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Corporate social responsibility and classical competitive strategies of maritime transport firms: A contingency-fit perspective

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  • Yuen, Kum Fai
  • Thai, Vinh V.
  • Wong, Yiik Diew

Abstract

Drawing on path dependence theory, this paper argues that the financial benefits from engaging Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) are contingent on the primary competitive strategy employed by shipping firms. Survey data were collected from 223 shipping firms operating in Singapore and analysed using hierarchical regression modelling. The results reveal that there are greater financial benefits for shipping firms employing the strategy of differentiation (rather than that of low-cost) to implement CSR by virtue of greater mass in existing complementary resources (operational fit) as well as inherent congruency with customers’ value orientation (customer fit).

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  • Yuen, Kum Fai & Thai, Vinh V. & Wong, Yiik Diew, 2017. "Corporate social responsibility and classical competitive strategies of maritime transport firms: A contingency-fit perspective," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 1-13.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:transa:v:98:y:2017:i:c:p:1-13
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2017.01.020
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    1. Caiyun Cui & Meng Liu & Yong Liu & Bo Xia & Martin Skitmore & Guobo Han, 2021. "The Influence of Passengers’ Perceived Social Responsibility Efforts on Their Satisfaction in Public-Private-Partnership Urban Rail Transit Projects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-16, November.
    2. Lijun Tang & Victor Gekara, 2020. "The Importance of Customer Expectations: An Analysis of CSR in Container Shipping," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 165(3), pages 383-393, September.
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    4. Anastasia Christodoulou & Kevin Cullinane, 2021. "Potential for, and drivers of, private voluntary initiatives for the decarbonisation of short sea shipping: evidence from a Swedish ferry line," Maritime Economics & Logistics, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), vol. 23(4), pages 632-654, December.
    5. Zeeshan Raza & Johan Woxenius & Christian Finnsgård, 2019. "Slow Steaming as Part of SECA Compliance Strategies among RoRo and RoPax Shipping Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-19, March.
    6. Henry Schwartz & Tomi Solakivi & Magnus Gustafsson, 2022. "Is There Business Potential for Sustainable Shipping? Price Premiums Needed to Cover Decarbonized Transportation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-20, May.
    7. Liu, Jiaguo & Gu, Bingmei & Chen, Jihong, 2023. "Enablers for maritime supply chain resilience during pandemic: An integrated MCDM approach," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    8. Arthur J. Lin & Hai-Yen Chang & Brian Hung, 2022. "Identifying Key Financial, Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG), Bond, and COVID-19 Factors Affecting Global Shipping Companies—A Hybrid Multiple-Criteria Decision-Making Method," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-29, April.
    9. Yuen, Kum Fai & Li, Kevin X. & Xu, Gangyan & Wang, Xueqin & Wong, Yiik Diew, 2019. "A taxonomy of resources for sustainable shipping management: Their interrelationships and effects on business performance," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 316-332.
    10. Chua, Jie Ying & Wang, Xueqin & Yuen, Kum Fai, 2023. "Sustainable shipping management: Definitions, critical success factors, drivers and performance," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 72-82.
    11. Yuen, Kum Fai & Thai, Vinh V. & Wong, Yiik Diew & Wang, Xueqin, 2018. "Interaction impacts of corporate social responsibility and service quality on shipping firms’ performance," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 397-409.
    12. Anastasia Christodoulou & Kevin Cullinane, 0. "Potential for, and drivers of, private voluntary initiatives for the decarbonisation of short sea shipping: evidence from a Swedish ferry line," Maritime Economics & Logistics, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), vol. 0, pages 1-23.
    13. Bruce Gashema, 2021. "Predicting innovative work behaviors through transformational leadership:The moderating role of corporate social responsibility," International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478), Center for the Strategic Studies in Business and Finance, vol. 10(1), pages 69-84, January.
    14. Yuen, Kum Fai & Wang, Xueqin & Wong, Yiik Diew & Zhou, Qingji, 2018. "The effect of sustainable shipping practices on shippers’ loyalty: The mediating role of perceived value, trust and transaction cost," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 123-135.
    15. Kong, Dongmin & Cheng, Xu & Jiang, Xiandeng, 2021. "Effects of political promotion on local firms’ social responsibility in China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 418-429.
    16. Yuen, Kum Fai & Wang, Xueqin & Wong, Yiik Diew & Ma, Fei, 2019. "A contingency view of the effects of sustainable shipping exploitation and exploration on business performance," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 90-103.
    17. Yuen, Kum Fai & Thai, Vinh V. & Wong, Yiik Diew, 2018. "An investigation of shippers’ satisfaction and behaviour towards corporate social responsibility in maritime transport," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 275-289.
    18. Yuen, Kum Fai & Wang, Xueqin & Wong, Yiik Diew & Li, Kevin X., 2020. "The role of stakeholder participation and sustainability integration in maritime transport: A structure-conduct-performance analysis," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 44-53.
    19. Julen Castillo‐Apraiz & Jesus Matey, 2020. "Customizing competitive strategy to entry timing: Implications for firm performance in the pharmaceutical industry," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(6), pages 976-985, September.
    20. Olympia Nisiforou & Louisa Marie Shakou & Afroditi Magou & Alexandros G. Charalambides, 2022. "A Roadmap towards the Decarbonization of Shipping: A Participatory Approach in Cyprus," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-27, February.
    21. Huang, Xingyu & Zheng, Pengjun & Liu, Guiyun, 2024. "Non-cooperative and Nash-bargaining game of a two-parallel maritime supply chain considering government subsidy and forwarder's CSR strategy: A dynamic perspective," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    22. Martínez-Moya, Julián & Vazquez-Paja, Barbara & Gimenez Maldonado, Jose Andrés, 2019. "Energy efficiency and CO2 emissions of port container terminal equipment: Evidence from the Port of Valencia," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 312-319.

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