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Motives for Corporate Social Responsibility in Chinese Food Companies

Author

Listed:
  • Dongyong Zhang

    (College of Information and Management Science, Henan Agricultural University, 15 Longzi Lake Campus, Zhengzhou East New District, Zhengzhou 450046, China)

  • Qiaoyun Ma

    (College of Information and Management Science, Henan Agricultural University, 15 Longzi Lake Campus, Zhengzhou East New District, Zhengzhou 450046, China)

  • Stephen Morse

    (Centre for Environment and Sustainability, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, UK)

Abstract

This paper explores the connection between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and food safety and how best to promote CSR in Chinese food companies by comparing two groups of food companies, one which had food safety incidents in the previous three years and one which had no food safety incidents during the same period. Managers of 498 food companies in 17 regions of China were surveyed. It was found that companies where the senior management gave higher levels of support and commitment to CSR and companies that had higher levels of CSR engagement had lower food safety incident rates. Motives for CSR engagement by food companies are the expected benefits that might accrue to the company including helping to achieve strategic objectives, improving daily management, ensuring food safety, improving internal cooperation, enhancing food quality, improving employees’ skills at work, increasing employee benefit and improving their morale, and maintaining business integrity. It was also found that the external factors for CSR engagement are consumer demand, as well as pressures from the government and from other companies in the supply chain. Finally, the paper makes a number of suggestions for improvements in policy.

Suggested Citation

  • Dongyong Zhang & Qiaoyun Ma & Stephen Morse, 2018. "Motives for Corporate Social Responsibility in Chinese Food Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-15, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:1:p:117-:d:125664
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    13. Muhammad Ikram & Abdul Qayyum & Omer Mehmood & Jahanzaib Haider, 2020. "Assessment of the Effectiveness and the Adaption of CSR Management System in Food Industry: The Case of the South Asian versus the Western Food Companies," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(1), pages 21582440199, January.
    14. Yunho Ji & Won Seok Lee & Joonho Moon, 2023. "Café Food Safety and Its Impacts on Intention to Reuse and Switch Cafés during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of Starbucks," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-11, February.
    15. María del Carmen Valls Martínez & Pedro Antonio Martín Cervantes & Salvador Cruz Rambaud, 2020. "Women on corporate boards and sustainable development in the American and European markets: Is there a limit to gender policies?," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(6), pages 2642-2656, November.
    16. Shiu-Wan Hung & Chiao-Ming Li & Joe-Ming Lee, 2019. "Firm growth, business risk, and corporate social responsibility in Taiwan's food industry," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 65(8), pages 366-374.
    17. Xiaowei Wen & Zhaohui Yang & Hui Dong & Xinqiang Fan & Yong Wang, 2018. "Barriers to Sustainable Food Trade: China’s Exports Food Rejected by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration 2011–2017," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-12, May.
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