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Corporate Social Responsibility in Agribusiness: Empirical Findings from Germany

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  • Heyder, Matthias
  • Theuvsen, Ludwig

Abstract

The social responsibility of businesses has developed into a highly debated issue in recent years. Especially in agribusiness, recent scandals as well as information asymmetries concerning food production have led to high external pressure on firms from the wider public. Being confronted with a variety of stakeholder goals and relationships, it could be particularly advantageous for enterprises in agribusiness to pursue a corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy. Based on a literature review, we introduce a conceptual framework that provides insights into the determinants of CSR and its effects, in particular, on the legitimacy and reputation, and finally, the performance of enterprises in agribusiness. This contingency-theoretic approach allows a more thorough analysis of CSR strategies and has guided an empirical study. In 2008, 170 German agribusiness companies responded to an online survey, using a standardized questionnaire. The empirical findings provide in-depth insights into the perception of external pressure in various fields linked to food production (for instance, use of genetically modified organisms), the understanding of social responsibility by the agribusiness companies surveyed and the way CSR is integrated into the firms’ strategic management. We also present three clusters of companies that differ with regard to their dominant motives for pursuing CSR strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Heyder, Matthias & Theuvsen, Ludwig, 2009. "Corporate Social Responsibility in Agribusiness: Empirical Findings from Germany," 113th Seminar, September 3-6, 2009, Chania, Crete, Greece 58152, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
  • Handle: RePEc:ags:eaa113:58152
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.58152
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Peter Turyakira, 2018. "Corporate Social Responsibility Activities that Influence Customer Loyalty of SMEs," International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 13(6), pages 255-255, April.
    2. Heinen, Sarah & Hartmann, Monika, 2013. "Corporate Social Responsibility in the German Pork Industry: Relevance and Determinants," 2013 International European Forum, February 18-22, 2013, Innsbruck-Igls, Austria 164733, International European Forum on System Dynamics and Innovation in Food Networks.
    3. Hajdu, Anna & Daziano, Marcos F. & Visser, Oane, 2021. "Institutions and individual values motivating corporate social responsibility activities in large farms and agroholdings," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 24(4), April.
    4. Larysa LEVKIVSKA & Inna LEVKOVYCH, 2017. "Social responsibility in Ukrainian agriculture: the regional issue," Eastern Journal of European Studies, Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, vol. 8, pages 97-114, June.
    5. Heise, Heinke & Pirsich, Wiebke & Theuvsen, Ludwig, 2014. "Criteria-Based Evaluation Of Selected European Animal Welfare Labels: Initiatives From The Poultry Meat Sector," 2014 AAEA/EAAE/CAES Joint Symposium: Social Networks, Social Media and the Economics of Food, May 29-30, 2014, Montreal, Canada 174340, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    6. Diego Andrés Vélez Rivera & Sergio Andrés Palacio Aristizabal, 2017. "Un acercamiento a la comprensión de la responsabilidad social empresarial en comercializadoras y productores de hortensias en el oriente antioqueno," Revista Lebret, Universidad Santo Tomás - Bucaramanga, vol. 9, pages 75-95, December.
    7. Levkivska, Larysa & Levkovych, Inna, 2017. "Social responsibility in Ukrainian agriculture: the regional issue," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 8(1), pages 97-114.
    8. Heise, Heinke & Pirsich, Wiebke & Theuvsen, Ludwig, 2014. "Improved Process Quality through Certification Systems: An Assessment of Selected Animal Welfare Labels," 2014 International European Forum, February 17-21, 2014, Innsbruck-Igls, Austria 199057, International European Forum on System Dynamics and Innovation in Food Networks.
    9. Heise, Heinke & Pirsich, Wiebke & Theuvsen, Ludwig, 2014. "Improved Process Quality through Certification Systems: An Assessment of Selected Animal Welfare Labels," International Journal on Food System Dynamics, International Center for Management, Communication, and Research, vol. 5(1), pages 1-11, September.
    10. Antonio Martos-Pedrero & Francisco Joaquín Cortés-García & David Jiménez-Castillo, 2019. "The Relationship between Social Responsibility and Business Performance: An Analysis of the Agri-Food Sector of Southeast Spain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-23, November.
    11. Kinga Biró & Mária Szalmáné Csete, 2021. "Corporate social responsibility in agribusiness: climate-related empirical findings from Hungary," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 5674-5694, April.

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    Keywords

    Agricultural and Food Policy;

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