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“Buying” Corporate Social Responsibility: Organisational Identity Orientation as a Determinant of Practice Adoption

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  • Christopher Wickert

    (VU University Amsterdam)

  • Antonino Vaccaro

    (IESE Business School)

  • Joep Cornelissen

    (Erasmus University, Corporate Communication Centre)

Abstract

In this paper, we explore the empirical phenomenon of large multinational corporations (MNCs) acquiring socially oriented enterprises, such as the Unilever–Ben & Jerry’s, and the L`Oréal-The Body Shop takeovers. When focusing on these cases, we argue that variance in organisational identity orientations, as the dominant logic of managers within the acquiring organisations, determines whether MNCs consider the transaction not only in financial terms, but also decide to adopt “social technology” in the form of CSR-related organisational practices from the acquired unit. We argue that in turn based on a “match” with the organisational identity of the acquired unit, managers will opt to adopt CSR practices more fully or selectively, and in more substantial or symbolic ways. With these propositional arguments we not only aim to contribute to the literature on CSR adoption by MNCs, but we also set out to develop theory on the widespread but so far undocumented phenomenon of MNCs “buying CSR” by acquiring socially oriented enterprises.

Suggested Citation

  • Christopher Wickert & Antonino Vaccaro & Joep Cornelissen, 2017. "“Buying” Corporate Social Responsibility: Organisational Identity Orientation as a Determinant of Practice Adoption," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 142(3), pages 497-514, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:142:y:2017:i:3:d:10.1007_s10551-015-2740-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-015-2740-z
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    3. Mortimer, Genevieve & Tura, Nina & Mortimer, Bruce & Busch, Timo, 2019. "Positioning sustainability to deal with complex systemsː From sustainability identity to sustainability outlook," WiSo-HH Working Paper Series 49, University of Hamburg, Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences, WISO Research Laboratory.
    4. Moroz, Peter W. & Branzei, Oana & Parker, Simon C. & Gamble, Edward N., 2018. "Imprinting with purpose: Prosocial opportunities and B Corp certification," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 117-129.
    5. Wæraas, Arild, 2017. "The external presentation of organizational identity orientation: A study of employment advertisement s 1975-2015," Working Paper Series 07-2017, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, School of Economics and Business.
    6. Lu Qiao & Jianfeng Wu, 2019. "Pay for Being Responsible: The Effect of Target Firm’s Corporate Social Responsibility on Cross-Border Acquisition Premiums," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-21, March.
    7. Taryn De Mendonca & Yan Zhou, 2019. "What does targeting ecological sustainability mean for company financial performance?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(8), pages 1583-1593, December.
    8. Richter, Ulf Henning & Shirodkar, Vikrant & Shete, Namita, 2021. "Firm-level indicators of instrumental and political CSR processes – A multiple case study," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 39(2), pages 279-290.
    9. Mingzhe Qiao & Shiwei Xu & Guangdong Wu, 2018. "Corporate Social Responsibility and the Long-Term Performance of Mergers and Acquisitions: Do Regions and Related-Party Transactions Matter?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-15, July.
    10. Holmström Lind, Christine & Kang, Olivia & Ljung, Anna & Rosenbaum, Paul, 2022. "Involvement of multinational corporations in social innovation: Exploring an emerging phenomenon," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 207-221.
    11. Christopher Pesterfield & Michael Rogerson, 2024. "Institutional Logics in the UK Construction Industry’s Response to Modern Slavery Risk: Complementarity and Conflict," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 191(1), pages 59-75, April.

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