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Corporate Social Responsibility and Family Business in the Time of COVID-19: Changing Strategy?

Author

Listed:
  • Elena Rivo-López

    (Department of Business Organization and Marketing, Faculty of Business and Tourism, Universidade de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain)

  • Mónica Villanueva-Villar

    (Department of Financial Economics and Accounting, Faculty of Business and Tourism, Universidade de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain)

  • Miguel Michinel-Álvarez

    (Department of Private Law, Faculty of Law, Universidade de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain)

  • Francisco Reyes-Santías

    (Department of Business Organization and Marketing, Faculty of Business and Tourism, Universidade de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain)

Abstract

Companies in general and family businesses in particular engage in local collaborations in rather diverse areas through their corporate social responsibility activities. The COVID-19 pandemic has made these contributions to community improvement more apparent, suggesting a paradigm shift. This conceptual paper proposes a reflection about the evolution of the corporate social responsibility activities linked to family businesses in emergencies and from the socioemotional wealth perspective. The contribution of this paper is twofold. Firstly, it provides an in-depth reflection on the evolution of philanthropy, posing the following questions: are we witnessing a reinvention of corporate social responsibility within the framework of family businesses because of the global pandemic; does this new trend deserve support, given the fundamental role that family businesses have played in this situation; and if so, what should such support consist of, and what is the optimal channel for articulating it? Secondly, the paper proposes a theoretical framework from the socioemotional wealth perspective to advance research about corporate social responsibility carried out by family businesses. Business families are more likely to implement strategies that promote ethical behavior and CSR activities in their companies. The pandemic situation has created new possibilities for developing CSR.

Suggested Citation

  • Elena Rivo-López & Mónica Villanueva-Villar & Miguel Michinel-Álvarez & Francisco Reyes-Santías, 2021. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Family Business in the Time of COVID-19: Changing Strategy?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-13, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:4:p:2041-:d:499131
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Bargoni, Augusto & Giachino, Chiara & Troise, Ciro & Alam, Gazi Mahabubul & Quaglia, Roberto, 2023. "A digital family affair: Do family firms' characteristics enhance consumers' willingness to pay?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    5. NAHAR Hairul Suhaimi & MOHAMAD Maslinawati, 2023. "Academic Research Responses To Covid-19: The Corporate Social Responsibility Perspective," Studies in Business and Economics, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 18(1), pages 171-197, April.

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