IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/inrvec/v65y2018i3d10.1007_s12232-018-0297-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Profitability of corporate social responsibility in network industries

Author

Listed:
  • Luciano Fanti

    (University of Pisa)

  • Domenico Buccella

    (Kozminski University)

Abstract

The present paper shows that, when firms compete in a non-cooperative way on the level of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in network industries, the conventional result of the prisoner’s dilemma structure of the game in standard industries—i.e. to have social concerns is the Nash equilibrium, but it is harmful for firms’ profits—vanishes and, for sufficiently intense network externalities, the equilibrium in which both firms have social concerns is more profitable than simple profit-seeking. Moreover, we show that—when firms cooperate in choosing the profit-maximising level of social concerns—a profit-maximising CSR level does exist, provided that network effects are sufficiently strong. Therefore, in network industries, firms may obtain higher profits engaging in—cooperatively as well as non-cooperatively—CSR activities, showing that firms’ social concerns may be motivated by the owners’ selfish behaviour. Finally, a counter-intuitive result as regards consumer’s surplus and social welfare is obtained: those are always higher under competitive than cooperative choice of CSR because the level of CSR activities is higher in the former case. However, given that firms gain their largest profits with the cooperative choice of CSR, a Pareto-superior outcome is not reached.

Suggested Citation

  • Luciano Fanti & Domenico Buccella, 2018. "Profitability of corporate social responsibility in network industries," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 65(3), pages 271-289, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:inrvec:v:65:y:2018:i:3:d:10.1007_s12232-018-0297-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s12232-018-0297-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12232-018-0297-8
    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/s12232-018-0297-8?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 look for a different version below or search for a different version of it.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lambertini, Luca & Tampieri, Alessandro, 2015. "Incentives, performance and desirability of socially responsible firms in a Cournot oligopoly," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 40-48.
    2. Constantine Manasakis & Evangelos Mitrokostas & Emmanuel Petrakis, 2013. "Certification of corporate social responsibility activities in oligopolistic markets," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 46(1), pages 282-309, February.
    3. Björn Brand & Michael Grothe, 2015. "Social responsibility in a bilateral monopoly," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 115(3), pages 275-289, July.
    4. Chirco, Alessandra & Scrimitore, Marcella, 2013. "Choosing price or quantity? The role of delegation and network externalities," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 121(3), pages 482-486.
    5. Brand, Björn & Grothe, Michael, 2013. "A note on ‘Corporate Social Responsibility and Marketing Channel Coordination’," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(4), pages 324-327.
    6. Kopel, Michael & Lamantia, Fabio & Szidarovszky, Ferenc, 2014. "Evolutionary competition in a mixed market with socially concerned firms," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 394-409.
    7. Goering, Gregory E., 2008. "Welfare impacts of a non-profit firm in mixed commercial markets," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 326-334, December.
    8. Claudia Alves & Luís Santos-Pinto, 2008. "A Theory of Corporate Social Responsibility in Oligopolistic Markets," Cahiers de Recherches Economiques du Département d'économie 09.04, Université de Lausanne, Faculté des HEC, Département d’économie.
    9. Luca Lambertini & Alessandro Tampieri, 2012. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Firms’ Ability to Collude," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Sabri Boubaker & Duc Khuong Nguyen (ed.), Board Directors and Corporate Social Responsibility, chapter 9, pages 167-178, Palgrave Macmillan.
    10. Luciano Fanti & Domenico Buccella, 2016. "Bargaining Agenda and Entry in a Unionised Model with Network Effects," Italian Economic Journal: A Continuation of Rivista Italiana degli Economisti and Giornale degli Economisti, Springer;Società Italiana degli Economisti (Italian Economic Association), vol. 2(1), pages 91-121, March.
    11. Bhattacharjee Trishita & Pal Rupayan, 2014. "Network Externalities and Strategic Managerial Delegation in Cournot Duopoly: Is There a Prisoners’ Dilemma?," Review of Network Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 12(4), pages 343-353, January.
    12. Dewenter, Ralf & Haucap, Justus & Wenzel, Tobias, 2011. "Semi-collusion in media markets," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 92-98, June.
    13. Øystein Foros & Bjørn Hansen & Jan Sand, 2002. "Demand-side Spillovers and Semi-collusion in the Mobile Communications Market," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 2(3), pages 259-278, September.
    14. Kopel, Michael & Brand, Björn, 2012. "Socially responsible firms and endogenous choice of strategic incentives," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 29(3), pages 982-989.
    15. Goering, Gregory E., 2012. "Corporate social responsibility and marketing channel coordination," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(2), pages 142-148.
    16. Leonardo Becchetti & Nazaria Solferino & Maria Elisabetta Tessitore, 2016. "Corporate social responsibility and profit volatility: theory and empirical evidence," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 25(1), pages 49-89.
    17. Vickers, John, 1985. "Delegation and the Theory of the Firm," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 95(380a), pages 138-147, Supplemen.
    18. Ronny Manos & Israel Drori (ed.), 2016. "Corporate Responsibility," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-137-45072-2, December.
    19. Constantine Manasakis & Evangelos Mitrokostas & Emmanuel Petrakis, 2014. "Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility Activities and Corporate Governance in Imperfectly Competitive Markets," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(7), pages 460-473, October.
    20. Sabri Boubaker & Duc Khuong Nguyen (ed.), 2012. "Board Directors and Corporate Social Responsibility," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-0-230-38930-4, December.
    21. Katz, Michael L & Shapiro, Carl, 1985. "Network Externalities, Competition, and Compatibility," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 75(3), pages 424-440, June.
    22. Baron, David P., 2008. "Managerial contracting and corporate social responsibility," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(1-2), pages 268-288, February.
    23. David P. Baron & Daniel Diermeier, 2007. "Strategic Activism and Nonmarket Strategy," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(3), pages 599-634, September.
    24. Luciano Fanti & Domenico Buccella, 2017. "Manager‐Union Bargaining Agenda Under Monopoly and with Network Effects," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 38(6), pages 717-730, September.
    25. Hoernig, Steffen, 2012. "Strategic delegation under price competition and network effects," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 117(2), pages 487-489.
    26. Luciano Fanti & Domenico Buccella, 2017. "Corporate social responsibility in a game-theoretic context," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 44(3), pages 371-390, September.
    27. Gregory E. Goering, 2007. "The strategic use of managerial incentives in a non-profit firm mixed duopoly," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(2), pages 83-91.
    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. Luciano Fanti & Domenico Buccella, 2021. "Corporate social responsibility in unionised network industries," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 68(2), pages 235-262, June.
    2. Domenico Buccella & Luciano Fanti & Luca Gori & Mauro Sodini, 2024. "Corporate social responsibility and network externalities: a game-theoretic approach," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 337(3), pages 835-871, June.
    3. Planer-Friedrich, Lisa & Sahm, Marco, 2017. "Strategic corporate social responsibility," BERG Working Paper Series 124, Bamberg University, Bamberg Economic Research Group.
    4. Lisa Planer-Friedrich & Marco Sahm, 2017. "Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility," CESifo Working Paper Series 6506, CESifo.
    5. Lambertini, Luca & Tampieri, Alessandro, 2015. "Incentives, performance and desirability of socially responsible firms in a Cournot oligopoly," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 40-48.
    6. Luciano Fanti & Domenico Buccella, 2020. "Pareto-Superiority of Corporate Social Responsibility in Unionised Industries," Arthaniti: Journal of Economic Theory and Practice, , vol. 19(2), pages 131-150, December.
    7. Luciano Fanti & Domenico Buccella, 2017. "Bargaining agenda in a unionised monopoly with network effects: when corporate social responsibility may be welfare-reducing," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 34(3), pages 471-489, December.
    8. Lisa Planer-Friedrich & Marco Sahm, 2020. "Strategic corporate social responsibility, imperfect competition, and market concentration," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 129(1), pages 79-101, January.
    9. Luciano Fanti & Domenico Buccella, 2017. "Profit raising entry effects in network industries with Corporate Social Responsibility," Economics and Business Letters, Oviedo University Press, vol. 6(3), pages 59-68.
    10. Fanti, Luciano & Buccella, Domenico, 2018. "A note on the social responsibility in a bilateral monopoly," MPRA Paper 88162, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Planer-Friedrich, Lisa & Sahm, Marco, 2017. "Why Firms Should Care for All Consumers," VfS Annual Conference 2017 (Vienna): Alternative Structures for Money and Banking 168257, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    12. Luciano Fanti & Domenico Buccella, 2023. "Convex costs and profitability of corporate social responsibility in network industries," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 43(2), pages 962-967.
    13. Luciano Fanti & Domenico Buccella, 2018. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Managerial Bonus Systems," Italian Economic Journal: A Continuation of Rivista Italiana degli Economisti and Giornale degli Economisti, Springer;Società Italiana degli Economisti (Italian Economic Association), vol. 4(2), pages 349-365, July.
    14. Jorge Fernández-Ruiz, 2021. "Corporate social responsibility in a supply chain and competition from a vertically integrated firm," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 68(2), pages 209-233, June.
    15. Mariana Cunha & Filipa Mota, 2020. "Coordinated Effects of Corporate Social Responsibility," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 617-641, December.
    16. Luca Lambertini & Arsen Palestini & Alessandro Tampieri, 2016. "CSR in an Asymmetric Duopoly with Environmental Externality," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 83(1), pages 236-252, July.
    17. Luciano Fanti & Domenico Buccella, 2016. "Network externalities and corporate social responsibility," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 36(4), pages 2043-2050.
    18. Buccella, Domenico & Fanti, Luciano & Gori, Luca, 2024. "Corporate Social Responsibility: A theory of the firm revisited with environmental issues," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1421, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    19. Nakamura, Yasuhiko, 2015. "Endogenous choice of strategic incentives in a mixed duopoly with a new managerial delegation contract for the public firm," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 262-277.
    20. Luciano Fanti & Domenico Buccella, 2020. "Social Responsibility in a Bilateral Monopoly with Downstream Convex Technology," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 761-776, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    CSR; Network effects; Duopoly;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • M14 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Corporate Culture; Diversity; Social Responsibility

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:inrvec:v:65:y:2018:i:3:d:10.1007_s12232-018-0297-8. 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.