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How Do Strengths and Weaknesses in Corporate Social Performance Across Different Stakeholder Domains Affect Company Performance?

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  • Kamalesh Kumar
  • Giacomo Boesso
  • Giovanna Michelon

Abstract

The existing research on corporate social responsibility (CSR) has largely focused on the positive aspect of corporate social performance (CSP) and company performance (CP) and ignored the relationship between actions that would qualify as negative CSP (or weakness in CSP) towards a stakeholder group and company performance. Using data from the KLD collected over a three‐year period, this study examines the relationship between both CSP weaknesses and strengths and CP across individual stakeholder domains. Results of the study suggest that strengths in CSP related to primary stakeholder domains are associated with superior company performance. However, this relationship is tenuous, at best, in the case of the secondary stakeholder domain. As for weaknesses in CSP, the results suggest that if a firm performs poorly in meeting the expectations of one or more stakeholders it is penalized in the form of poor performance. This finding generally holds true for both primary and secondary stakeholders. Implications of these findings for public policy and businesses planning to address social issues are discussed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

Suggested Citation

  • Kamalesh Kumar & Giacomo Boesso & Giovanna Michelon, 2016. "How Do Strengths and Weaknesses in Corporate Social Performance Across Different Stakeholder Domains Affect Company Performance?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(4), pages 277-292, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:25:y:2016:i:4:p:277-292
    DOI: 10.1002/bse.1874
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    6. Khawaja Fawad Latif & Aymen Sajjad, 2018. "Measuring corporate social responsibility: A critical review of survey instruments," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(6), pages 1174-1197, November.
    7. Nicola Raimo & Filippo Vitolla & Valentina Minutiello & Arcangelo Marrone & Patrizia Tettamanzi, 2022. "Readability of integrated reports: Evidence from worldwide adopters," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(3), pages 524-534, May.
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    10. Mª Eugenia López‐Pérez & Iguácel Melero & F Javier Sese, 2017. "Management for Sustainable Development and Its Impact on Firm Value in the SME Context: Does Size Matter?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(7), pages 985-999, November.
    11. Giacomo Boesso & Barbara Fryzel & Marco Ghitti, 2023. "Corporate social responsibility and comparative capitalism frameworks: Evidence from the United States, Poland, and Italy," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(2), pages 531-547, March.
    12. Kyaw, Khine & Chindasombatcharoen, Pongsapak & Jiraporn, Pornsit & Treepongkaruna, Sirimon, 2021. "Do co-opted boards strategically choose LGBT-supportive policies?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    13. Woon Leong Lin & Chin Lee & Siong Hook Law, 2021. "Asymmetric effects of corporate sustainability strategy on value creation among global automotive firms: A dynamic panel quantile regression approach," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(2), pages 931-954, February.
    14. Usama Awan & Shazia Nauman & Robert Sroufe, 2021. "Exploring the effect of buyer engagement on green product innovation: Empirical evidence from manufacturers," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(1), pages 463-477, January.
    15. Jean D. Kabongo, 2019. "Sustainable development and research and development intensity in U.S. manufacturing firms," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(4), pages 556-566, May.
    16. Le Luo & Qingliang Tang & Juan Peng, 2018. "The direct and moderating effects of power distance on carbon transparency: An international investigation of cultural value and corporate social responsibility," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(8), pages 1546-1557, December.
    17. Roger C.Y. Chen & Shih‐Wei Hung & Chen‐Hsun Lee, 2018. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Firm Idiosyncratic Risk in Different Market States," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(4), pages 642-658, July.
    18. Sirimon Treepongkaruna & Khine Kyaw & Pornsit Jiraporn, 2024. "ESG controversies and corporate governance: Evidence from board size," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(5), pages 4218-4232, July.
    19. Kamalesh Kumar & Giacomo Boesso & Rishtee Batra & Jun Yao, 2021. "Cross‐national differences in stakeholder management: Applying institutional theory and comparative capitalism framework," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(5), pages 2354-2366, July.
    20. Jingyu Gao & F.G.H. (Frank) Hartmann & Min Zhang & Yasheng Chen, 2023. "The impact of CSR performance and CSR disclosure readability on investors’ earnings estimates," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(S1), pages 1157-1186, April.

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