Personal values as drivers of socially responsible investments: a moderation analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manjit Singh ◽  
Manju Mittal ◽  
Pooja Mehta ◽  
Himanshu Singla
Keyword(s):  
Personal Values ◽  
Complex Model ◽  
Environmental Attitude ◽  
Indian Culture ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Moderation Analysis ◽  
Socially Responsible Investments ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe present study attempts to analyze if personal values, namely collectivism, materialism and environment attitude, have an impact on attitude to invest in socially responsible investments (SRIs). Second, it examines the impact of attitude on SRI intention which may further be moderated by religiosity beliefs. Third, the moderated relation is further tested separately for two groups of gender.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses cross-sectional data collected from 534 north Indian retail investors. PLS–SEM has been applied in this study using the latest version of SmartPLS (v. 3.2.9) software to examine the complex model of moderation analysis.FindingsThe results of PLS–SEM suggested that collectivism, materialism and environment attitude significantly influenced attitude which further led to SRI intention. The moderating role of religiosity was found to be significant on the attitude–intention relationship. Further, a significantly higher moderation of religiosity was found in females as compared to males.Research limitations/implicationsBesides collectivism, materialism and environmental attitude, there could be other facets of an investor's personality that were not considered in the study. The present research was conducted in India, and Hofstede (1980) calls Indian culture to be collectivistic in nature, where the influence of pro-social and environmental concern on SRI intention is bound to be high; thus, findings need to be tested further at the global level.Practical implicationsCompanies and financial institutions can enlarge their investor base for socially responsible products by propagating tailor-made financial products that can keep the personal values of investors intact in addition to providing satisfactory financial returns. Female investors can be encouraged to invest in SRI by promulgating the aspects of morality and ethics in their marketing and promotion strategies; eventually, this will lead to an upsurge in the proportion of female investors in financial markets.Originality/valueThe present study contributes to the growing body of research in the area of sustainable investments. This research has contributed to building and testing a moderation analysis of attitude–intention relationship with respect to SRI by adding investor's religiosity beliefs and his/her gender as moderating variables to better comprehend the relationships under study.

Does implementing social supplier development practices pay off?

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 389-403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Sancha ◽  
Cristina Gimenez ◽  
Vicenta Sierra ◽  
Ali Kazeminia
Keyword(s):  
Economic Performance ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Social Performance ◽  
Operational Performance ◽  
Supplier Development ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is twofold. First is to investigate the impact of social supplier development practices on the suppliers’ social performance. Second is to analyze if the implementation of supplier development practices by Western buying firms pays off in terms of operational and economic results. Design/methodology/approach – Hypotheses are tested in a sample of 120 Spanish manufacturing firms using Path Analysis. Findings – The results suggest that while supplier development practices help to improve the suppliers’ social performance and the buying firm’s operational performance, they do not pay off in terms of economic performance. Research limitations/implications – The paper shows that supplier development practices help to improve the suppliers’ social performance while improving the operational performance of the buying firm. The study has two main limitations. First, because cross-sectional data are used, possible recursive relationships could not be accounted for. Second, the study is limited to the Spanish scope and, as such, results need to be interpreted in that context. Practical implications – The results of this study provide insights to managers with respect to the implementation of supplier development practices to make their suppliers more socially responsible. Furthermore, managers are shown the implications of implementing such practices in terms of operational and economic outcomes. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the existing literature on the effectiveness of sustainable supplier development practices by including the suppliers’ performance, which has been generally neglected. Objective measures for economic performance are also included.

The effects of materialism on consumer evaluation of sustainable synthetic (lab-grown) products

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 579-590
Author(s):  
Jessica Keech ◽  
Maureen Morrin ◽  
Jeffrey Steven Podoshen
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Evaluation ◽  
Positioning Strategy ◽  
Consumer Markets ◽  
The Future ◽  
Promotion Strategies ◽  
Alternative Sources ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The increasing desire of consumers for socially responsible luxury products combined with fluctuating supplies in consumer markets are leading various industries to seek alternative sources to be able to meet the needs of its customers. One possible solution that may meet the demands of the future is lab-grown products. Because these products confer multiple benefits, this study aims to investigate the most effective ways to appeal to consumers by aligning the benefits of the products with their values as marketers seek to find effective promotion for these items. Design/methodology/approach We examine the effectiveness of an ethical positioning strategy for two types of luxury lab-grown (synthetic) products among high versus low materialism consumers in three experiments. Findings Findings suggest that a positioning strategy stressing product ethicality is more effective for low materialism consumers, whereas the strategy is less effective, and may even backfire, for high materialism consumers. The impact on social status consumers perceive from a lab-grown product explains why this effect occurs among low materialism consumers. Therefore, marketers should take caution and use specific appeals for different segments based on values such as consumers’ materialism levels. Originality/value If lab-grown products represent the wave of the future, it is important to understand how consumers will respond to this emerging technology and how promotion strategies may enhance their evaluation.

Clients’ means of influence on mortgage valuation in Nigeria

2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 367-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chukwuma C. Nwuba ◽  
Uche S. Egwuatu ◽  
Babatunde M. Salawu
Keyword(s):  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Hierarchical Linear Model ◽  
Firm Characteristics ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mortgage Valuation ◽  
Research Designs ◽  
Client Pressure ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate client influence on mortgage valuation in Nigeria to establish and rank the means of influence clients employ, and the impact of firm characteristics on client influence. Design/methodology/approach – A combination of cross-sectional survey and focus groups research designs was adopted. Questionnaire structured on five-point Likert format was used to collect data from a sample of valuation firms in five Nigerian cities. Descriptive statistics, χ2, and moderated hierarchical linear model were used for data analysis. Findings – Clients’ means of influence on valuation are more of subtle approach than threat or coercion. The most prevalent means are respectively, plea for assistance, promise of continued retainership on banks’ valuer panels, and disclosing the loan amount. Client influence differs across cities; firm characteristics have no influence on client pressure. Practical implications – The research provides basis for valuation bodies to review practice rules and standards and seek for legislation for valuer independence. It can serve as material for teaching and training in professional ethics. Social implications – Biased valuations jeopardises credit risk mitigation process with potential for destabilising banks, finance sector, and consequences for the economy. Originality/value – The study provides empirical evidence of the nature of client influence across several major Nigerian cities. In contrast to existing Nigerian studies that focus on single cities, the study covers several cities. It therefore provides a broad basis for problem-solving and decision-making.

Leader positive humor and organizational cynicism: LMX as a mediator

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 305-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panagiotis Gkorezis ◽  
Eugenia Petridou ◽  
Panteleimon Xanthiakos
Keyword(s):  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Public Employees ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Cynicism ◽  
Member Exchange ◽  
Sectional Analysis ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – Leader-member exchange (LMX) has been proposed as a core mechanism which accounts for the impact of various antecedents on employee outcomes. As such, the purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating effect of LMX regarding the relationship between leader positive humor and employees’ perceptions of organizational cynicism. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 114 public employees. In order to examine the authors’ hypotheses hierarchical regression analysis was conducted. Findings – As hypothesized, results demonstrated that LMX mediates the relationship between leader positive humor and organizational cynicism. Research limitations/implications – Data were drawn from public employees and, therefore, this may constrain the generalizability of the results. Also, the cross-sectional analysis of the data cannot directly assess causality. Originality/value – This is the first empirical study to examine the mediating effect of LMX in the relationship between leader humor and employees’ perceptions of organizational cynicism.

Impact of values on the learning approaches of Chinese construction students in Hong Kong

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 481-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mei-yung Leung ◽  
Chen Dongyu ◽  
Anita M.M. Liu
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Personal Values ◽  
Value Systems ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Personal Integrity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Learning Behaviours ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of personal values on students’ learning behaviours. Hong Kong construction students are often criticized, by both practitioners and educators, as rote learners. To improve students’ learning processes, extensive research on a variety of aspects of construction education has been conducted. However, limited attention has been paid to the influence of personal values on students’ learning behaviours. The impact of personal value factors on the learning approaches of Chinese construction students in Hong Kong is investigated. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire survey was conducted to ethically Chinese construction students in four universities in Hong Kong. A total of 820 questionnaires were distributed and 431 valid returns were collected. Findings – The survey identified six influential values (namely, personal integrity, conservatism, determination, discipline, interpersonal relationships, and achievement), and shows that students who emphasize the virtues of personal integrity, determination, and a positive attitude toward achievement are better able to handle their interpersonal relationships, which will eventually lead them to engage in deep learning. Originality/value – Work to develop appropriate value systems is thus recommended in freshmen courses, as is the use of cooperative learning approaches. Such value systems will have a long-term influence on the learning approaches of construction students.

The effects of corporate brand symbolism on consumer satisfaction and loyalty

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 481-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiana Anisimova
Keyword(s):  
Social Life ◽  
Consumer Satisfaction ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Social Aspects ◽  
Consumer Loyalty ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Corporate Brand ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Role ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to test the effects of corporate brand symbolism on consumer satisfaction and loyalty on a sample of Australian automobile consumers. Design/methodology/approach – Survey research was employed to test the study hypotheses. The regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationships between an independent variable (corporate brand symbolism) and dependent variables (consumer satisfaction and loyalty). Findings – Support was found for all hypotheses formulated in this study. Regression results reveal consistent favourable and significant effects of corporate brand symbolism on both consumer satisfaction and loyalty. Research limitations/implications – Although this paper makes contributions in international marketing, the cross-sectional nature of the data collection method limits the information gained to the single point in time. This research studied the impact of corporate brand symbolism on consumers of one original equipment manufacturers (OEM). Having a larger number of participating car manufacturers/OEMs would have provided a wider insight. However, time and resources limitation did not allow to study a larger sample. In the future, practitioners are recommended to further understand the relationship between self and social aspects of brand symbolism in order to formulate more targeted communication strategies. Practical implications – The findings of this study point to the strategic role of the brand in generating both satisfaction and loyalty. In the light of increasing advertising costs and decreasing consumer loyalty, strengthening corporate brand symbolism makes a lot of economic sense. The findings suggest that managers need to take into account consumer need for identity expression and consider this in their branding strategies. Social implications – Humans are social beings by nature. However, international brand research has paid relatively little attention to how products are used by consumers in everyday life, including their social life. Consumer behaviours increasingly depend on social meanings they imbue brands with beyond products’ functional utility. It is argued the focus of symbolic consumption needs to be broadened and integrated more with social science concepts. Originality/value – This study captures a construct of corporate brand symbolism by including self and social aspects of symbolism. The current study also comprehensively measures consumer loyalty, including cognitive, affective and behavioural types of loyalty.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on autistic adults – a survey

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Conor James Davidson ◽  
Keri Lodge ◽  
Alwyn Kam
Keyword(s):  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Significant Deterioration ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Autistic People ◽  
Autistic Adults ◽  
The Impact

Purpose To date there has been limited research on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on autistic people. This study aims to present the results of a survey of autistic people (n = 51) conducted by a UK specialist autism team. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional online survey. Findings A total of 72% respondents reported either some or significant deterioration in mental health during the pandemic. The issues that caused most negative impact were uncertainty over what will happen next and disruption of normal routine. Respondents reported a variety of coping strategies to help them through the pandemic. Originality/value To date there has been little research looking specifically at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on autistic people. This paper adds weight to the evidence that the pandemic has had a particularly severe impact on autistic adults and includes useful information on potential coping strategies for this population.

Impact of social media usage on performance of construction businesses (CBs) in Abuja, Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luqman Oyekunle Oyewobi ◽  
Olufemi Seth Olorunyomi ◽  
Richard Ajayi Jimoh ◽  
James Olabode Bamidele Rotimi
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Interest ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Many construction businesses are currently building and keeping social media pages for their enterprises to be visible to the public to improve their social interaction, promote business interest, build trust and relationships with their targeted audience on social media. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of social mediausage on performance of construction businesses (CBs) in Abuja, Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach This study used a quantitative research approach by identifying constructs that reveal three aspects of organisation’s physiognomies that impact the process of espousing, implementing and using technological innovations in conducting businesses. Well-structured questionnaire was used to obtain data from 113 purposively sampled building materials’ merchant operating in Dei-Dei Market, Abuja, Nigeria. This study used partial least squares structural equation modelling technique to establish the relationship among the constructs. Findings The results of this study indicated that technology has significant relationship with social media adoption, whereas social media adoption has a very strong positive impact on organisation’s performance (P < 0.001) with respect to improved customer relations and services and enhanced information accessibility. Research limitations/implications This study has implications for CBs that wish to adopt social media to promote their businesses by presenting to them the opportunity to understand the impact of technology, environment and organisational potential in improving business performance. This study is cross-sectional in nature, and this calls for caution in interpreting the results. Originality/value This paper developed and tested a conceptual framework presented to understand the interrelationships amongst the constructs, which would be of great significance to business owners in developing their social interaction and promote business interest via social media. The outcome of this research is beneficial to researchers to further study how the different social media tools could help in influencing business decisions.

Understanding how social responsibility drives social innovation: characteristics of radically innovative projects

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Duygu Turker ◽  
Y. Serkan Ozmen
Keyword(s):  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Radical Innovations ◽  
Award Winning ◽  
Innovation Characteristics ◽  
Sustainability Challenges ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis study aims to analyze how corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives address sustainability challenges by focusing on the congruence between process and outcome variables of CSR.Design/methodology/approachFollowing a theory-driven model, a content analysis was conducted on 63 award-winning social responsibility projects.FindingsThe study reveals that the adoption of a proactive approach during environmental assessment, which manifests itself in a focus on emerging sustainability challenges with a deeper interest, affects the centrality of social responsibility initiative by increasing its learning and partnership potential and leads organizations to produce radical innovations.Practical implicationsThe findings provide a valuable understanding for practitioners on organizing the decision making process of CSR initiatives in order to unlock its learning potentials.Social implicationsRadically innovative projects with their higher levels of proactivity, centrality and generalizability are better than incremental ones at transferring and integrating company resources and capabilities to address emergent sustainability challenges.Originality/valueThe impact of CSR on society and nature has been a neglected area of literature. To reduce this gap, this study analyzes how the configuration of process variables shapes the outcomes of socially responsible initiatives on sustainability. It also provides a new typology on the relevance of CSR initiatives to company mission/model that can show how CSR can unlock organizational learning and innovation potentials.

Towards a more ethical market: the impact of ESG rating on corporate financial performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Landi ◽  
Mauro Sciarelli
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Corporate Social Performance ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Social Performance ◽  
Panel Data Analysis ◽  
Abnormal Returns ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper fits in a research field dealing with the impact of Corporate Ethics Assessment on Financial Performance. The authors argue how environmental, social and governance (ESG) paradigm, meant to measure corporate social performance by rating issuance, can impact on abnormal returns of Italian firms listed on Financial Times Stock Exchange Milano Indice di Borsa (FTSE MIB) Index, developing a panel data analysis which runs from 2007 to 2015. Design/methodology/approach This study aims at exploring whether socially responsible investors outperform an excess market return on Italian Stock Exchange because of their investment behavior, testing statistically the relationship between the yearly ESG assessment issued by Standard Ethics Agency on FTSE MIB’s companies and their abnormal returns. To verify the impact of an ESG Rating on a company’s abnormal return, the authors developed a panel data analysis through a Fixed Effects Model. They measured abnormal returns via Fama–French approach, running a yearly Jensen’s Performance Index for each company under investigation. Findings The empirical results denote in Italy both a growing interest to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability by managers over the past decade, as well as an improving quality in ESG assessments because of a reliable corporate disclosure. Thus, despite investors have been applying ESG criteria in their stock – picking operations, the authors found a not positive and statistically significant impact in terms of market premium, when they have been undertaking a socially responsible investment (SRI). Practical implications The findings described above show that ethics is not yet a reliable fundraising tool for Italian-listed companies, despite SRIs having a positive growth rate over past decade. Investors seem to be not pricing CSR on Stock Exchange Market; therefore, listed companies cannot be rewarded with a premium price because of their highly stakeholder oriented behavior. Originality/value This paper explores, for the first time in Italy, when market extra-returns (if any) are related to corporate social performance and how managers leverage ethics to build capital added value.

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