relationship between the dimension of a retailer’s CSR activities considered and consumers’ loyalty towards this retailer. Consumers’ trust in the retailer is also a full mediator (for the respect for environment dimension of a retailer’s CSR activities for the very responsible consumers) of the relationship between the dimension of a retailer’s CSR activities considered and consumers’ loyalty towards this retailer. Lastly, retailer’s perceived brand equity is a full mediator (for the respect for environment dimension of a retailer’s CSR activities for the three groups of consumers considered) of the relationship between the dimension of a retailer’s CSR activities considered and consumers’ loyalty towards this retailer. Practical implications This paper indicates to retailers that the dimensions respect for the consumers and the workers of their CSR activities do not have an impact on consumers’ loyalty. By contrast, for a retailer to be perceived by consumers as engaged in philanthropic activities or being environmentally friendly has a positive impact on consumers’ loyalty. Originality/value In this research, CSR is conceptualised as a multidimensional construct and the impacts of its main dimensions (philanthropic activities, respect for the environment, respect for consumers and respect for workers) on an important and strategic variables for retailers, loyalty, are highlighted. Moreover, this research also indicates that the impacts of a retailer’s CRS dimensions on consumers’ loyalty depend on individuals and may follow different paths (through consumers’ trust in the retailer and/or retailer’s perceived brand equity).

Corporate social responsibility, firm performance and the moderating effect of earnings management in Chinese firms

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2/3) ◽  
pp. 184-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Safdar Sial ◽  
Zheng Chunmei ◽  
Tehmina Khan ◽  
Vinh Khuong Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Firm Performance ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Earnings Management ◽  
Generalized Method Of Moments ◽  
Chinese Firms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and firm performance and the moderating role of earnings management on the relationship between CSR and firm performance. Design/methodology/approach The empirical study used the updated data set (3,481 unbalanced observations for period 2009–2015) from Chinese listed companies on Shenzhen and Shanghai stock exchanges. The generalized method of moments (GMM) statistical approach has been used for the analysis. The authors utilized STATA to test GMM on a sample of Chinese listed firms data over the period 2009–2015. The unbalanced sample obtained 3,481 observations from China stock market and accounting research database and CSR ratings provided by Rankins (RKS). Findings The results demonstrated that CSR has a positive and significant relationship with firm’s performance; also, earnings management has a negatively moderate relationship between CSR and firm performance. These results imply that a high value of earnings management, which results in high level of symbolic CSR, converts to low firm performance of the Chinese firms. CSR actions (only as symbolic measures) promoted by managers as a means to cover their profit management incite an adverse effect on the company’s performance. This study has highlighted the impact of two different corporate social responsibilities: substantive and symbolic (genuine CSR vs greenwashing) on firm performance. Research limitations/implications The results of this investigation will be of distinct interest to company owners who wish to ascertain the effectiveness of the sustainability decisions of directors and managers, and also to investors and public authorities to estimate the positive relationship between CSR and company’s reputation and image, and thus, the positive influence on firm performance. Originality/value Previous studies have generally focused on the relationship between CSR and firm performance. This study provides the impact of earnings management (measurement of both aspects of accrual-based earnings management and real earnings management) on this relationship. Furthermore, this study examines the state of CSR in the Chinese market and provides empirical evidence of this relationship in emerging markets.

The impact of corporate social responsibility on brand equity: consumer responses to two types of fit

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 435-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Guzmán ◽  
Donna Davis
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Brand Equity ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Brand Value ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Differential Effects ◽  
Social Cause ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact

Purpose A significant stream of research investigates the influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives on firm performance and consumer response to CSR programs. However, how CSR initiatives help build brand equity remains relatively unexamined. This study aims to demonstrate how CSR influences brand equity in response to perceptions of two types of brand–cause fit. Design/methodology/approach The authors analyze two types of fit between a brand and a social cause (disaster relief): brand value–cause fit and brand function–cause fit. Structural equation modeling is used to estimate the fit of the data with the proposed model. Findings Survey evidence from 370 millennial undergraduate students in the USA suggests that the two types of brand–cause fit have differential effects on attitude toward the brand and ad, which in turn influence brand equity. Research implications/limitations The research operationalizes brand–cause fit as a construct with two components: brand value–cause fit and brand function–cause fit. It tests these two types of fit and finds evidence for differential effects on consumer attitudes. Practical implications The findings offer practical considerations for managers about the importance of considering two types of brand–cause fit in selecting social causes and crafting effective corporate communications about the firm’s CSR initiatives. Originality/value Results suggest that it is possible for firms to craft desirable win–win–win strategies that build brand equity by investing in a strategic approach to CSR initiatives.

Do employees in a “good” company comply better with information security policy? A corporate social responsibility perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 858-875 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyungjin Lukas Kim ◽  
Jinyoung Han
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Information Security ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Security Policy ◽  
Rational Choice Theory ◽  
Information Security Policy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on employees’ compliance behavior concerning information security policy (ISP). A research model includes CSR activities as an antecedent of ISP compliance and as a mediator of the relationship between ISP compliance intention and the perceived costs of compliance. Design/methodology/approach In total, 162 respondents were surveyed from organizations with more than 500 employees. This study used partial least squares (SmartPLS 3.0) to analyze and examine hypotheses. Findings The results show CSR’s influence as a mediator in the context of ISP compliance. In particular, moral CSR can affect employees’ ISP compliance intention positively and fully mediate the relationship between the costs of compliance and ISP compliance intention. Employees would like to comply with ISP when they recognize the benefits of ISP compliance and the costs of ISP noncompliance. Originality/value This study examines influential factors on ISP compliance considering cost-benefit factors from rational choice theory. Moreover, the study contributes to ISP compliance research by being the first attempt to consider CSR in an ISP compliance research context. The results provide insights on how to strategically implement CSR activities in terms of organizational information security.

The impact of gender diversity on the relationship between managerial entrenchment and corporate social responsibility: evidence from UK companies

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 197-217
Author(s):  
Maali Kachouri ◽  
Bassem Salhi ◽  
Anis Jarboui
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Managerial Entrenchment ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to argue the relationship between managerial entrenchment (ME), corporate social responsibility (CSR) and gender diversity. Specifically, this paper aims to empirically examine the impact of board gender diversity (BGD) and gender diversity in top management teams (TMTs) on the relationship between ME and CSR. Design/methodology/approach This study uses panel data set of 300 UK companies listed during 2005-2017. Findings The results show that the positive relation between CSR and ME is more pronounced in companies where the level of women on the board is higher. However, women in TMT moderate this positive relationship. Research limitations/implications Women in TMT may be less responsive to shareholders’ preference for reduced company CSR concerns, but a higher percentage of women on the board can mitigate this effect. Originality/value This study suggests the dynamic relationship between CSR and ME.

The impact of corporate social responsibility on the risk of commercial banks with different levels of financial constraint

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Liem Thanh Nguyen ◽  
Khuong Vinh Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Risk Taking ◽  
Bank Risk ◽  
Bank Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Different Levels

PurposeThis research investigates the link between corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and bank risk-taking in Vietnam and introduces the constraint factor to see whether this link alters with different levels of constraint.Design/methodology/approachUsing a sample of commercial banks in Vietnam from 2008 to 2017, this study employs two-step system generalized method of moments (Sys GMM) with a finite sample correction mechanism to estimate the models.FindingsThe results suggest that CSR activities reduce bank risk-taking, and this relationship is only present in the case of financially constrained banks. Unconstrained banks, on the other hand, are more likely to invest in unnecessary CSR, thus reducing bank performance and increasing bank risk-taking.Research limitations/implicationsThe first implication from this study is that CSR activities might be considered as a risk-mitigating tool and should be invested in that respect. Secondly, regulatory units and investors should be more cautious about CSR expenditures since this type of spending could increase default risk, especially for banks with easy access to external financing. One particular limitation of this study is the low number of observations available for banks in Vietnam. Future studies could use texture analysis to expand the sample or consider macro-level governance characteristics to examine which factors might modify the relationship between CSR and bank risk.Originality/valueVery limited studies discussed the link between corporate social responsibility and bank performance and bank risk. There are even fewer papers examining the relationship between CSR and risk, and most of these papers deal with advanced economies. Furthermore, no studies investigate the interaction effect of CSR and financial constraint, which should be prevalent in developing countries on bank risk. As a consequence, the current study seeks to verify the impact of financial constraints on the link between CSR and bank risk.

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