CSR Research: Corporate Citizenship

Firms that partner with activist groups to voluntarily boycott social and environmental violators in their supply chains are less likely to be targeted themselves by a boycott in the short term.

The degree of ?t between a ?rm and cause has been shown to positively impact the effectiveness of cause-related marketing (CRM) campaigns. While degree of fit typically looks at attributes such as brand image and positioning, visual attributes such as color can also contribute to perceptions of fit.

Service companies, such as hotels and restaurants, that want to get customers to help reduce environmental impacts in their businesses and ensure customer satisfaction should incentivize optional environmental initiatives with a mix of customer-benefiting (such as cash discounts, merchandise, or loyalty program points) and charitable rewards to achieve the highest possible customer satisfaction.

Consumers are more likely to recycle everyday products—such as paper and cups—when the products are linked to consumers’ identities through attributes such as first name or nationality. Firms can increase a consumer’s connection to a product—and thus the likelihood a consumer will recycle the product—through packaging and marketing campaigns.

Firms that are efficient in their business operations can further improve the company’s financial performance and reduce risk with good corporate social performance.

When all types of employees are welcomed into the workforce, firms are more innovative. Firms headquartered in states that limit companies’ ability to discriminate base on gender or sexual orientation file more patents and receive more granted patents than firms headquartered in states without such laws.

The positive effects of regulatory institutions on CSR responsiveness are weaker on smaller firms and financially strong firms.

RESEARCH BRIEF - Organizations requesting stakeholder feedback must be prepared to be responsive to the input received. When the opportunity to provide feedback is met with responsiveness, stakeholders are more likely to comply with rules and regulations related to issues on which feedback was sought.

RESEARCH BRIEF - Consumers are more likely to support companies that communicate corporate citizenship in a manner that aligns with their cultures’ value systems.

RESEARCH BRIEF - Those looking to increase participation in mentoring opportunities should tailor their programs and messaging to their audiences: Younger mentors are often motivated more by career-related objectives—such as recognition, promotion, and monetary rewards.

RESEARCH BRIEF - According to a retrospective review of a decade of data, companies have tended to focus corporate citizenship efforts on primary stakeholders such as their customers and employees. Recently, they have begun to broaden their focus to include other stakeholders—particularly the environment—as they maintain primary stakeholder engagement.

RESEARCH BRIEF - Older professionals are more likely to be motivated by genuine interest—rather than career advancement—when deciding whether to participate in professional development opportunities. Those looking to engage older employees in professional development should stress what can be achieved with new skills—rather than how they would bolster a resume.