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Corporate Social Responsibility and Organizational Resilience to COVID-19 Crisis: An Empirical Study of Chinese Firms

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  • Wenchuan Huang

    (School of Economics and Management, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China)

  • Shouming Chen

    (School of Economics and Management, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China)

  • Luu Thi Nguyen

    (School of Economics and Management, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China)

Abstract

Resilience captures firm capability to adjust to and recover from unexpected shocks in the environment. Being latent and path-dependent, the manifestation of organizational resilience is hard to be directly measured. This article assesses organizational resilience of firms in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic with pre-shock corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance as a predictor that positively influences the level of organizational resilience to the external shock caused by the pandemic. We develop three theoretical mechanisms based on stakeholder theory, resource-based theory, reputation perspective and means-end chain theory to explain how CSR fulfillment in the past could help firms maintain stability to adapt to and react flexibly to recover from the crisis. We examine the relationship in the context of the systemic shock caused by COVID-19, using a sample of 1597 listed firms in China during the time window from 20 January 2020 to 10 June 2020. We find that companies with higher CSR performance before the shock will experience fewer losses and will take a shorter time to recover from the attack.

Suggested Citation

  • Wenchuan Huang & Shouming Chen & Luu Thi Nguyen, 2020. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Organizational Resilience to COVID-19 Crisis: An Empirical Study of Chinese Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-19, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:21:p:8970-:d:436358
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    18. Wellalage, Nirosha Hewa & Kumar, Vijay & Hunjra, Ahmed Imran & Al-Faryan, Mamdouh Abdulaziz Saleh, 2022. "Environmental performance and firm financing during COVID-19 outbreaks: Evidence from SMEs," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 47(PA).
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    20. Ma Zhong & Weiqi Zhao & Yasir Shahab, 2022. "The philanthropic response of substantive and symbolic corporate social responsibility strategies to COVID‐19 crisis: Evidence from China," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(2), pages 339-355, March.
    21. Fridolin Simon Brand & Richard Blaese & Giulia Weber & Herbert Winistoerfer, 2022. "Changes in Corporate Responsibility Management during COVID-19 Crisis and Their Effects on Business Resilience: An Empirical Study of Swiss and German Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-18, March.
    22. Hermundsdottir, Fanny & Haneberg, Dag Håkon & Aspelund, Arild, 2022. "Analyzing the impact of COVID-19 on environmental innovations in manufacturing firms," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    23. Xin Huang & Huitong Yang & Peijin Yang, 2024. "The Impact of Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions on Corporate Organisational Resilience: Insights from Dynamic Capability Theory," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-23, March.
    24. Agnieszka Janik & Adam Ryszko, 2023. "Sustainability Reporting during the Crisis—What Was Disclosed by Companies in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Based on Evidence from Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-54, August.

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