Research

13 pages, 673 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Food Security as Ethics and Social Responsibility: An Application of the Food Abundance Index in an Urban Setting

by Audrey J. Murrell, Ray Jones, Sam Rose, Alex Firestine and Joe Bute

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(16), 10042; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191610042 - 15 Aug 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3256

High levels of food insecurity signal the presence of disparities and inequities in local food access that have been shown to negatively impact the health and well-being of individuals and communities. Some argue that the lack of healthy, affordable and culturally relevant food [...] Read more.

High levels of food insecurity signal the presence of disparities and inequities in local food access that have been shown to negatively impact the health and well-being of individuals and communities. Some argue that the lack of healthy, affordable and culturally relevant food within a community represents a troubling social and ethical concern for any society. The current research conducts an assessment of a specific community utilizing the framework outlined by the Food Abundance Index (FAI) scorecard. Combined with contemporary regional data on the demographics of the area, data revealed extremely low scores for both access and density dimensions. Our findings can help business, community and policymakers better understand and target evidence-based solutions to address the issue of food insecurity within this region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ethics, Social Responsibility and Quality of Life in Times of Crisis)

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15 pages, 1134 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Social Responsibility and Ethics in Employees’ Wellbeing

by Claudiu George Bocean, Michael Marian Nicolescu, Marian Cazacu and Simona Dumitriu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(14), 8838; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148838 - 21 Jul 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4400

Abstract

Social responsibility (SR) is a concept or practice by which organizations take into account the interest of society by taking responsibility for the impact of their activities on all stakeholders. The SR of organizations implies ethical behavior concerning all stakeholders and a company’s [...] Read more.

Social responsibility (SR) is a concept or practice by which organizations take into account the interest of society by taking responsibility for the impact of their activities on all stakeholders. The SR of organizations implies ethical behavior concerning all stakeholders and a company’s commitment to the sustainable economic development of society. Organizational ethics is a set of written and unwritten codes of principles and values that govern decisions and actions within an organization. Ethics has a rather internal perspective, while social responsibility has a rather external perspective. This study examines the impact of social responsibility and organizational ethics on employees’ wellbeing. To perform the empirical analysis, we conducted a survey among 423 employees from Romanian organizations. Using the structural equation modeling, we analyzed the relationships between social responsibility, organizational ethics, and employees’ wellbeing, emphasizing the positive impact of ethical and responsible behavior of the organization on the employees’ wellbeing. The organization’s employees play a dual role: firstly, they are all internal stakeholders, and secondly, they are constituents of an external stakeholder essential for the organization—the community. The results show a significant positive influence of social responsibility and organizational ethics on employees’ wellbeing as a result of a responsible and ethical behavior in relation to the organizational stakeholders. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ethics, Social Responsibility and Quality of Life in Times of Crisis)

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14 pages, 802 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of CSR Perceptions on Employees’ Turnover Intention during the COVID-19 Crisis in China

by Yang Cheng, Yuan Wang and Feihong Pan

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(14), 8297; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148297 - 07 Jul 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2731

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has created tremendous challenges for organizations’ corporate social responsibility (CSR), communication, and relationship management with internal stakeholders such as employees. This study conducted an online survey of 466 employees working for large Chinese corporations during the pandemic. A structural equation [...] Read more.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created tremendous challenges for organizations’ corporate social responsibility (CSR), communication, and relationship management with internal stakeholders such as employees. This study conducted an online survey of 466 employees working for large Chinese corporations during the pandemic. A structural equation model based on insights from expectancy violation theory was used to examine how negative violation valence increases employees’ turnover intention as mediated by uncertainty, CSR cynicism, and distrust. The survey results showed that employees’ negative violation valence positively influenced their uncertainty about their organizations’ CSR activities, which fostered their cynicism about CSR and distrust of their organization. Employees’ CSR cynicism increased their distrust toward their organizations, which increased their turnover intention. The theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed as well. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ethics, Social Responsibility and Quality of Life in Times of Crisis)

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15 pages, 1184 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Self-Sacrificial Leadership on Employees’ Organisational Citizenship Behaviour for the Environment: A Moderated Mediation Model

by Yiying Qu, Zhenting Xu, Hong Sun and Qingsheng Li

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(12), 7450; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127450 - 17 Jun 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1906

Abstract

In the face of increasing environmental pressures, environmentally friendly behaviour can help companies achieve truly sustainable growth. The issue of how to promote environmental behaviour among employees is a new challenge for leaders. However, studies do not systematically reveal the mechanisms of the [...] Read more.

In the face of increasing environmental pressures, environmentally friendly behaviour can help companies achieve truly sustainable growth. The issue of how to promote environmental behaviour among employees is a new challenge for leaders. However, studies do not systematically reveal the mechanisms of the effects of self-sacrificial leadership on employees’ organisational citizenship behaviour for the environment (OCBE). Based on social learning theory and the attitude–behaviour–context model, we investigated the impact of self-sacrificial leadership on employees’ OCBE by focusing on the mediating role of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) as perceived by employees, and the moderating role of the pro-environmental organisational climate (PEOC). The results of a field survey of 461 employees (small- and medium-sized enterprises) in China indicate that self-sacrificial leadership was positively related to employees’ OCBE; this relationship was partially mediated by employees’ perception of CSR. Moreover, PEOC strengthened the effect of employees’ perceived CSR on OCBE, and the mediating effect of employees’ perceived CSR on the relationship between self-sacrificial leadership and OCBE. Our findings not only help scholars understand the mechanism of the effect of self-sacrificial leadership on employees’ OCBE, but also provide insights for recommending integrated management models, social responsibility, and environmental protection. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ethics, Social Responsibility and Quality of Life in Times of Crisis)

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20 pages, 1171 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigating the Relationships between COVID-19 Quality of Life, Loneliness, Happiness, and Internet Addiction among K-12 Teachers and School Administrators—A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

by Turgut Karakose, Tuncay Yavuz Ozdemir, Stamatios Papadakis, Ramazan Yirci, Secil Eda Ozkayran and Hakan Polat

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(3), 1052; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031052 - 18 Jan 2022

Cited by 64 | Viewed by 5259

Abstract

It is well acknowledged that the roles of both school administrators and teachers have changed due to the global education crisis caused by COVID-19. During this challenging and critical period, it is essential to investigate how those working in the education sector who [...] Read more.

It is well acknowledged that the roles of both school administrators and teachers have changed due to the global education crisis caused by COVID-19. During this challenging and critical period, it is essential to investigate how those working in the education sector who undertake strategic tasks for sustainable education are affected by the new conditions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigates the interrelationships between COVID-19 quality of life, loneliness, happiness, and Internet addiction. The research was designed according to the relational survey model, was conducted with 432 school administrators and teachers working in K-12 schools. The research data was collected through online questionnaires, and structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test and analyze proposed hypotheses. The study’s results revealed a positive relationship between the COVID-19 related quality of life and loneliness, and that loneliness significantly positively predicts Internet addiction. In this context, due to the impact of COVID-19 on the life quality, the participants’ loneliness levels significantly increased, and this increase in loneliness caused them to become addicted to using the Internet. Interestingly, it was also determined that a positive relationship exists between loneliness and happiness and that as the loneliness of individuals increased, their level of happiness also increased. In many studies conducted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a negative relationship was revealed between loneliness and happiness. In the current study conducted during the pandemic, the relationship between the two variables was positive. SEM results revealed that COVID-19 directly affects the quality of life, Internet addiction, loneliness, and happiness of school administrators and teachers. Furthermore, it was determined that Internet addiction indirectly affects the relationship between loneliness and happiness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ethics, Social Responsibility and Quality of Life in Times of Crisis)

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22 pages, 1886 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact Study on Social Accounting Matrix by Intrabusiness Analysis

by Monica Laura Zlati, Romeo-Victor Ionescu and Valentin Marian Antohi

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(23), 12547; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182312547 - 28 Nov 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2022

Abstract

According to the current concerns about social welfare and environmental protection, integrated in a model assimilated to intrabusiness relations, our research started from the analysis of the initial model SAM, which will be transformed in order to develop the SAMI model under six [...] Read more.

According to the current concerns about social welfare and environmental protection, integrated in a model assimilated to intrabusiness relations, our research started from the analysis of the initial model SAM, which will be transformed in order to develop the SAMI model under six research objectives. The need of improving SAM matrix started to connect it directly to the regional economic systems and continued to a new approach on Input-Output Analysis. Nowadays, SAM describes the intraregional connections between regional economic actors using the role of different income categories. Moreover, SAM can quantify different regional multipliers. All deficiencies previously identified in connection to SAM model have been reviewed and resolved within the proposed SAMI model by the authors of this paper. The purpose of this research is the launch of an absolutely new mathematical model (SAMI) and its practical testing at regional level. This model is able to systematize the links between the local and regional businesses, under the matrix (SAMI) flow, for all kinds of companies and to assist the regional decision, as well. Czamanski was not able to escape from the input-output prison’s approach. This is why he continued to use the linear interdependencies between the industries, economic sectors and economic actors. The income is able only to approximate the individuals and other economic actors’ welfare. If the increase in the average and aggregate income is doubled by an unfair distribution of income in two countries which have the same average income, the effects on welfare vary a lot. A relatively similar effect comes from the government policy differences in income distribution and redistribution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ethics, Social Responsibility and Quality of Life in Times of Crisis)

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20 pages, 4536 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Image in Times of Crisis: The Mediating Role of Customer Trust

by Chih-Cheng Chen, Asif Khan, Tanaporn Hongsuchon, Athapol Ruangkanjanases, Yen-Tzu Chen, Ornlatcha Sivarak and Shih-Chih Chen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(16), 8275; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168275 - 04 Aug 2021

Cited by 33 | Viewed by 7925

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to empirically examine relationships between a multi-dimensional set of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, numerous dimensions of customer trust, and corporate image in an emerging economy. It also analyzes the mediating effect of customer trust on the [...] Read more.

The purpose of this research is to empirically examine relationships between a multi-dimensional set of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, numerous dimensions of customer trust, and corporate image in an emerging economy. It also analyzes the mediating effect of customer trust on the relationship between CSR and corporate image. This study focuses on two of the most well-known hotel chains situated in Pakistan. Close-ended, self-administered questionnaires were circulated amongst a total of 300 hotel customers. The research data was analyzed using a partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) model. The results revealed that economic, legal, and ethical CSR significantly impacted corporate image, while philanthropic CSR did not affect the corporate image. However, economic, legal, and philanthropic CSRs were found to be in a significant relationship with customer trust, while ethical CSR was not in a significant relationship with customer trust. Finally, customer trust fully mediated the relationship between economic and legal CSR with corporate image, whereas it partially mediated the relationship between ethical and philanthropic CSR. This study is unique from earlier CSR research based on an assessment of the connection between CSR dimensions and corporate image to examine customers’ trust in an emerging economy, especially in times of crisis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ethics, Social Responsibility and Quality of Life in Times of Crisis)

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27 pages, 535 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure: Responding to Investors’ Criticism on Social Media

by Yuming Zhang and Fan Yang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(14), 7396; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18147396 - 11 Jul 2021

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 5346

Abstract

Companies use corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosures to communicate their social and environmental policies, practices, and performance to stakeholders. Although the determinants and outcomes of CSR activities are well understood, we know little about how companies use CSR communication to manage a crisis. [...] Read more.

Companies use corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosures to communicate their social and environmental policies, practices, and performance to stakeholders. Although the determinants and outcomes of CSR activities are well understood, we know little about how companies use CSR communication to manage a crisis. The few relevant CSR studies have focused on the pressure on corporations exerted by governments, customers, the media, or the public. Although investors have a significant influence on firm value, this stakeholder group has been neglected in research on CSR disclosure. Grounded in legitimacy theory and agency theory, this study uses a sample of Chinese public companies listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange to investigate CSR disclosure in response to social media criticism posted by investors. The empirical findings show that investors’ social media criticism not only motivates companies to disclose their CSR activities but also increases the substantiveness of their CSR reports, demonstrating that companies’ CSR communication in response to a crisis is substantive rather than merely symbolic. We also find that the impact of social media criticism on CSR disclosure is heterogeneous. Non-state-owned enterprises, companies in regions with high levels of environmental regulations, and companies in regions with local government concern about social issues are most likely to disclose CSR information and report substantive CSR activities. We provide an in-depth analysis of corporate CSR strategies for crisis management and show that crises initiated by investors on social media provide opportunities for corporations to improve their CSR engagement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ethics, Social Responsibility and Quality of Life in Times of Crisis)

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17 pages, 608 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Mediating Role of Responsible Innovation in the Relationship between Stakeholder Pressure and Corporate Sustainability Performance in Times of Crisis: Evidence from Selected Regions in China

by Hong Tian and Jiahui Tian

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(14), 7277; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18147277 - 07 Jul 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3285

Abstract

Responsible innovation, as a new management paradigm that balances the need for profit growth and the appeal of social value, plays an important role in taking into account corporate economic, social and environmental performance. It provides new ideas for driving enterprises to become [...] Read more.

Responsible innovation, as a new management paradigm that balances the need for profit growth and the appeal of social value, plays an important role in taking into account corporate economic, social and environmental performance. It provides new ideas for driving enterprises to become more risk-resistant and sustainable in times of crisis. However, existing research on responsible innovation has mostly focused on content issues, and there is a lack of sufficient research and empirical studies on its effectiveness in business organizations. Based on the stakeholder theory and the research logic of “pressure–behavior-performance”, this study investigates the formation mechanism of responsible innovation and its impact on corporate performance. Through empirical research on 306 Chinese sample data, the results show that stakeholder pressure has a positive impact on corporate sustainability performance and responsible innovation plays a partially mediating role in this relationship. Flexible routine replication positively moderates the relationship between stakeholder pressure and responsible innovation, while positively moderating the mediating role that responsible innovation plays between stakeholder pressure and corporate sustainability performance. This study contributes to helping enterprises recognize the importance of responsible innovation in responding to stakeholder pressure and promoting corporate sustainability performance in times of crisis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ethics, Social Responsibility and Quality of Life in Times of Crisis)

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22 pages, 598 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Moderating Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in the Association of Internal Corporate Governance and Profitability; Evidence from Pakistan

by Jihai Lu, Sohail Ahmad Javeed, Rashid Latief, Tao Jiang and Tze San Ong

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(11), 5830; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115830 - 28 May 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5400

Abstract

At present, climate and other environmental problems are arising because of the development of the industrial sector at a large level. The industrial sector is supposed to be a major cause of climate change problems that lead to global warming. Therefore, corporate social [...] Read more.

At present, climate and other environmental problems are arising because of the development of the industrial sector at a large level. The industrial sector is supposed to be a major cause of climate change problems that lead to global warming. Therefore, corporate social responsibility (CSR) with the help of corporate governance is an imperative approach to control these social problems. Consequently, in the context of the organizational and management theory, agency theory, and the stakeholder theory, this study focuses on important factors of internal corporate governance such as chief executive officer (CEO) power, the board size, independence, ownership concentration, managerial ownership, and audit quality for improving the profitability of firms. Moreover, this study considers corporate social responsibility as a controlling and moderating factor for firm performance and internal corporate governance. We employed ordinary least square (OLS) for endogeneity testing, fixed effect (FE), generalized method of moments (GMM), and feasible generalized least square (FGLS) on data of Pakistani firms for the period of 2010–2019. The results of this study demonstrate the following outcomes: firstly, all internal corporate governance factors are positively linked with firm performance; secondly, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is the most valuable tool for improving profitability. Importantly, this study suggests that all internal corporate governance factors are positively linked with firm performance because of the interactive role of corporate social responsibility (CSR). This study practically contributes to the literature by suggesting the imperative role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) for internal corporate governance, which may help to reduce climate and social problems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ethics, Social Responsibility and Quality of Life in Times of Crisis)

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14 pages, 2019 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring the Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility Communication through Social Media on Banking Customer E-WOM and Loyalty in Times of Crisis

by Dianxi Zhang, Asif Mahmood, Antonio Ariza-Montes, Alejandro Vega-Muñoz, Naveed Ahmad, Heesup Han and Muhammad Safdar Sial

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(9), 4739; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094739 - 29 Apr 2021

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 5095

Abstract

Previous studies have largely explored corporate social responsibility (CSR) for organization-centric outcomes to achieve organizational performance, organizational commitment, or organizational citizenship behavior. However, the importance of CSR to achieve customer-centric outcomes is underexplored to date. Contemporary researchers have recently turned their attention toward [...] Read more.

Previous studies have largely explored corporate social responsibility (CSR) for organization-centric outcomes to achieve organizational performance, organizational commitment, or organizational citizenship behavior. However, the importance of CSR to achieve customer-centric outcomes is underexplored to date. Contemporary researchers have recently turned their attention toward CSR from the viewpoint of customer-centric outcomes. Therefore, the present study attempts to test the influence of CSR communication on social media and customer loyalty in the banking sector of a developing economy in times of crisis. This study also investigates the mediating effect of electronic word of mouth (E-WOM) with this relationship. The data of the present study were collected from different banking customers using a self-administered questionnaire. The empirical findings of this study validated that the CSR communication of a bank on social media increases customer loyalty, and E-WOM partially mediates this relationship. This study will be helpful for the banking sector to understand the importance of CSR communication to increase customer loyalty, which is very important for every bank in times of crisis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ethics, Social Responsibility and Quality of Life in Times of Crisis)

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16 pages, 621 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Inter-Relation of Corporate Social Responsibility at Employee Level, Servant Leadership, and Innovative Work Behavior in the Time of Crisis from the Healthcare Sector of Pakistan

by Naveed Ahmad, Miklas Scholz, Muhammad Zulqarnain Arshad, Syed Khuram Ali Jafri, Raja Irfan Sabir, Waris Ali Khan and Heesup Han

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(9), 4608; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094608 - 27 Apr 2021

Cited by 35 | Viewed by 4876

Abstract

Organizational crisis can serve as a base to provide an opportunity to an organization for enhancing individuals, organizations, and communities. The healthcare sector is one of those sectors that remains under continuous pressure to provide high-quality service delivery to the patients. Hence, the [...] Read more.

Organizational crisis can serve as a base to provide an opportunity to an organization for enhancing individuals, organizations, and communities. The healthcare sector is one of those sectors that remains under continuous pressure to provide high-quality service delivery to the patients. Hence, the requirement of innovation for this sector is huge when compared to other sectors. The majority of the previous studies have investigated the phenomenon of CSR at the employee’s level (CSR-E) to influence employee behavior positively. However, the importance of CSR-E to enhance the innovative capability of the employees at the workplace is not well-explored in extant literature. Moreover, it is not clear from previous studies how the concept of servant leadership can explain the employee’s engagement towards innovative work behavior (EIB). Thus, the current survey aims to test the relationship of CSR-E and EIB in the healthcare sector of Pakistan with the mediating effect of servant leadership. The data of the current study were obtained through a self-administered (paper-pencil) survey and they were analyzed through the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique. The empirical results of SEM analysis revealed that CSR-E and EIB are positively related and servant leadership partially mediates this relationship. The findings of the current study will be helpful for policymakers to improve their understanding towards CSR-E to induce EIB in the time of crisis. At the same time, the current study also highlights the importance of servant leadership to the policymakers in encouraging the employees to display their innovative capability at the workplace to serve their organization during the time of crisis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ethics, Social Responsibility and Quality of Life in Times of Crisis)

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