IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jbrese/v66y2013i12p2581-2591.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

CSR and the national institutional context: The case of South Korea

Author

Listed:
  • Kim, Chung Hee
  • Amaeshi, Kenneth
  • Harris, Simon
  • Suh, Chang-Jin

Abstract

The different institutional contexts in which businesses practice corporate social responsibility (CSR) lead researchers to challenge the validity of the extant standardized global approach. This study follows recent studies in employing institutional theory to explore the specific pressures and factors that lead CSR practices to differ between countries, and how they lead to those differences. The study is a detailed qualitative analysis of CSR practice in South Korea, a country with very different value and governance systems from the US and UK where contemporary CSR evolved. Contrary to simplistic expectations, Korea shows a concern for short-termism more than for sustainability; and a normative more than a strategic orientation in its CSR, where CSR lies at a crossroads between implicit and explicit CSR behavior. The practices reflect many Korean institutional factors, but not in simple and direct ways. Institutional factors interact in intricate ways to create complex and dynamic pressures for CSR practice. CSR research needs to consider these interactions and dynamic processes with care and institutional theory can help provide a sufficiently intricate research framework.

Suggested Citation

  • Kim, Chung Hee & Amaeshi, Kenneth & Harris, Simon & Suh, Chang-Jin, 2013. "CSR and the national institutional context: The case of South Korea," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 66(12), pages 2581-2591.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:66:y:2013:i:12:p:2581-2591
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2012.05.015
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014829631200149X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jbusres.2012.05.015?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Isabelle Maignan & David A Ralston, 2002. "Corporate Social Responsibility in Europe and the U.S.: Insights from Businesses' Self-presentations," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 33(3), pages 497-514, September.
    2. Tim Andrews & Nartnalin Chompusri, 2005. "Temporal Dynamics of Crossvergence: Institutionalizing MNC Integration Strategies in Post-Crisis ASEAN," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 5-22, January.
    3. Jonathan P. Doh & Terrence R. Guay, 2006. "Corporate Social Responsibility, Public Policy, and NGO Activism in Europe and the United States: An Institutional‐Stakeholder Perspective," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(1), pages 47-73, January.
    4. Lounsbury, Michael, 2008. "Institutional rationality and practice variation: New directions in the institutional analysis of practice," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 33(4-5), pages 349-361.
    5. Lee, Hanjoon & Park, TaeKyu & Moon, Hyoung Koo & Yang, YongHee & Kim, Chankon, 2009. "Corporate philanthropy, attitude towards corporations, and purchase intentions: A South Korea study," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 62(10), pages 939-946, October.
    6. Peter Rodriguez & Donald S Siegel & Amy Hillman & Lorraine Eden, 2006. "Three lenses on the multinational enterprise: politics, corruption, and corporate social responsibility," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 37(6), pages 733-746, November.
    7. Andy Lockett & Jeremy Moon & Wayne Visser, 2006. "Corporate Social Responsibility in Management Research: Focus, Nature, Salience and Sources of Influence," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(1), pages 115-136, January.
    8. Goodpaster, Kenneth E., 1991. "Business Ethics and Stakeholder Analysis," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 1(1), pages 53-73, January.
    9. Moses Pava, 2008. "Why Corporations Should Not Abandon Social Responsibility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 83(4), pages 805-812, December.
    10. Bryan W Husted & David B Allen, 2006. "Corporate social responsibility in the multinational enterprise: strategic and institutional approaches," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 37(6), pages 838-849, November.
    11. Abagail McWilliams & Donald S. Siegel & Patrick M. Wright, 2006. "Corporate Social Responsibility: Strategic Implications," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(1), pages 1-18, January.
    12. Laura Albareda & Tamyko Ysa & Josep M. Lozano & Heike Roscher, 2006. "The Role of Governments in Fostering CSR," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Andrew Kakabadse & Mette Morsing (ed.), Corporate Social Responsibility, chapter 7, pages 112-128, Palgrave Macmillan.
    13. Anne Tempel & Peter Walgenbach, 2007. "Global Standardization of Organizational Forms and Management Practices? What New Institutionalism and the Business‐Systems Approach Can Learn from Each Other," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(1), pages 1-24, January.
    14. Marie-Laure Salles-Djelic & Sigrid Quack, 2008. "Institutions and transnationalization," Post-Print hal-01891988, HAL.
    15. Eve Chiapello & A. Hurand, 2011. "Contribution," Post-Print hal-00681170, HAL.
    16. Ingenbleek, Paul & Binnekamp, Menno & Goddijn, Silvia, 2007. "Setting standards for CSR: A comparative case study on criteria-formulating organizations," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 60(5), pages 539-548, May.
    17. Abagail McWilliams & Donald Siegel, 2000. "Corporate social responsibility and financial performance: correlation or misspecification?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(5), pages 603-609, May.
    18. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/2ilfdosc5a9umpcja7bbsturuq is not listed on IDEAS
    19. Ho-Beng Chia & Carolyn Egri & David Ralston & Ping Fu & Min-Hsun Kuo & Chay-Hoon Lee & Yongyuan Li & Yong-Lin Moon, 2007. "Four tigers and the dragon: values differences, similarities, and consensus," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 305-320, September.
    20. Brett Bruyere & Silas Rappe, 2007. "Identifying the motivations of environmental volunteers," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(4), pages 503-516.
    21. Becker-Olsen, Karen L. & Cudmore, B. Andrew & Hill, Ronald Paul, 2006. "The impact of perceived corporate social responsibility on consumer behavior," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 59(1), pages 46-53, January.
    22. Rudolf R. Sinkovics & Elfriede Penz & Pervez N. Ghauri, 2008. "Enhancing the Trustworthiness of Qualitative Research in International Business," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 48(6), pages 689-714, December.
    23. Bae, Johngseok & Rowley, Chris, 2001. "The impact of globalization on HRM: the case of South Korea," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 402-428, January.
    24. March, James G. & Olsen, Johan P., 1998. "The Institutional Dynamics of International Political Orders," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 52(4), pages 943-969, October.
    25. Andrew Kakabadse & Mette Morsing, 2006. "Introduction: Corporate Social Responsibility — Reconciling Aspiration with Application," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Andrew Kakabadse & Mette Morsing (ed.), Corporate Social Responsibility, pages 1-6, Palgrave Macmillan.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kudla, Nicole & Stölzle, Wolfgang, 2011. "Sustainability Supply Chain Management Research," Die Unternehmung - Swiss Journal of Business Research and Practice, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 65(3), pages 263-301.
    2. Dominik van Aaken & Violetta Splitter & David Seidl, 2012. "Why Do Corporate Actors Engage in Pro-Social Behavior? A Bourdieusian Perspective on Corporate Social Responsibility," Working Papers 319, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW).
    3. Wang Shuo & Gao Yuhui, 2016. "What do we know about corporate social responsibility research? a content analysis," The Irish Journal of Management, Sciendo, vol. 35(1), pages 1-16, April.
    4. Pei Sun & Jonathan P. Doh & Tazeeb Rajwani & Donald Siegel, 2021. "Navigating cross-border institutional complexity: A review and assessment of multinational nonmarket strategy research," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(9), pages 1818-1853, December.
    5. Figueira, Sandra & Gauthier, Caroline & Torres de Oliveira, Rui, 2023. "CSR and stakeholder salience in MNE subsidiaries in emerging markets," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(5).
    6. Upadhaya, Bedanand & Munir, Rahat & Blount, Yvette & Su, Sophia, 2018. "Does organizational culture mediate the CSR – strategy relationship? Evidence from a developing country, Nepal," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 108-122.
    7. Khalid M. Al-Shuaibi, 2016. "A Structural Equation Model of CSR and Performance: Mediation by Innovation and Productivity," Journal of Management and Sustainability, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 6(2), pages 139-153, June.
    8. Emma Avetisyan & Michel Ferrary, 2013. "Dynamics of Stakeholders’ Implications in the Institutionalization of the CSR Field in France and in the United States," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 115(1), pages 115-133, June.
    9. Mohammad Sohail Yunis & Dima Jamali & Hina Hashim, 2018. "Corporate Social Responsibility of Foreign Multinationals in a Developing Country Context: Insights from Pakistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-20, September.
    10. Ying Jiang & Xiaolong Xue & Chris K. Y. Lo & Hengqin Wu, 2019. "Corporate Ethical Responsibility in Management Research: Intellectual Bases, Focus, Salience, and Future," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-17, April.
    11. Park, Byung Il & Ghauri, Pervez N., 2015. "Determinants influencing CSR practices in small and medium sized MNE subsidiaries: A stakeholder perspective," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 192-204.
    12. Valentina Marano & Tatiana Kostova, 2016. "Unpacking the Institutional Complexity in Adoption of CSR Practices in Multinational Enterprises," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(1), pages 28-54, January.
    13. Scholtens, Bert, 2008. "A note on the interaction between corporate social responsibility and financial performance," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1-2), pages 46-55, December.
    14. Amal Aouadi & Sylvain Marsat, 2018. "Do ESG Controversies Matter for Firm Value? Evidence from International Data," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 151(4), pages 1027-1047, September.
    15. Wendy Chapple & Jeremy Moon, 2007. "CSR agendas for Asia," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 14(4), pages 183-188, September.
    16. Markus Kitzmueller, 2008. "Economics and Corporate Social Responsibility," Economics Working Papers ECO2008/37, European University Institute.
    17. Joern H. Block & Marcus Wagner, 2014. "The Effect of Family Ownership on Different Dimensions of Corporate Social Responsibility: Evidence from Large US Firms," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(7), pages 475-492, November.
    18. Carola Hillenbrand & Kevin Money & Stephen Pavelin, 2012. "Stakeholder-Defined Corporate Responsibility for a Pre-Credit-Crunch Financial Service Company: Lessons for How Good Reputations are Won and Lost," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 105(3), pages 337-356, February.
    19. Ruixin Su & Weizhou Zhong, 2022. "Corporate Communication of CSR in China: Characteristics and Regional Differences," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-17, December.
    20. Rui Coelho & Shital Jayantilal & Joao J. Ferreira, 2023. "The impact of social responsibility on corporate financial performance: A systematic literature review," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(4), pages 1535-1560, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:66:y:2013:i:12:p:2581-2591. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jbusres .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.