scholarly journals An Integrated Framework on the Sustainability of SMEs

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (21) ◽  
pp. 6026 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Burlea-Schiopoiu ◽  
Laurentiu Stelian Mihai

The aim of this article is to investigate the relationship between the budget related to corporate social responsibility (CSR), Innovation and Training, defined as sustainable factors, and the financial results of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The investigation is made by analysing the financial results from a sample of 200 SMEs from the South-West Region of Romania. The findings prove that SMEs can use training and innovation to improve the impact of CSR on their sustainability with a focus on positive financial indicators. The findings prove that corporate social responsibility (CSRBi), innovation (InnovBi), and training (TrainingBi) as sustainable factors are significantly and positively correlated with the following indicators: profit (Profiti), profit per employee (ProfitEi) and total expenditure (Expensesi), and it is negatively correlated with debt ratio (DebtRi).

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anura De Zoysa ◽  
Nobyuki Takaoka ◽  
Yuqian Zhang

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.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (22) ◽  
pp. 6251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jae Mee Yoo ◽  
Woojae Choi ◽  
Mi Lim Chon

This study investigated the mechanism behind the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on firms’ financial performance while focusing on internal stakeholders. Although many studies have examined the effects of CSR few has empirically investigated the underlying process of the mechanism. In addition, previous research has rarely regarded employees as a link between CSR and firms’ outcomes, despite employees implementing CSR policies. This study explored the pathway of the CSR-employees-firm’s performance. Employee commitment was used to explain the relationship between CSR and performance, since it is an important employee-associated micro-level outcome of CSR. The results showed that CSR indirectly influenced a firm’s accounting profitability through enhanced employee commitment, as well as directly affected firm’s profitability. CSR increases employee commitment, which in turn leads to improvements in a firm’s accounting returns. The paper suggests that employees should be considered as an important agent for the effects of CSR initiatives.


2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 563-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Luis Fernández Sánchez ◽  
Ladislao Luna Sotorrío ◽  
Elisa Baraibar Diez

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.


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sayeed Zafar Qazi ◽  
Parvesh Kumar Aspal

Strategic managers are persistently accosting with the decision of switching the scared corporate resource for the community welfare to balance the shareholders’ and multiple stakeholders’ interests. Corporate houses are presumed to not only intensify the economic priorities of investors, but must also consider the community and environmental ramifications as well. Presently, corporations are in dilemma over whether investment in corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives will be a cost or gain from an economic point of view. For this purpose, the association between CSR disclosure and corporate financial performance has been empirically explored and also the company characteristic has been considered as a significant and interesting factor influencing the association between CSR and corporate financial performance. The prime objective of the present paper is to examine the impact of companies’ characteristics i.e., Age of company on the relationship between corporate social responsibility disclosure and corporate financial performance. Panel data regression statistical technique has been applied to investigate and analyze the relationship. The findings of the study reveal that companies CSR have significant influence on their financial performances.  But, on the other hand the company characteristic, age of the company has no significant impact on the corporate financial performance. The findings are found consistent with earlier studies, which validate the company’s venture in undertaking the CSR initiatives. The present study addresses theoretical as well as empirical support and inspiration for the corporations towards CSR initiatives.


Author(s):  
M. Shoukat Malik ◽  
Muhammad Nadeem

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on the Financial Performance of banks in the service sector of Pakistan. The data is obtained from the annual reports issued by the banks during 2008-2012. To verify the relationship between EPS, ROA, ROE, Net Profit and CSR regression models are used. The results show that there is lack of CSR in Pakistan and the regression model shows that there is positive relationship between profitability (EPS, ROA, ROE, and Net Profit) and CSR practices. The Financial institutions which implements CSR in their operations earn more profit for the long term periods.


2021 ◽  
Vol 251 ◽  
pp. 01045
Author(s):  
Feng Gege

Based on the big data of Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges A-share listed companies from 2009 to 2019, this paper uses fixed effect model to analyze the impact mechanism of corporate social responsibility on commercial credit financing. The results show that: there is a significant negative relationship between corporate social responsibility and commercial credit financing, and the degree of market competition positively adjusts the relationship between the two. Further research finds that corporate social responsibility will increase cash holdings and then affect commercial credit financing.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shafat Maqbool ◽  
Nasir Zamir

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).


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2/3) ◽  
pp. 184-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Safdar Sial ◽  
Zheng Chunmei ◽  
Tehmina Khan ◽  
Vinh Khuong Nguyen

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.


Author(s):  
Mimoun Benali ◽  
Jihad EL YAAGOUBI ◽  
Ghada MOUFDI

This paper aims to study empirically the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and financial performance (FP) in the Moroccan context. We opted for a longitudinal study of listed companies over the period 2012-2017.  We have used the accounting and financial indicators to assess FP. In the absence of an index which measures the score of the PS, we opted for a dichotomous variable which takes a value 1 if the company is labeled CSR by the CGEM and value 0 if not. Control variables are measured by size, age, risk, and industry. Panel data are used as well to analyze data. Findings of this study indicate mixed results. Indeed, we have found a positive impact of CSR on PF, when using ROA as proxy for FP. However, when using ROE as proxy for FP, we do not find any impact of CSR on FP (neutral impact). We found that ROS is linked negatively with CSR.


2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-61
Author(s):  
Brian Nicholson ◽  
Ron Babin ◽  
Steve Briggs

This article draws on the evidence gathered from a corporate social responsibility (CSR) research project in the area of global information technology (IT) outsourcing to examine the impact of liminality. IT outsourcing offers a novel context to study this phenomena, as it operates across the boundaries of both firm and country. The case study focuses on the specific project of a school in India, as the liminal space found ‘betwixt and between’ the client and provider of IT outsourcing services. Three stages of liminality are identified: separation (divestiture), transition (liminality) and incorporation (investiture); through the interpretive analysis of the empirical material. The construct of communitas is proposed for analysing the impact of liminality on the relationship between an outsourcing client and the provider. The understanding of liminality and communitas has both theoretical and practical implications, and contributes to the understanding of relationships and the wider role of CSR in global IT outsourcing.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document