What Holds Ethical Consumers to a Cosmetics Brand: The Body Shop Case

18 Mars

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Articles scientifiques

Increasing numbers of brands position having corporate social responsibility (CSR) as their founding ideology. This article examines what makes ethical consumers develop a loyalty to CSR-led brands, using a questionnaire survey of The Body Shop consumers. Contrary to some existing work in marketing, the consumer self-brand congruence on the ethical character did not have a significant impact on brand identification, with the exception of the empathy virtue character. The structural equation modeling of the data confirms that the citizenship image of the brand is influenced by brand identification, which in turn is influenced by the empathy virtue congruence. Ironically, in the case of The Body Shop, while the empathy congruence is the most important indicator for consumer identification and citizenship image, the gap on the empathy virtue was the largest. If customers with a high-empathy character see a CSR-led brand lacking empathy, consumer loyalty will be reduced. The managerial implications of the findings are discussed.

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Effects of local legitimacy on certification decisions to global and national CSR standards by multinational subsidiaries and domestic firms

14 Mars

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Linking social and economic responsibilities with financial performance: The role of innovation

14 Mars

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Publication date: Available online 11 March 2016
Source:European Management Journal

Author(s): Juan-Gabriel Cegarra-Navarro, Carmelo Reverte, Eduardo Gómez-Melero, Anthony K.P. Wensley

The research conducted in this study focuses on the role of a company's innovation culture in linking economic and social responsibilities with financial performance. Specifically, our study addresses the following two questions: Does innovation trigger the simultaneous development of both economic and social dimensions of corporate social responsibility? Does the simultaneous pursuit of economic and social responsibilities result in a higher financial performance? These questions are examined through an empirical investigation of 133 companies, belonging to the Spanish Social Environmental Agreement, using structural equation modelling validated by factor analysis. The results indicate that, although companies are using innovation outcomes to support both economic and social achievements, they are only taking advantage effectively of economic achievements to obtain a higher financial performance.

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Analyzing interdependencies between policy mixes and technological innovation systems: The case of offshore wind in Germany

08 Mars

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Publication date: May 2016
Source:Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 106

Author(s): Kristin Reichardt, Simona O. Negro, Karoline S. Rogge, Marko P. Hekkert

One key approach for studying emerging technologies in the field of sustainability transitions is that of technological innovation systems (TIS). While most TIS studies aim at deriving policy recommendations – typically by identifying system barriers – the actual role of these proposed policies in the TIS is rarely looked at. In addition, often single policy instruments instead of more encompassing policy mixes are considered. We address these shortcomings by applying a more comprehensive policy mix concept within the TIS approach. In doing so we analyze interdependencies between the policy mix and the TIS by shedding light on the role of the policy mix for TIS functioning and performance as well as how TIS developments influence the evolution of the policy mix. We explore these interdependencies for the case of offshore wind in Germany, using data from event history analysis and expert interviews. We find highly dynamic interdependencies with reoccurring patterns of systemic problems and adjustments of the policy mix, which are fuelled by high policy mix credibility and supportive actors. Our study constitutes a first step incorporating the policy mix concept into the TIS approach, thereby enabling a better understanding of real dynamics occurring in TIS.

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Determinants and consequences of employee attributions of corporate social responsibility as substantive or symbolic

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Articles scientifiques

Publication date: Available online 2 March 2016
Source:European Management Journal

Author(s): Magda B.L. Donia, Carol-Ann Tetrault Sirsly

Interest in corporate social responsibility (CSR) has grown beyond traditional macro-level research to also consider employee-level outcomes of CSR. This nascent stream has focused on the relationship between organizational CSR initiatives and employee outcomes within the organization. Distinguishing between substantive and symbolic CSR (i.e. genuine CSR vs. greenwashing), we argue that to understand employee outcomes requires identifying their underlying attributions of their organizations’ CSR initiatives and the process by which these differential attributions are formed. Integrating theorizing and findings from the organizational behavior, marketing, and strategy literature, we propose a model of employee attribution formation of organizational CSR initiatives as substantive versus symbolic to differentiate the positive outcomes to organizations when causally evaluated as engaging in substantive CSR, from the null or possibly negative employee outcomes when these initiatives are attributed as symbolic. Implications for practice and applications to management are also discussed.

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