The study aims to investigate corporate social responsibility (CSR) best practices of the world automotive industry - Peugeot, BMW, Ford, Hyundai and Toyota among others – and recommend that they plan their business strategies and managerial responses accordingly. Based on the comparative research and case studies, this research finds that all five automobile manufacturers have taken very similar measures and actions in order to establish and maintain a high level of CSR practices. Sustainability was a core value in all five companies and served as a guiding principle in every aspect and approach of their business. This study finds that all five companies have CSR strategies in place to increase energy efficiency as well as reduce the usage and wastage of water in their production and plants. This research also finds that all companies monitor their suppliers and their own production process to ensure that they maintain their CSR standards. More impressively, this sustainable management practice is transferred along the companies’ supply chain through education and training. Their suppliers and business partners are closely monitored to make sure that their high CSR standards are respected and followed. However, we find that there also are some differences in terms of their CSR deliveries and activities.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between corporate social responsibility disclosure (CSRD) and investment-cash flow sensitivity, which is a surrogate for financing constraints. Research design, data, and methodology – Taking China’s A-share listed companies between 2009 and 2016 as a sample, this paper empirically tests the relationship between CSRD and investment-cash flow sensitivity by Panel VAR model. By introducing the orthogonal impulse response function, this paper distinguishes the fundamental factors and financial ones that affect corporate investment behavior. Results – Findings indicate that: (1) investment-cash flow sensitivity of firms with low level of CSRD is significantly lower than that of firms with high level of CSRD; (2) the orthogonal impulse response of corporate investment to cash flow in firms with high level of CSRD is significantly different from zero, but it is not significant in firms with low level of CSRD; (3) for firms with low level of CSRD, 0.7% of corporate investment volatility can be explained by the change in cash flow, which is lower than that of firms with high level of CSRD (1.1%). Conclusions - Corporations disclosing more and higher quality CSRD are often those faced with financing constraints. Voluntary disclosure can help them alleviate information asymmetry and financing constraints.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is one of the strategies for managing firms’ business activities but may have heterogeneity depending on ownership structures. This study investigates the association between group-affiliation and CSR activities. Drawing on a theory from the prior research, this study predicts that group-affiliated firms are less likely to invest on CSR activities. For instance, prior research finds that controlling shareholders expropriate the values of minority shareholders. As one of the motivations of investing on CSR activities is the harmonization among the stakeholders, it leads to the prediction that firms controlled by large shareholders are less likely to engage in CSR activities. Second, group-affiliated firms under poor financial performance benefit from other group members through sharing their financial resources. Thus, there is less incentive for managers of group-affiliated firms to increase their financial performance by conducting CSR. By leveraging firms listed in Korean stock market and CSR score from Korea Economic Justice Institute, the result shows that the groupaffiliation is negatively related to CSR activities. The result is consistent in case of applying propensity score-matched sample. Based on the findings of this study, this paper contributes to the related literature by showing the significant association between group-affiliation and CSR decisions.

The study aims to investigate methods for companies to contribute to not only social and national developments, but also on the promotion of individuals and companies by re-examining the various phenomena that define companies. The study examines the relationship between subordinate factors of social responsibility activities and job performances as well as the role of CEOs in showing authentic leadership and meaningfulness of work. A total of 312 valid questionnaires were obtained, and hypotheses were tested using regression analysis, hierarchical regression analysis, and 3-way interactions. The results suggest that corporate social responsibility activities not only enhanced the performance of the members, but also confirmed the importance of the authentic leadership of the CEO. Additionally, the role of the members in the company also showed to play a very significant role in a company’s developments. The results also show that the CEO and members need to make efforts to increase ethics as well as gain more competitiveness and improve their reputation by promoting their sense of calling and feeling of compassion in the workplace. In other words, the members of the high-ranking book and the members of the relatively low position will have different degrees of information transfer and evaluation of the company policy may be different.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to evaluate two multinational companies that seem to have reconciled the two mandates of CSR and profit maximization while becoming multibillion dollar companies and examine their organizational culture and practices and their management and leadership in order to determine the controlling factors, if any, that have elicited their success while renowned for their CSR policies. Research design, data, and methodology - This is a case study, an analytical approach, which focuses on exploring and analyzing the CSR policies of Starbucks and IKEA. Results – IKEA and Starbucks considered their position in the global business environment and their social responsibilities as crucial and did more than a cursory lip service to the issues. In fact, they both took the more difficult long-term approach and tried to resolve the root causes for the environmental and social issues in their supply chain. Ultimately though, it is the ethical leadership of the top management that sets the tone for the organizational culture and its CSR. Conclusion - IKEA and Starbucks are “living proof” that a company can be successful while treating its employees and the community of suppliers and associates with respect and dignity and while making this world a better place.

This research seeks to improve the understanding of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and its advantages in the shipping sector. Recently, an improved emphasis on CSR, which incorporates environmental and social concerns into economic considerations of firms, can be found in business management and marketing literature. This is mainly because of people’s increased awareness in regards to the negative consequences of corporate activities such as increased environmental pollution and gaps between the rich and the poor. According to the previous literature, it has been revealed that responsible actions by companies can generate positive outcomes in terms of financial and time aspects, but more importantly, intangible equity of the company, including improved corporate reputation, image as well as brand. As the regulation is intensifying in regards to environmental and social responsibility in the shipping sector, shipping companies are trying to engage in CSR to gain competitive advantages. While the reputation and image of shipping companies play essential roles for developing sustainable maritime transport, few studies have been conducted for how the CSR of shipping companies influence the shipping companies’ reputation and image relative to other industries. In this regard, this study aims to investigate the effect of the corporate social responsibility on corporate reputation and image of shipping companies on the basis of an exploratory study in the Republic of Korea. This research would be beneficial to both academics and practitioners for developing useful CSR strategies which could promote the public’s recognition of the shipping sector.