bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Are the corporate social responsibility matters based on good intentions or false pretences? An empirical study of the motivations behind the issuing of CSR reports by UK companies
Authors: Idowu Samuel O. , Papasolomou Ioanna 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThis paper documents the motivations of modern corporations in issuing corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports to their stakeholders. It further demonstrates why these entities have suddenly become more moral or ethical.Design/methodology/approachAn empirical methodology was used to gather and analyse the required information from companies drawn from two sectors of the capital market.FindingsThe study results suggest that UK companies have different reasons for issuing CSR reports, for instance; in response to an increasing number of stakeholders requesting information on CSR, companies believe that doing so is good for business, to derive positive public relations benefits, to comply with the government's request for them to issue information on CSR, etc.Originality/valueInformation on corporate entities' CSR activities is considered to be valuable by both academic researchers and business managers as it provides a working framework on which future studies can be based. In addition, it improves understanding of the social obligations which corporate entities owe to their stakeholders and society in general.
The economic foundations of corporate sustainability
Authors: Steger Ulrich , Ionescu‐Somers Aileen , Salzmann Oliver 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to fill the void of empirical cross‐industry research in the area of corporate sustainability management and its business case.Design/methodology/approachNine industries (oil and gas, utility, aviation, automotive, chemical, pharmaceutical, technology, financial services and food and beverage) are compared in terms of their environmental and social issues, the pressure they face from their stakeholders, and the resulting business case for corporate sustainability. For this approach, a mixed methods design was employed featuring semi‐structured interviews with managers (sustainability experts, business managers from various functions) and external stakeholders); and self‐completion questionnaires (also targeting sustainability experts and business managers) to collect complementary quantitative data. It was possible to draw upon more than 400 interviews and 1,100 questionnaires.FindingsIt was ascertained that the business case is clearly sector‐specific and difficult for companies to build for several reasons: limited relevance of social and environmental risks and opportunities to companies' core business; numerous and highly‐fragmented stakeholder demands; and lack of basic organizational capacities to collect and process relevant data.Originality/valueThis paper is primarily relevant to practitioners. It looks beyond the usual “sustainability rhetoric”, as it provides a much differentiated (since cross‐industry) view on the drivers and barriers to corporate sustainability.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) perspectives of leading firms in Ghana
Authors: Ofori Dan F. , Hinson Robert E. 
Published: January 2010

PurposeCorporate social responsibility (CSR) research has blossomed in this new millennium. This has been due to: the increasing concern expressed by policy makers about corporate social responsibility; the pressure exerted on firms to demonstrate high ethical standards; and for developing countries, the increasing demands on their firms exporting to Europe and other western countries to document adherence to high ethical standards in order to be competitive. This study sought to ascertain and document the extent of recognition, nature and content of socially responsible actions by firms located in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a sample of companies listed in the Ghana Club 100 database, an annual ranking of the most prestigious firms in Ghana. The study adopted an in‐depth, exploratory and comparative approach in examining the CSR issues from the perspectives of local versus internationally‐connected firms in Ghana.FindingsThe key findings of the study were that, although local companies are familiar with the concept and do, indeed, practise some amount of CSR, they subscribe less to the contemporary notion of CSR; they are less strategic, less moral and ethical in their approach to CSR. Thus, internationally‐connected Ghanaian firms seem to have a better grasp of the various dimensions of CSR and how these could be used to business and strategic advantage.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research indications might be the fashioning of a CSR typology for Ghanaian firms and an investigation of the relationship between CSR and financial performance.Originality/valueReports findings in the first nation‐wide study carried out in the area of CSR and will interest academics and practitioners working in and on the area.
Board of director performance: a group dynamics perspective
Authors: Murphy Steven A. , McIntyre Michael L. 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThis paper proposes mainly that boards of directors (BOD) are teams that share characteristics with many other kinds of teams. As a consequence, some of the factors that lead to board effectiveness are the same factors that lead to team effectiveness in general. By integrating the organizational behaviour literature on teams with the governance literature, a comprehensive model of BOD performance is proposed.Design/methodology/approachThis conceptual paper proposes a model to assess the performance of a board and situates board performance as one input into firm performance.FindingsThis paper outlines the dynamic interplay between board characteristics, functionality and performance and proposes a comprehensive model, based largely on the group dynamics literature.Research limitations/implicationsSuggests that future research attempt to empirically address some (or all) of the items in the conceptual model. Acknowledges that operationalizing certain variables will prove challenging, but suggests that ethnographic accounts of how these variables (and potentially others) interact may be a valuable first step in more fully understanding board composition, functioning and performance.Practical implicationsIt is argued that by extending traditional passive agency roles, BOD may be able to provide a wider range of contributions to enhance shareholder value.Originality/valueThis interdisciplinary paper integrates the group dynamics literature with the governance literature to propose a comprehensive model of BOD performance.
The Chihuahua sustainability practice: lots of shivering but no real action. Practical sustainability acceptance is low in German and New Zealand firms
Authors: Mueller Jens , Klandt Heinz , McDonald Gael , Finke‐Schuermann Tanja 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThis paper aims to describe the extent to which corporate organizations in Germany and in New Zealand have included sustainability practices as part of their strategic planning process.Design/methodology/approachCurrent literature is reviewed to make a case for sustainability to be a driver behind corporate decision making and long‐term performance. The results of surveys of several hundred firms in both Germany and New Zealand, countries with a publicly stated commitment to sustainability, are reviewed to compare the adoption rates of sustainability practices.FindingsThere is a significant difference between what firms do and what their managers think is important. Managers largely consider sustainability practices an important factor for their future careers, while firms to a large extent do not include sustainability as part of their strategic or operational planning process.Research limitations/implicationsThe International Sustainability Acceptance Measurement (ISAM) collects data in several countries through local‐language versions of the same online survey tool (www.worldreply.com). The findings in this report are specific only to New Zealand and Germany.Practical implicationsThe paper points academics, corporate executives and sustainability fanatics to an alarming inconsistency between what is publicly reported as commitment to sustainability and what is practically achieved.Originality/valueThis paper adds value to the discussion of how sustainability practices have migrated into the operation of firms.
Ownership structure and corporate social responsibility disclosure: some Malaysian evidence
Authors: Mohd Ghazali Nazli A. 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to examine the influence of ownership structure on corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure in Malaysian company annual reports (CARs).Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a CSR disclosure checklist to measure the extent of CSR disclosure in annual reports and a multiple regression analysis to examine the association between ownership structure and the extent of CSR disclosure in annual reports.FindingsThe paper finds that, even among the larger and actively traded stocks in Malaysia, there is considerable variability in the amount of social activities disclosed in corporate annual reports. Results from multiple regression analysis show that, consistent with expectations, companies in which the directors hold a higher proportion of equity shares (owner‐managed companies) disclosed significantly less CSR information, while companies in which the government is a substantial shareholder disclosed significantly more CSR information in their annual reports.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample for this study comes from larger and actively traded stocks on the Bursa Malaysia. Thus, the results may not be generalizable to smaller and less actively traded stocks.Practical implicationsThe findings appear to suggest that the level of CSR disclosure in annual reports of companies depends on the extent of “public pressure” faced by each company. The results also raise the question of whether corporate involvement in social activities should be made a mandatory disclosure in annual reports to better assess the extent of “corporate citizenship” of Malaysian companies.Originality/valueThe study finds that ownership structure, which had been ignored in prior studies on factors influencing CSR disclosure, has an impact on CSR disclosure.
Wrestling with “conflict of interest” in sport management
Authors: Sherry Emma , Shilbury David , Wood Greg 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss how the relationship between sport and business has increased the complexity of ethical issues affecting contemporary sport management. Specifically, this paper seeks to define conflict of interest and how it is manifested in both business and sport.Design/methodology/approachThe paper provides a conceptual discussion of the issue of conflict of interest as it relates to the management and governance of sports organizations. Relationships between business ethics, governance and sport management are examined in the quest to understand conflict of interest and its prevalence in and relevance to sport management.FindingsConflicts of interest within the sport industry may have the same structural elements as those occurring in mainstream business, such as benefits, obligations and issues of trust, but it is the higher societal expectations and values placed on sport and sporting organizations that provide the key points of difference.Practical implicationsThrough collaboration with sport management practitioners, via inductive in‐depth research, a clearer definition of conflict of interest and the range of situations in which it may occur can be developed. It is through a continued research effort in this area that sport managers will be better able to both identify and manage conflicts of interest as they occur.Originality/valueIt is the lack of definitive examples or guidelines for recognition of an actual or a potential conflict of interest that appears to cause the greatest confusion within sport management. By drawing together the key concepts found within the extant literature, a clearer understanding of what constitutes a conflict of interest is provided by this paper.
PhRMA and the Partnership for Prescription Assistance: a win‐win situation?
Authors: Hemphill Thomas A. 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness (through the analytic prism of “corporate citizenship”) of the US pharmaceutical industry's political strategy behind the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, the program that the industry has recently initiated to address the prescription drug needs of senior and other low‐income American citizens.Design/methodology/approachBy reviewing data collected by PhRMA, the industry's association, over a one‐year period, the Partnership for Prescription Assistance program is evaluated for: performance (over periods of one month, three months, six months and one year); congruence with the concept of corporate citizenship; and effectiveness as an industry political strategy.FindingsDuring its first year of operation, the Partnership for Prescription Assistance has matched two million Americans with public and private assistance programs that meet their prescription health needs. Furthermore, the Partnership for Prescription Assistance fits into the corporate citizenship perspective, and offers the pharmaceutical industry a viable alternative (“industry political strategy”) to state and federal legislative efforts to establish prescription drug importation programs.Originality/valueThis article addresses recent efforts (in the form of the Partnership for Prescription Assistance) by the US pharmaceutical industry to counteract proposed legislation to allow prescription drug importation in the USA. The article provides evidence of industry political strategy success in the implementation of the Partnership for Prescription Assistance. This article will have value to pharmaceutical industry management, health care advocates, public policy makers, and business faculty whose research interest lies in the area of business and society.
Corporate governance, ownership structure and performance of SMEs in Ghana: implications for financing opportunities
Authors: Abor Joshua , Biekpe Nicholas 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThis study seeks to assess how the adoption of corporate governance structures affects the performance of SMEs (small to medium‐sized enterprises) in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachRegression analysis is used to estimate the relationship between corporate governance and ownership structure and performance.FindingsThe results show that board size, board composition, management skill level, CEO duality, inside ownership, family business, and foreign ownership have significantly positive impacts on profitability. Corporate governance can greatly assist the SME sector by infusing better management practices, stronger internal auditing, greater opportunities for growth and new strategic outlook through non‐executive directors. It is clear that corporate governance structures influence performance of SMEs in Ghana.Originality/valueThis paper provides insights on the effects of corporate governance and ownership structure on the performance of Ghanaian SMEs. The paper also shows the implications of SMEs gaining access to finance as a result of adopting a good governance system.
Integrating corporate responsibility principles and stakeholder approaches into mainstream strategy: a stakeholder‐oriented and integrative strategic management framework
Authors: Katsoulakos Takis , Katsoulacos Yannis 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to establish a strategic management framework that supports the integration of corporate social responsibility principles and stakeholder approaches into mainstream business strategy.Design/methodology/approachA top‐down and bottom‐up approach was used to develop the proposed framework. The top‐down approach focused on analyzing the main strategic management theories including social responsibility movements to identify complementary concepts and create a relevant topology. The bottom‐up approach was based on empirical research on the views of business companies on corporate social responsibility, a review of best practices and case studies mainly in Greece.FindingsThe paper describes a stakeholder‐oriented integrative strategic management framework linking the main strategic management theories across value, responsiveness and responsibility dimensions. A mathematical model is presented describing the synergistic development of advantage‐creating knowledge and advantage‐creating stakeholder relations in accordance with the criteria of the resource‐based theory.Research limitations/implicationsThe proposed management framework is based on the results of research projects and is not fully developed and tested. The approach will be refined, exploiting results from ongoing research including further empirical research and testing in business organizations.Originality/valueThe paper defines a novel conceptual framework extending the resource‐ and stakeholder‐based approaches by introducing two interlinked concepts: advantage‐creating knowledge and advantage‐creating stakeholder relations.
Towards strategic stakeholder management? Integrating perspectives on sustainability challenges such as corporate responses to climate change
Authors: Kolk Ans , Pinkse Jonatan 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe strategic management of corporate sustainability tends to be approached from one theoretical perspective in academic research and publications in mainstream journals simultaneously. In corporate practice, however, a sustainability issue has different dimensions that cannot be captured if only one such lens is taken. The purpose of this article is to develop a more integrated perspective, embedded in a stakeholder view.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses climate change as an example to illustrate how institutional, resource‐based, supply chain and stakeholder views are all important to characterize and understand corporate strategic responses to one issue. This is subsequently linked to the climate strategies and related capabilities of companies, reckoning with societal and competitive contexts.FindingsWhat a corporate climate strategy looks like depends on the type of stakeholders that a company manages more proactively, which is in turn determined by the extent to which these stakeholders control critical resources.Originality/valueWhile empirical literature usually adopts a particular theoretical perspective, this article has attempted to develop a more integrative approach on corporate responses to climate change.
Measuring the business case: linking stakeholder and shareholder value
Authors: Moir Lance , Kennerley Mike , Ferguson David 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to provide a detailed review of how to design and test a framework for assessing the impact of corporate responsibility on firm value.Design/methodology/approachBuilding on an earlier conceptual framework, this paper describes the testing of the framework on three cases within EDF over a period of some six months. The results of the workshops on the cases are then taken to show how to build on the earlier conceptual framework.FindingsMuch of the difficulty of trading off corporate responsibility with financial performance is due to a lack of detailed understanding of how corporate responsibility issues can affect drivers of value. The framework was validated but to be effective it requires detailed understanding of both corporate responsibility and financial management.Research limitations/implicationsThe cases were undertaken within one company and so the results need to be tested in other contexts. Equally the model is too complex at this stage to be rolled out across the group.Practical implicationsNevertheless the framework is designed to be used in business and indeed EDF have taken the results into their processes.Originality/valueThe paper sets out a detailed approach to linking corporate responsibility and business value in a practical way. The issue now is for businesses to find ways to apply the framework.
Towards a dynamic reinterpretation of C(S)R: are corporate responsibility and innovation compatible or contradictory?
Authors: Midttun Atle 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThis paper seeks to explore the interplay between corporate social responsibility and innovation and questions the premise, often underlying EU communications, that the two agendas are in general mutually supportive. In order to accommodate a closer fit the paper argues for a dynamic reinterpretation of CSR.Design/methodology/approachThis is a conceptual paper that presents discussions and conclusions at the theoretical level. It provides a brief overview of core parts of the CSR and the innovation literature and then analyses how the perspectives on the firm in these two literatures fit together. The final section raises normative and theoretical issues with respect to innovation and CSR.FindingsThe paper documents the difficulties of assuming that innovation policy and CR policy can easily be mutually supportive. While the assumption of compatibility and synergy may be reasonable for some types of innovation, and some types of CR, it can hardly be argued on a general basis. A core finding is the need to differentiate between complementary static and dynamic views. While much of the innovation literature is dynamic in its nature, much of the CR literature has traditionally been given a static interpretation.Originality/valueThe original value of the paper is that it highlights inconsistencies in the dominant static interpretation of CSR with important sides of the innovation economy. It also shows the way towards a more dynamic interpretation, but then also recognizing some of the important limits of CSR, even in a dynamic mode, calling for engagement from the state in certain types of industrial restructuration.
Developing a conceptual framework to identify corporate innovations through engagement with non‐profit stakeholders
Authors: Holmes Sara , Moir Lance 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe pressure on companies to position themselves as responsible corporate citizens has been identified as a key driver of the increase in collaborative relationships between corporations and non‐profit organizations, with innovation and learning recognized as benefits to the firms from such relationships. This paper attempts to identify factors that can foster (or impede) the identification and development of firm‐related innovations that result from engagement with non‐profit stakeholders.Design/methodology/approachThe paper reviews literature within the stakeholder, cross‐sector collaboration, and innovation genres, to examine business‐non‐profit relations specifically in the context of innovation generation.FindingsThe outcome of the literature review is a conceptual process model of cross‐sector‐collaboration. This identifies firm motivations, engagement conditions and intra‐firm factors that would appear to influence innovation outcome, and which would benefit from empirical exploration.Originality/valueThe paper begins to develop a framework for considering business‐non‐profit relations in the context of innovation generation and aims to further one's understanding of factors in the engagement process that can influence an innovative outcome.