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Strategic motivations for corporate social responsibility: profitability or legitimacy?

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  • Patrick J. Callery

    (University of Vermont, Grossman School of Business)

Abstract

Management research has broadly categorized strategic motivations for corporate social responsibility (CSR) as profit-seeking or legitimacy, which are at times conflicting and complementary. The nature of firm motivations has significant implications for firm-level and societal outcomes yet is not directly observable. In this study I theorize that strategic motivations may be inferred based on observed performance relative to context-specific groups of relevant peer firms. I integrate economics and strategic management traditions to develop both a theoretical framework and an empirical model of peer effects and their underlying strategic motivations, and employ a novel instrumental variables estimation that exploits unique aspects of a recent innovation in dynamic industry classification. Results indicate that firms select referent peers based on strategic context and shed new light on the multi-dimensional nature of CSR strategies, revealing subtleties of firm behavior often masked by traditional empirical approaches. Contributions to theory and opportunities for future research are highlighted.

Suggested Citation

  • Patrick J. Callery, 2024. "Strategic motivations for corporate social responsibility: profitability or legitimacy?," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 94(6), pages 947-974, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jbecon:v:94:y:2024:i:6:d:10.1007_s11573-024-01193-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s11573-024-01193-9
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Behavioral strategy; Corporate social responsibility; Instrumental variables; Peer effects; Performance feedback;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C36 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Instrumental Variables (IV) Estimation
    • D21 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Theory
    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
    • M14 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Corporate Culture; Diversity; Social Responsibility
    • M21 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Economics - - - Business Economics

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