IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v6y2014i2p872-893d33193.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Corporate Social Responsibility and Competitiveness within SMEs of the Fashion Industry: Evidence from Italy and France

Author

Listed:
  • Massimo Battaglia

    (Institute of Management, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa 56127, Italy)

  • Francesco Testa

    (Institute of Management, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa 56127, Italy)

  • Lara Bianchi

    (Institute of Management, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa 56127, Italy)

  • Fabio Iraldo

    (Institute of Management, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa 56127, Italy)

  • Marco Frey

    (Institute of Management, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa 56127, Italy)

Abstract

Our paper analyses the link between the adoption of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and competitiveness performance among small and medium enterprises operating in the fashion industry. The study refers to a sample of 213 SMEs (Small and Medium sized Enterprises) located in Italy and France and is based on a correlation analysis between competitiveness variables and the CSR practice adopted. The results show a significant correlation with regard to the innovation process, both from the technical and the organizational point of view, and the intangible performances. On the other hand, another competitiveness macro-category, which is the market performance (measured as demand trend, turnover and business attraction), presents deceptive results, although a positive correlation with the adoption of market-oriented CSR practice emerges. The study is explorative and represents a relevant basis to future studies concerning the nature of the emerged co-relations.

Suggested Citation

  • Massimo Battaglia & Francesco Testa & Lara Bianchi & Fabio Iraldo & Marco Frey, 2014. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Competitiveness within SMEs of the Fashion Industry: Evidence from Italy and France," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(2), pages 1-22, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:6:y:2014:i:2:p:872-893:d:33193
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/6/2/872/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/6/2/872/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Giorgio Barba Navaretti & Anna Falzoni & Alessandro Turrini, 2001. "The decision to invest in a low-wage country: Evidence from Italian textiles and clothing multinationals," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(4), pages 451-470.
    2. Nordås, Hildegunn Kyvik, 2004. "The global textile and clothing industry post the agreement on textiles and clothing," WTO Discussion Papers 5, World Trade Organization (WTO), Economic Research and Statistics Division.
    3. Carroll, Archie B., 1991. "The pyramid of corporate social responsibility: Toward the moral management of organizational stakeholders," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 39-48.
    4. Salzmann, Oliver & Ionescu-somers, Aileen & Steger, Ulrich, 2005. "The Business Case for Corporate Sustainability:: Literature Review and Research Options," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 23(1), pages 27-36, February.
    5. Maria Santos, 2011. "CSR in SMEs: strategies, practices, motivations and obstacles," Social Responsibility Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 7(3), pages 490-508, August.
    6. Kristel Buysse & Alain Verbeke, 2003. "Proactive environmental strategies: a stakeholder management perspective," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(5), pages 453-470, May.
    7. Wilfried Luetkenhorst, 2004. "Corporate social responsibility and the development agenda," Intereconomics: Review of European Economic Policy, Springer;ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics;Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), vol. 39(3), pages 157-166, May.
    8. Mara Del Baldo, 2012. "Corporate social responsibility and corporate governance in Italian SMEs: the experience of some “spirited businesses”," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 16(1), pages 1-36, February.
    9. Francesco Testa & Natalia M. Gusmerotti & D. Amirante & Marco Frey, 2012. "The role of negotiating tools in the environmental policy mix instruments: determinants and effects of Environmental Agreement," Working Papers 201202, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna of Pisa, Istituto di Management.
    10. Massimo Battaglia & Lara Bianchi & Marco Frey & Fabio Iraldo, 2010. "An innovative model to promote CSR among SMEs operating in industrial clusters: evidence from an EU project," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(3), pages 133-141, May.
    11. Carmen Valor, 2008. "Can Consumers Buy Responsibly? Analysis and Solutions for Market Failures," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 31(3), pages 315-326, September.
    12. Dirk Boehe & Luciano Barin Cruz, 2010. "Corporate Social Responsibility, Product Differentiation Strategy and Export Performance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 91(2), pages 325-346, February.
    13. Jan Lepoutre & Aimé Heene, 2006. "Investigating the Impact of Firm Size on Small Business Social Responsibility: A Critical Review," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 67(3), pages 257-273, September.
    14. Fabio Iraldo & Francesco Testa & Vlasis Oikonomou & Michela Melis & Marco Frey & Eise Spijker, 2009. "A literature review on the links between environmental regulation and competitiveness," Working Papers 200904, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna of Pisa, Istituto di Management.
    15. Cristina Iturrioz & Cristina Aragón & Lorea Narbaiza & Asunción Ibañez, 2009. "Social responsibility in SMEs: a source of business value," Social Responsibility Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 5(3), pages 423-434, July.
    16. Marc Vilanova & Josep Lozano & Daniel Arenas, 2009. "Exploring the Nature of the Relationship Between CSR and Competitiveness," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 87(1), pages 57-69, April.
    17. Marcus Wagner, 2010. "Corporate Social Performance and Innovation with High Social Benefits: A Quantitative Analysis," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 94(4), pages 581-594, July.
    18. Heledd Jenkins, 2006. "Small Business Champions for Corporate Social Responsibility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 67(3), pages 241-256, September.
    19. Rennings, Klaus & Ziegler, Andreas & Ankele, Kathrin & Hoffmann, Esther, 2006. "The influence of different characteristics of the EU environmental management and auditing scheme on technical environmental innovations and economic performance," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(1), pages 45-59, April.
    20. repec:eme:srjpps:v:6:y:2010:i:2:p:490-508 is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Esben Rahbek Pedersen, 2007. "Perceptions of performance: how European organizations experience EMAS registration," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 14(2), pages 61-73, May.
    22. Heidi Weltzien Høivik & Deepthi Shankar, 2011. "How Can SMEs in a Cluster Respond to Global Demands for Corporate Responsibility?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 101(2), pages 175-195, June.
    23. Francesco Perrini & Angeloantonio Russo & Antonio Tencati & Clodia Vurro, 2011. "Deconstructing the Relationship Between Corporate Social and Financial Performance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 102(1), pages 59-76, March.
    24. Cochran, Philip L., 2007. "The evolution of corporate social responsibility," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 50(6), pages 449-454.
    25. Darnall, Nicole & Henriques, Irene & Sadorsky, Perry, 2008. "Do environmental management systems improve business performance in an international setting?," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 14(4), pages 364-376, December.
    26. Rehfeld, Katharina-Maria & Rennings, Klaus & Ziegler, Andreas, 2007. "Integrated product policy and environmental product innovations: An empirical analysis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(1), pages 91-100, February.
    27. Emmanuel Duguet & Stéphanie Monjon, 2004. "Is innovation persistent at the firm Level. An econometric examination comparing the propensity score and regression methods," Cahiers de la Maison des Sciences Economiques v04075, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1).
    28. Perry, Patsy & Towers, Neil, 2009. "Determining the antecedents for a strategy of corporate social responsibility by small- and medium-sized enterprises in the UK fashion apparel industry," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 16(5), pages 377-385.
    29. Henriques, Irene & Sadorsky, Perry, 1996. "The Determinants of an Environmentally Responsive Firm: An Empirical Approach," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 381-395, May.
    30. Geoff Moore & Laura Spence, 2006. "Editorial: Responsibility and Small Business," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 67(3), pages 219-226, September.
    31. MacGregor, Steven P. & Fontrodona, Joan, 2008. "Exploring the fit between CSR and innovation," IESE Research Papers D/759, IESE Business School.
    32. Graafland, J.J., 2002. "Sourcing ethics in the textile sector: The case of C&A," MPRA Paper 20769, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    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. Claudia Patricia Maldonado-Erazo & José Álvarez-García & María de la Cruz del Río-Rama & Ronny Correa-Quezada, 2020. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Performance in SMEs: Scientific Coverage," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-26, March.
    2. Magrizos, Solon & Apospori, Eleni & Carrigan, Marylyn & Jones, Rosalind, 2021. "Is CSR the panacea for SMEs? A study of socially responsible SMEs during economic crisis," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 39(2), pages 291-303.
    3. Alessandra De Chiara, 2020. "Sustainable Business Model Innovation vs. “Made in” for International Performance of Italian Food Companies," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-17, December.
    4. Stephen Brammer & Stefan Hoejmose & Kerry Marchant, 2012. "Environmental Management in SMEs in the UK: Practices, Pressures and Perceived Benefits," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(7), pages 423-434, November.
    5. Herrera Madueño, Jesús & Larrán Jorge, Manuel & Lechuga Sancho, María Paula & Martínez-Martínez, Domingo, 2016. "Responsabilidad social en las pymes: análisis exploratorio de factores explicativos," Revista de Contabilidad - Spanish Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 19(1), pages 31-44.
    6. Maria Jesus Bonilla‐Priego & Juan‐José Nájera‐Sánchez & Xavier Font, 2022. "Beyond ethics: The transformational power of overlapping motivations in implementing strategic sustainability actions," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(3), pages 685-697, March.
    7. Jean-Marie Courrent & Sonia Chassé & Waleed Omri, 2018. "Do Entrepreneurial SMEs Perform Better Because They are More Responsible?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 153(2), pages 317-336, December.
    8. Quang Le Van & Thanh Viet Nguyen & Manh Hung Nguyen, 2019. "Sustainable development and environmental policy: The engagement of stakeholders in green products in Vietnam," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(5), pages 675-687, July.
    9. Tariq, Adeel & Badir, Yuosre F. & Tariq, Waqas & Bhutta, Umair Saeed, 2017. "Drivers and consequences of green product and process innovation: A systematic review, conceptual framework, and future outlook," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 8-23.
    10. Dolores Gallardo-Vázquez & Luis Enrique Valdez-Juárez & Ángela María Castuera-Díaz, 2019. "Corporate Social Responsibility as an Antecedent of Innovation, Reputation, Performance, and Competitive Success: A Multiple Mediation Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-28, October.
    11. Qi Guoyou & Zeng Saixing & Tam Chiming & Yin Haitao & Zou Hailiang, 2013. "Stakeholders' Influences on Corporate Green Innovation Strategy: A Case Study of Manufacturing Firms in China," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 20(1), pages 1-14, January.
    12. Christin Seifert & Edeltraud Guenther, 2020. "Who cares?—Stakeholder relevance for voluntary environmental management in hospitals," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(4), pages 1786-1799, July.
    13. Guillén León, 2017. "Evaluation of the perception and application of social responsibility practices in micro, small and medium companies in Barranquilla. An analysis from the theory of Stakeholders," Estudios Gerenciales, Universidad Icesi, vol. 33(144), pages 261-270, August.
    14. repec:hal:journl:hal-00918528 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Bocquet, Rachel & Le Bas, Christian & Mothe, Caroline & Poussing, Nicolas, 2013. "Are firms with different CSR profiles equally innovative? Empirical analysis with survey data," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 31(6), pages 642-654.
    16. Singh, Neelam & Jain, Suresh & Sharma, Prateek, 2015. "Motivations for implementing environmental management practices in Indian industries," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 1-8.
    17. Dongsoo Kim & Jongseon Lee & Nami Kim, 2023. "Engaging CSR in SMEs by exporting: The critical factors of CEOs and markets," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(4), pages 1953-1964, July.
    18. Francesco Testa & Olivier Boiral & Fabio Iraldo, 2018. "Internalization of Environmental Practices and Institutional Complexity: Can Stakeholders Pressures Encourage Greenwashing?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 147(2), pages 287-307, January.
    19. María del Mar Ramos-González & Mercedes Rubio-Andrés & Miguel Ángel Sastre-Castillo, 2022. "Effects of socially responsible human resource management (SR-HRM) on innovation and reputation in entrepreneurial SMEs," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 1205-1233, September.
    20. Pinget, Amandine, 2016. "Spécificités des déterminants des innovations environnementales : une approche appliquée aux PME [Specificities of determinants for environmental innovation : an approach applied to SMEs]," MPRA Paper 80108, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    21. Longinos Marin & Pedro J. Martín & Alicia Rubio, 2017. "Doing Good and Different! The Mediation Effect of Innovation and Investment on the Influence of CSR on Competitiveness," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 24(2), pages 159-171, March.

    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:gam:jsusta:v:6:y:2014:i:2:p:872-893:d:33193. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.