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One Vision, Different Paths: An Investigation of Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives in Europe

Author

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  • François Maon

    (IESEG School of Management (LEM-CNRS - UMR 9221))

  • Valérie Swaen

    (IESEG School of Management (LEM-CNRS - UMR 9221)
    Université catholique de Louvain)

  • Adam Lindgreen

    (University of Cardiff)

Abstract

This comparative study explores 499 corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives implemented by 178 corporations in five distinct, institutionally consistent European clusters. This study provides an empirically grounded response to calls to develop comprehensive, nuanced pictures of CSR in the composite European business environment. In so doing, the article stresses three distinct, non-exclusive approaches that characterize the embedding of CSR considerations in corporations’ strategies across Europe and the CSR challenges for corporations operating in different socio-political contexts. Furthermore, the study reaffirms the CSR notion as a contextualized concept, shaped by socio-political drivers, and contributes by bridging macro-level, socio-political facets of CSR with its meso-level, organizational implications.

Suggested Citation

  • François Maon & Valérie Swaen & Adam Lindgreen, 2017. "One Vision, Different Paths: An Investigation of Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives in Europe," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 143(2), pages 405-422, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:143:y:2017:i:2:d:10.1007_s10551-015-2810-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-015-2810-2
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    7. Akram Hatami & Jan Hermes & Anne Keränen & Pauliina Ulkuniemi, 2023. "Creating Social Sustainability Through Distributing Leadership and Co-Responsibility in Corporate Volunteering," South Asian Journal of Business and Management Cases, , vol. 12(1), pages 81-96, April.
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    10. María Lourdes Arco-Castro & María Victoria Lopez-Pérez & Sara Rodriguez-Gomez & Raquel Garde-Sánchez, 2020. "Do Stakeholders Modulate Philanthropic Strategy? Corporate Philanthropy as Stakeholders’ Engagement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-18, September.
    11. Blanca de-Miguel-Molina & Vicente Chirivella-González & Beatriz García-Ortega, 2016. "Corporate philanthropy and community involvement. Analysing companies from France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 50(6), pages 2741-2766, November.
    12. Hildegunn Mellesmo Aslaksen & Clare Hildebrandt & Hans Chr. Garmann Johnsen, 2021. "The long-term transformation of the concept of CSR: towards a more comprehensive emphasis on sustainability," International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility, Springer, vol. 6(1), pages 1-14, December.
    13. Souad Moufty & Basil Al‐Najjar & Abdulhadi Ibrahim, 2024. "Communications of sustainability practices in the banking sector: Evidence from cross‐country analysis," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(1), pages 135-161, January.
    14. Anna Katharina Provasnek & Erwin Schmid & Gerald Steiner, 2018. "Stakeholder Engagement: Keeping Business Legitimate in Austria’s Natural Mineral Water Bottling Industry," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 150(2), pages 467-484, June.
    15. Mohsin Abdur Rehman & Muhammad Kashif & Michela Mingione, 2019. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability (CSRS) Initiatives among European and Asian Business Schools: A Web-based Content Analysis," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 20(5), pages 1231-1247, October.
    16. Rita Almeida & José Ángel Pérez-López & Rute Abreu, 2022. "Digital Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting in the Water Industry," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 36(11), pages 3929-3947, September.
    17. Bettina Becker & Nigel Driffield & Sandra Lancheros & James H. Love, 2020. "FDI in hot labour markets: The implications of the war for talent," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 3(2), pages 107-133, June.
    18. Ioannis Ziogas & Theodore Metaxas, 2021. "Corporate Social Responsibility in South Europe during the Financial Crisis and Its Relation to the Financial Performance of Greek Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-20, July.
    19. Gentjan Çera & Khurram Ajaz Khan & Andrea Bláhová & Jaroslav Belas, Jr., 2022. "Do owner-manager demographics in SMEs matter for corporate social responsibility?," Equilibrium. Quarterly Journal of Economics and Economic Policy, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 17(2), pages 511-531, June.
    20. Lourdes Arco-Castro & Maria Victoria López-Pérez & Maria Carmen Pérez-López & Lázaro Rodríguez-Ariza, 2020. "Corporate philanthropy and employee engagement," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 705-725, August.
    21. Oriol Iglesias & Nicholas Ind, 2020. "Towards a theory of conscientious corporate brand co-creation: the next key challenge in brand management," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 27(6), pages 710-720, November.

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