Improving competitive advantage through corporate social responsibility in South Africa : the role of social and environmental impact levels
The question as to whether companies can “do well while doing good” has been investigated by academics for over four decades. Conclusive evidence of a positive link between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Corporate Financial Performance (CFP) so far has however remained elusive. In buildin...
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/45042 Smits, M. (2014) Improving competitive advantage through corporate social responsibility in South Africa: the role of social and environmental impact levels (MBA mini-dissertation).Gordon Institute of Business Science, University of Pretoria. Retrieved from http://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/1818 |
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ndltd-netd.ac.za-oai-union.ndltd.org-up-oai-repository.up.ac.za-2263-450422017-07-20T04:12:11Z Improving competitive advantage through corporate social responsibility in South Africa : the role of social and environmental impact levels Smits, Marieke Mthombeni, Morris ichelp@gibs.co.za Social responsibility of business -- South Africa Social change Corporations—Accounting Quantitative research The question as to whether companies can “do well while doing good” has been investigated by academics for over four decades. Conclusive evidence of a positive link between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Corporate Financial Performance (CFP) so far has however remained elusive. In building on previous research findings, this study aimed to provide a deeper understanding into the mediating and moderating factors that impact a firm’s ability to generate returns from social investment. In particular, the moderating effect of social and environmental (SEI) impact levels on CSR returns were further investigated. Following the risk-reduction and value-creating hypotheses, it was asserted that sustainable firms with high SEI would yield superior CFP as compared to their peers with lower levels of social and environmental impact. The findings revealed that sustainable firms with high levels of social and environmental impact indeed had higher CFP than their peers with medium and low social and environmental impacts levels. However, the same results were yielded for non-sustainable companies. Although the main hypothesis did not yield the expected outcomes, the study provided important insights into the role of moderating factors on the ability for firms to generate returns from CSR. Moreover, the study uncovered previously unexplored areas of CSR and thereby opened up new avenues for future research. Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. lmgibs2015 Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) Unrestricted 2015-05-08T05:46:43Z 2015-05-08T05:46:43Z 2015-04-29 2014 Mini Dissertation http://hdl.handle.net/2263/45042 Smits, M. (2014) Improving competitive advantage through corporate social responsibility in South Africa: the role of social and environmental impact levels (MBA mini-dissertation).Gordon Institute of Business Science, University of Pretoria. Retrieved from http://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/1818 en © 2014 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
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Social responsibility of business -- South Africa Social change Corporations—Accounting Quantitative research |
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Social responsibility of business -- South Africa Social change Corporations—Accounting Quantitative research Smits, Marieke Improving competitive advantage through corporate social responsibility in South Africa : the role of social and environmental impact levels |
description |
The question as to whether companies can “do well while doing good” has been investigated by academics for over four decades. Conclusive evidence of a positive link between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Corporate Financial Performance (CFP) so far has however remained elusive.
In building on previous research findings, this study aimed to provide a deeper understanding into the mediating and moderating factors that impact a firm’s ability to generate returns from social investment. In particular, the moderating effect of social and environmental (SEI) impact levels on CSR returns were further investigated. Following the risk-reduction and value-creating hypotheses, it was asserted that sustainable firms with high SEI would yield superior CFP as compared to their peers with lower levels of social and environmental impact.
The findings revealed that sustainable firms with high levels of social and environmental impact indeed had higher CFP than their peers with medium and low social and environmental impacts levels. However, the same results were yielded for non-sustainable companies.
Although the main hypothesis did not yield the expected outcomes, the study provided important insights into the role of moderating factors on the ability for firms to generate returns from CSR. Moreover, the study uncovered previously unexplored areas of CSR and thereby opened up new avenues for future research. === Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. === lmgibs2015 === Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) === Unrestricted |
author2 |
Mthombeni, Morris |
author_facet |
Mthombeni, Morris Smits, Marieke |
author |
Smits, Marieke |
author_sort |
Smits, Marieke |
title |
Improving competitive advantage through corporate social responsibility in South Africa : the role of social and environmental impact levels |
title_short |
Improving competitive advantage through corporate social responsibility in South Africa : the role of social and environmental impact levels |
title_full |
Improving competitive advantage through corporate social responsibility in South Africa : the role of social and environmental impact levels |
title_fullStr |
Improving competitive advantage through corporate social responsibility in South Africa : the role of social and environmental impact levels |
title_full_unstemmed |
Improving competitive advantage through corporate social responsibility in South Africa : the role of social and environmental impact levels |
title_sort |
improving competitive advantage through corporate social responsibility in south africa : the role of social and environmental impact levels |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/2263/45042 Smits, M. (2014) Improving competitive advantage through corporate social responsibility in South Africa: the role of social and environmental impact levels (MBA mini-dissertation).Gordon Institute of Business Science, University of Pretoria. Retrieved from http://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/1818 |
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