IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jbrese/v69y2016i12p5964-5971.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The implications of slack heterogeneity for the slack-resources and corporate social performance relationship

Author

Listed:
  • Shahzad, Ali M.
  • Mousa, Fariss T.
  • Sharfman, Mark P.

Abstract

In prior research which explores the relationship between organizational slack and corporate social performance (CSP) it is implicitly assumed that slack is homogeneous and positively affects CSP. In this study we build on recent research which argues that slack is heterogeneous and can be conceptualized as financial, human resources, and innovational in nature. We view the slack-CSP relationship from both organizational and agency theory perspectives. We propose that different slack conceptualizations and the contrary assumptions of aforementioned theories hold divergent implications for CSP. We test our hypotheses on a longitudinal sample of public corporations in the United States and confirm this divergent impact. Our results suggest that the relationship between organizational slack and CSP is more complex than previously understood. We discuss the implications of our findings for the slack-resource hypothesis of CSP.

Suggested Citation

  • Shahzad, Ali M. & Mousa, Fariss T. & Sharfman, Mark P., 2016. "The implications of slack heterogeneity for the slack-resources and corporate social performance relationship," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(12), pages 5964-5971.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:69:y:2016:i:12:p:5964-5971
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.05.010
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296316303927
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.05.010?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gordon E Greenley & Mehmet Oktemgil, 1998. "A Comparison of Slack Resources in High and Low Performing British Companies," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(3), pages 377-398, May.
    2. Navarro, Peter, 1988. "Why Do Corporations Give to Charity?," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 61(1), pages 65-93, January.
    3. Tommy Clausen & Mikko Pohjola & Koson Sapprasert & Bart Verspagen, 2012. "Innovation strategies as a source of persistent innovation," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press, vol. 21(3), pages 553-585, June.
    4. Hoje Jo & Maretno Harjoto, 2011. "Corporate Governance and Firm Value: The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 103(3), pages 351-383, October.
    5. Johan Wiklund & Dean A. Shepherd, 2011. "Where to from Here? EO-as-Experimentation, Failure, and Distribution of Outcomes," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 35(5), pages 925-946, September.
    6. Shleifer, Andrei & Vishny, Robert W., 1989. "Management entrenchment : The case of manager-specific investments," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 123-139, November.
    7. Yakov Amihud & Baruch Lev, 1981. "Risk Reduction as a Managerial Motive for Conglomerate Mergers," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 12(2), pages 605-617, Autumn.
    8. Lee Cronbach, 1951. "Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 16(3), pages 297-334, September.
    9. Jensen, Michael C. & Meckling, William H., 1976. "Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 305-360, October.
    10. Justin Tan & Mike W. Peng, 2003. "Organizational slack and firm performance during economic transitions: two studies from an emerging economy," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(13), pages 1249-1263, December.
    11. Marlin, Dan & Geiger, Scott W., 2015. "A reexamination of the organizational slack and innovation relationship," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(12), pages 2683-2690.
    12. Jonas Nilsson, 2008. "Investment with a Conscience: Examining the Impact of Pro-Social Attitudes and Perceived Financial Performance on Socially Responsible Investment Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 83(2), pages 307-325, December.
    13. Edward Nelling & Elizabeth Webb, 2009. "Corporate social responsibility and financial performance: the “virtuous circle” revisited," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 32(2), pages 197-209, February.
    14. Abagail McWilliams & Donald Siegel, 2000. "Corporate social responsibility and financial performance: correlation or misspecification?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(5), pages 603-609, May.
    15. Aleksandra Kacperczyk, 2009. "With greater power comes greater responsibility? takeover protection and corporate attention to stakeholders," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(3), pages 261-285, March.
    16. Lang, Larry & Ofek, Eli & Stulz, Rene M., 1996. "Leverage, investment, and firm growth," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 3-29, January.
    17. Daniel, Francis & Lohrke, Franz T. & Fornaciari, Charles J. & Turner, R. Jr., 2004. "Slack resources and firm performance: a meta-analysis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 57(6), pages 565-574, June.
    18. Tan, Justin, 2003. "Curvilinear Relationship Between Organizational Slack and Firm Performance:: Evidence from Chinese State Enterprises," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 21(6), pages 740-749, December.
    19. Jensen, Michael C & Murphy, Kevin J, 1990. "Performance Pay and Top-Management Incentives," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(2), pages 225-264, April.
    20. José V. Frias‐Aceituno & Lázaro Rodríguez‐Ariza & Isabel M. Garcia‐Sánchez, 2014. "Explanatory Factors of Integrated Sustainability and Financial Reporting," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(1), pages 56-72, January.
    21. François Maon & Adam Lindgreen & Valérie Swaen, 2009. "Designing and Implementing Corporate Social Responsibility: An Integrative Framework Grounded in Theory and Practice," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 87(1), pages 71-89, April.
    22. Yuri Mishina & Timothy G. Pollock & Joseph F. Porac, 2004. "Are more resources always better for growth? Resource stickiness in market and product expansion," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(12), pages 1179-1197, December.
    23. Vilanova, Laurent, 2007. "Neither Shareholder nor Stakeholder Management:: What Happens When Firms are Run for their Short-term Salient Stakeholder?," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 25(2), pages 146-162, April.
    24. Tiago Melo, 2012. "Slack‐resources hypothesis: a critical analysis under a multidimensional approach to corporate social performance," Social Responsibility Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 8(2), pages 257-269, June.
    25. C. Chet Miller & Nathan T. Washburn & William H. Glick, 2013. "PERSPECTIVE—The Myth of Firm Performance," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(3), pages 948-964, June.
    26. Stephen Pavelin & Lynda Porter, 2008. "The Corporate Social Performance Content of Innovation in the U.K," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 80(4), pages 711-725, July.
    27. E. Geoffrey Love & Nitin Nohria, 2005. "Reducing slack: the performance consequences of downsizing by large industrial firms, 1977–93," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(12), pages 1087-1108, December.
    28. Lee, Sanghoon, 2015. "Slack and innovation: Investigating the relationship in Korea," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(9), pages 1895-1905.
    29. Amir Barnea & Amir Rubin, 2010. "Corporate Social Responsibility as a Conflict Between Shareholders," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 97(1), pages 71-86, November.
    30. Jeffrey Harrison & Joseph Coombs, 2012. "The Moderating Effects from Corporate Governance Characteristics on the Relationship Between Available Slack and Community-Based Firm Performance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 107(4), pages 409-422, June.
    31. Kochan, Thomas A., 1996. "What works at work : overview and assessment," Working papers 3886-96., Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sloan School of Management.
    32. Jordi Surroca & Josep A. Tribó & Sandra Waddock, 2010. "Corporate responsibility and financial performance: the role of intangible resources," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(5), pages 463-490, May.
    33. Amy J. Hillman & Gerald D. Keim, 2001. "Shareholder value, stakeholder management, and social issues: what's the bottom line?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(2), pages 125-139, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Altaf, Nufazil & Shah, Farooq, 2017. "Slack heterogeneity and firm performance: Investigating the relationship in Indian context," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 390-403.
    2. Symeou, Pavlos C. & Zyglidopoulos, Stelios & Gardberg, Naomi A., 2019. "Corporate environmental performance: Revisiting the role of organizational slack," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 169-182.
    3. Ciprian Stan & Mike Peng & Garry Bruton, 2014. "Slack and the performance of state-owned enterprises," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 31(2), pages 473-495, June.
    4. Ali M. Shahzad & Matthew A. Rutherford & Mark P. Sharfman, 2016. "Stakeholder‐Centric Governance and Corporate Social Performance: A Cross‐National Study," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 23(2), pages 100-112, March.
    5. Ferrell, Allen & Liang, Hao & Renneboog, Luc, 2016. "Socially responsible firms," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 122(3), pages 585-606.
    6. Bradley, Steven W. & Wiklund, Johan & Shepherd, Dean A., 2011. "Swinging a double-edged sword: The effect of slack on entrepreneurial management and growth," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 26(5), pages 537-554, September.
    7. Wiersma, Eelke, 2017. "How and when do firms translate slack into better performance?," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 49(5), pages 445-459.
    8. Guo, Feng & Zou, Bo & Zhang, Xiaofei & Bo, Qingwen & Li, Kai, 2020. "Financial slack and firm performance of SMMEs in China: Moderating effects of government subsidies and market-supporting institutions," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 223(C).
    9. Jean-Michel Sahut & Marta Peris-Ortiz & Frédéric Teulon, 2019. "Corporate social responsibility and governance," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 23(4), pages 901-912, December.
    10. Godoy-Bejarano, Jesús M. & Ruiz-Pava, Guillermo A. & Téllez-Falla, Diego F., 2020. "Environmental complexity, slack, and firm performance," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    11. Yuanyuan Hu & Shouming Chen & Yuexin Shao & Su Gao, 2018. "CSR and Firm Value: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-18, December.
    12. María Agustí & Francisco Velasco & José L. Galán, 2021. "The dynamic slack‐performance relationship from an efficiency perspective," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(4), pages 850-862, June.
    13. Sulu Zhu & Pengqun Gao & Zhen Tang & Ming Tian, 2022. "The Research Venation Analysis and Future Prospects of Organizational Slack," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-23, October.
    14. Michael Sheppard, 2020. "The relationship between discretionary slack and growth in small firms," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 195-219, March.
    15. Ye Cai & Hoje Jo & Carrie Pan, 2012. "Doing Well While Doing Bad? CSR in Controversial Industry Sectors," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 108(4), pages 467-480, July.
    16. Fumitoshi Mizutani & Eri Nakamura, 2014. "Managerial incentive, organizational slack, and performance: empirical analysis of Japanese firms’ behavior," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 18(1), pages 245-284, February.
    17. Josep M. Argilés-Bosch & Josep Garcia-Blandón & Diego Ravenda & Mónica Martínez-Blasco, 2018. "An empirical analysis of the curvilinear relationship between slack and firm performance," Journal of Management Control: Zeitschrift für Planung und Unternehmenssteuerung, Springer, vol. 29(3), pages 361-397, December.
    18. Pasquale Ruggiero & Sebastiano Cupertino, 2018. "CSR Strategic Approach, Financial Resources and Corporate Social Performance: The Mediating Effect of Innovation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-22, October.
    19. Khoa T. Tran & Phuong V. Nguyen & Linh M. Nguyen, 2018. "The Role of Financial Slack, Employee Creative Self-Efficacy and Learning Orientation in Innovation and Organizational Performance," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-32, December.
    20. Dante I. Leyva-de la Hiz & Vera Ferron-Vilchez & J. Alberto Aragon-Correa, 2019. "Do Firms’ Slack Resources Influence the Relationship Between Focused Environmental Innovations and Financial Performance? More is Not Always Better," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 159(4), pages 1215-1227, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:69:y:2016:i:12:p:5964-5971. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jbusres .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.