IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/endesu/v26y2024i12d10.1007_s10668-024-04510-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Construction of a corporate social responsibility identity within enterprises that distribute agricultural products in Hubei Province, China

Author

Listed:
  • Xinchao Tian

    (Guangdong Polytechnic Normal University)

  • Kai Fang

    (Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering)

Abstract

A corporate social responsibility (CSR) identity is a critical factor that enables enterprises to fulfill their social responsibilities. A study on the process whereby corporate executives within enterprises that distribute agricultural products construct a CSR identity can provide important insights into the historical trajectory of CSR’s development in China. We conducted a qualitative study on executives’ CSR identities within enterprises that distribute agricultural products to explore processes of identity reconstruction. Our findings indicated that continuous communication between the enterprises and stakeholders prompted senior managers within the enterprises to develop rational tools and a strategy for promoting sustainable development as well as to establish and strengthen social and value-based identities. Efficiency-balanced calculations based on an instrumental rationality were found to be key drivers of this process. In addition, critical factors contributing to the development and maintenance of social identities within enterprises were capacities for spontaneous reflection, interactive feedback, and an identity based on group membership. Strong associations were forged between CSR-related social and value identities within enterprises through an internal mechanism entailing the cultivation of self-discipline, heteronomy, and the construction of emotional meanings. The study’s findings indicate that CSR identities are not static; rather, they evolve in conjunction with the sustainable development of enterprises. In addition to identifying the mechanism for the construction of CSR identities in China, this study also provides insights that can guide CSR reforms in China.

Suggested Citation

  • Xinchao Tian & Kai Fang, 2024. "Construction of a corporate social responsibility identity within enterprises that distribute agricultural products in Hubei Province, China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(12), pages 31539-31556, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:endesu:v:26:y:2024:i:12:d:10.1007_s10668-024-04510-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s10668-024-04510-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10668-024-04510-y
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10668-024-04510-y?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. Webster, Frederick E, Jr, 1975. "Determining the Characteristics of the Socially Conscious Consumer," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 2(3), pages 188-196, December.
    2. Nee, Victor & Opper, Sonja, 2012. "Capitalism from Below: Markets and Institutional Change in China," Economics Books, Harvard University Press, number 9780674050204, march.
    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. Yugang Li & Xiuyuan Fang, 2024. "Comparing the Effects of Corporate Strategic Deviance on Corporate Growth and Corporate Profit: Evidence from Chinese Firms," SAGE Open, , vol. 14(2), pages 21582440241, May.
    2. Younghan Jung & Kayoung Park & Junyong Ahn, 2019. "Sustainability in Higher Education: Perceptions of Social Responsibility among University Students," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-14, March.
    3. Andersson, Fredrik N.G. & Edgerton, David L. & Opper, Sonja, 2013. "A Matter of Time: Revisiting Growth Convergence in China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 239-251.
    4. Kang, Min Jung & Park, Heejun, 2011. "Impact of experience on government policy toward acceptance of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in Korea," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 3465-3475, June.
    5. Chris Hydock & Neeru Paharia & T. J. Weber, 2019. "The Consumer Response to Corporate Political Advocacy: a Review and Future Directions," Customer Needs and Solutions, Springer;Institute for Sustainable Innovation and Growth (iSIG), vol. 6(3), pages 76-83, December.
    6. Gonçalves, Helena Martins & Lourenço, Tiago Ferreira & Silva, Graça Miranda, 2016. "Green buying behavior and the theory of consumption values: A fuzzy-set approach," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(4), pages 1484-1491.
    7. Boeing, Philipp & Eberle, Jonathan & Howell, Anthony, 2022. "The impact of China's R&D subsidies on R&D investment, technological upgrading and economic growth," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    8. S. Salman Hussain, 2000. "Green Consumerism and Ecolabelling: A Strategic Behavioural Model," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(1), pages 77-89, January.
    9. Carmen Berné-Manero & Marta Pedraja-Iglesias & Pilar Ramo-Sáez, 2017. "Socially responsible markets involved in the consumer-organization identification process," International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, Springer;International Association of Public and Non-Profit Marketing, vol. 14(2), pages 179-196, June.
    10. Li, Zhaohua & Pang, Suqin & Zhu, Zhiyun, 2024. "The impact of pilot free trade zones on entrepreneurship: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    11. Magdalena Jaciow & Edyta Rudawska & Adam Sagan & Jolanta Tkaczyk & Robert Wolny, 2022. "The Influence of Environmental Awareness on Responsible Energy Consumption—The Case of Households in Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-15, July.
    12. Taube, Markus, 2014. "Grundzüge der wirtschaftlichen Entwicklung und ihre ordnungspolitischen Leitbilder in der VR China seit 1949," Working Papers on East Asian Studies 96/2014, University of Duisburg-Essen, Institute of East Asian Studies IN-EAST.
    13. Muhammed Abdullah Sharaf & Selvan Perumal, 2018. "How Does Green Products? Price and Availability Impact Malaysians? Green Purchasing Behavior?," The Journal of Social Sciences Research, Academic Research Publishing Group, vol. 4(3), pages 28-34, 03-2018.
    14. Lei, Zhenhuan & Nugent, Jeffrey B., 2018. "Coordinating China's economic growth strategy via its government-controlled association for private firms," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(4), pages 1273-1293.
    15. Elena Obukhova & Felicia Tian, 2024. "Referral bonuses in global talent acquisition: the role of social networks in China and the US," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 55(7), pages 864-879, September.
    16. Ken Peattie, 2001. "Golden goose or wild goose? The hunt for the green consumer," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 10(4), pages 187-199, July.
    17. Waris, Idrees & Hameed, Irfan, 2019. "Using Extended Model of Theory of Planned Behavior to Predict Purchase Intention of Energy Efficient Home Appliances in Pakistan," MPRA Paper 109612, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Paolo Antonetti & Stan Maklan, 2014. "Feelings that Make a Difference: How Guilt and Pride Convince Consumers of the Effectiveness of Sustainable Consumption Choices," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 124(1), pages 117-134, September.
    19. José Javier Pérez-Barea & Ricardo Espantaleón-Pérez & Peter Šedík, 2020. "Evaluating the Perception of Socially Responsible Consumers: The Case of Products Derived from Organic Beef," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-24, December.
    20. Xuliang Zhang & Xiaohui Hu & Wei Xu, 2020. "Spatio‐temporal dynamics of technical efficiency in China’s specialized markets: A stochastic frontier analysis approach," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(3), pages 1182-1202, September.

    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:spr:endesu:v:26:y:2024:i:12:d:10.1007_s10668-024-04510-y. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.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.