Do Regulatory Pressures and Stakeholder Expectations Drive CSR Adherence in the Chemical Industry?

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

For Authors

The study is about the factors (regulatory pressure, profit maximization, the pressure from stakeholders, and concern for the environment) that motivate people who run chemical companies to practice Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Four hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling and cross-sectional survey collected data.

 The issue found in this manuscript that needs to be addressed is the weak technique and analysis of the data. Four hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling and cross-sectional survey collected data.

 The study is mainly about literature review (Page 3 to page 7) and four hypotheses (Page 7/line 329 – page 10/line 277) and is characterized by the weak analyses and old techniques. The factors such as regulatory pressure, profit maximization, the pressure from stakeholders, and concern for the environment are not deeply analyzed. Recent references in the same topic are missed in the study.

Table 1 includes weak Construct Measurement. The results of discriminant validity have been explained in the text so please delete the content of Table 3. Insufficient data are included.

Specific comments:

 

Find: Title: Do Regulatory Pressures and Stakeholder Expectations Drive CSR Adherence in the Chemical Industry?

Replaced with: Do Regulatory Pressures and Stakeholder Expectations Drive Corporate Social Responsibility Adherence in the Chemical Industry?

 

-          Find^{:  1} Assistant Professor, Accounting Department,

Replaced with: ^{:  1} Accounting Department,

Page 1/L 17: Find: Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was employed

Replaced with: structural equation modeling was employed

N.B. Abbreviations should be avoided in an abstract unless a term is used multiple times

-           All the text: Find: Structural Equation Modelling (SEM)

Replaced with: Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)

 

 

-          Page 1/L 26: Find: This research builds upon previous studies on corporate social 26 responsibility (CSR) in high-impact sectors

Replaced with: This research builds upon previous studies on CSR in high-impact sectors

 

N.B. Abbreviations should be defined at first mention in each of the following sections in your paper: abstract, text, each figure/table legend.  i.e. the abbreviations used in abstract section should be re-illustrated again in introduction section

 

Keywords: Please decrease the numbers of Keywords used

-          Page 2/L 48: Find: In the chemical industry, CSR activities entails a range of them

Replaced with: In the chemical industry, corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities entail a range of them

-          Page 2/L 63: Find: in the society(Adnan et al., 2024; Govindan et al., 2021).

Replaced with: in the society (Govindan et al., 2021; Adnan et al., 2024).

-          Page 2/L 76: Find: Corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies can be costly

Replaced with: CSR  strategy can be costly

Page 2/L 79: Find: (Baumann & Arvidsson, 2019; Mahjoub, 2019; Salminen, 2018).

Replaced with: (Salminen, 2018; Baumann & Arvidsson, 2019; Mahjoub, 2019).

Page 2/L 125: Find: The results from the SEM analysis

Replaced with: The results from SEM analysis

 

- Page 6/L 285-6: Find: (Adnan et al., 2024; De Santo, 2019; Govindan et al., 2021; Ike et al., 2019; Markowski et al., 2021; Tsalidis & Korevaar, 2019; Werker et al., 2019).

Replaced with: (De Santo, 2019; Ike et al., 2019; Tsalidis and Korevaar, 2019; Werker et al., 2019; Govindan et al., 2021; Markowski et al., 2021; Adnan et al., 2024).

 

-          Page 6/L 299: Find: Certainly quantitative methods especially with the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM)

Replaced with: Certainly quantitative methods especially with the SEM

- Page 10/L 481: Find: adherence to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices

Replaced with: adherence to CSR practices

-          Page 11/L 541-543: Find and check: Cronbach’s alpha was computed for all those key dimensions (Regulatory Pressure, Profit Orientation, Stakeholder Expectations, Environmental Commitment and CSR Adherence) in order to test the internal consistency and reliability of each construct

 

-Page 12/Table 1 Check: CSR Adherence

- Page 12/L 569: Find: Reliability and Convergent Validity. Improve Table 2

Page 14/L 647: enabling interpretation of the SEM analysis easier

Replaced with: enabling interpretation of SEM analysis easier

 

-          Page 17/L 762: Find: data were analyzed through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).

Replaced with: data were analyzed through SEM.

-          The article is not adequately referenced.

 

-          References 1 and 27 are 2024

Find: Meyer and 188 Rowan (1977); Heckman, J. J. (1979)/ multinational enterprises; Freeman (1984), Aragón-Correa and Sharma (2003); Delmas and Toffel (2008) and use recent references. May you use:

Ying M, Shan H, Tikuye GA. How do stakeholder pressures affect corporate social responsibility adoption? Evidence from Chinese manufacturing enterprises in Ethiopia. Sustainability. 2021 Dec 31;14(1):443.

Awa, H.O., Etim, W. and Ogbonda, E., 2024. Stakeholders, stakeholder theory and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility, 9(1), p.11.

Overesch M, Willkomm S. The relation between corporate social responsibility and profit shifting of multinational enterprises. International Tax and Public Finance. 2024 May 17:1-35.

Etikan J. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and its Influence on Organizational Reputation. Journal of Public Relations. 2024 Feb;2(1):1-2.

Karassin, O. and Bar-Haim, A., 2019. How regulation effects corporate social responsibility: Corporate environmental performance under different regulatory scenarios. World Political Science, 15(1), pp.25-53.

 

-          Page 17/L 788: Find: The study addresses CSR compliance challenges in the chemical sector more comprehensively by drawing on Institutional Theory, Stakeholder Theory and the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Check and rephrase

 

-          Page 17/L865: Reference 19: Freeman, R. E. (2010). Stakeholder theory: The state of the art. Cambridge University Press. Insert Pages number

 

-          Check the format of all references. Examples:  References 30, 37, 39, 42

 

-          Improve the quality of structure and the clarity

 

-          Please improve the engagement with sources as well as recent scholarship

Author Response

Reviewer Comment	Response/Action Taken
Title: Do Regulatory Pressures and Stakeholder Expectations Drive CSR Adherence in the Chemical Industry?	The title was revised to "Do Regulatory Pressures and Stakeholder Expectations Drive Corporate Social Responsibility Adherence in the Chemical Industry?"
1 Assistant Professor, Accounting Department,	Accounting Department," to simplify and remove unnecessary designation.
Page 1/L 17: Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was employed	"structural equation modeling was employed."
Structural Equation Modelling (SEM)	Revised throughout the manuscript to "Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)."
Page 1/L 26: This research builds upon previous studies on corporate social responsibility (CSR) in high-impact sectors	"This research builds upon previous studies on CSR in high-impact sectors."
Keywords: Excessive number of keywords	Reduced the number of keywords to align with journal guidelines.
Page 2/L 48: In the chemical industry, CSR activities entails a range of them	"In the chemical industry, corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities entail a range of them."
Page 2/L 63: in the society(Adnan et al., 2024; Govindan et al., 2021).	Revised to "in the society (Govindan et al., 2021; Adnan et al., 2024)."
Page 2/L 76: Corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies can be costly	"CSR strategy can be costly."
Page 2/L 79: (Baumann & Arvidsson, 2019; Mahjoub, 2019; Salminen, 2018).	Revised to "(Salminen, 2018; Baumann & Arvidsson, 2019; Mahjoub, 2019)."
Page 2/L 125: The results from the SEM analysis	The results from SEM analysis."
Page 6/L 285-286: (Adnan et al., 2024; De Santo, 2019; Govindan et al., 2021; Ike et al., 2019; Markowski et al., 2021; Tsalidis & Korevaar, 2019; Werker et al., 2019).	Revised to "(De Santo, 2019; Ike et al., 2019; Tsalidis and Korevaar, 2019; Werker et al., 2019; Govindan et al., 2021; Markowski et al., 2021; Adnan et al., 2024)."
Page 6/L 299: Certainly quantitative methods especially with the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM)	Revised to "Certainly quantitative methods especially with the SEM."
Page 10/L 481: adherence to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices	Revised to "adherence to CSR practices."
Page 11/L 541-543: Cronbach’s alpha was computed for all those key dimensions (Regulatory Pressure, Profit Orientation, Stakeholder Expectations, Environmental Commitment, and CSR Adherence).	No changes made, as the original statement is clear and meets academic requirements.
Page 12/Table 1: Check CSR Adherence	Table 1 was reviewed to ensure accuracy in data presentation and alignment.
Page 12/L 569: Reliability and Convergent Validity. Improve Table 2	Table 2 was reviewed and improved for formatting and clarity.
Page 14/L 647: enabling interpretation of the SEM analysis easier	Revised to "enabling interpretation of SEM analysis easier."
Page 17/L 762: data were analyzed through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).	Revised to "data were analyzed through SEM."
The article is not adequately referenced.	Additional relevant references were added where necessary.

 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Though the topic is important, the following needs to be addressed:

1. There are too many keywords, the authors need to choosea  few appropriate keywords.

2. Line 92- The issue of CSR and business ethics is more complex than this.... Need explanation. 

3. Some of the sentences were not complete. There were errors in singular and plural. Please see 109. 

4. They need to justify the reasons for using various theories. 

5. The data collection section should include more on the selection and process of the data collection.

6. Explain also how they get consent to participate in the survey

7. Policy and practical implication section and future research direction are to be included. 

 

 

Comments on the Quality of English Language

English editing should be mandated 

Author Response

Reviewer Comment	Response/Action Taken
1. There are too many keywords, the authors need to choose a few appropriate keywords.	We have Reduced the number of keywords to include only the most relevant ones. Focused on terms that align closely with the study's scope and objectives.
2. Line 92: The issue of CSR and business ethics is more complex than this.... Need explanation.	Expanded the discussion on CSR and business ethics to provide more context. Added details about the conflict between financial goals and social responsibilities.
3. Some of the sentences were not complete. There were errors in singular and plural. Please see 109.	Revised incomplete sentences and corrected errors in singular/plural forms, including the specific issue at line 109.
4. They need to justify the reasons for using various theories.	Added a justification for the use of Institutional Theory, Stakeholder Theory, and Theory of Planned Behavior, explaining their relevance to the research problem.
5. The data collection section should include more on the selection and process of the data collection.	Expanded the data collection section to detail the sampling strategy, participant selection criteria, and specific steps in the data collection process.
6. Explain also how they get consent to participate in the survey.	Included a description of the consent process, emphasizing voluntary participation and the ethical measures taken to ensure confidentiality and informed consent.
7. Policy and practical implication section and future research direction are to be included.	Added a dedicated section on policy and practical implications, discussing how the findings can inform regulatory bodies and business executives.

 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The article appears interesting in certain aspects but has many flaws: 

-  - It is unacceptable that none of the authors reviewed the article before uploading it to the system. How can one justify language mixing (e.g., lines 473-474: таким образом) or entirely incomprehensible sections (e.g., line 132: In othe I this research trompnt …), not to mention the numerous typos and minor errors (e.g., line 83: “e technologies”; line 221: “company s”; line 402: “bpractises”). These are just examples—other mistakes can be found throughout the text, such as "csr" (line 583) written in lowercase, sentences starting with lowercase letters (e.g., line 217: “study after study”), a period in a section title (Literature review.), and many other linguistic inaccuracies or inconsistencies. Such preparation of an article is unacceptable.

-   - The word "analyze" should be avoided in stating the article’s purpose (analysis is conducted to achieve a goal; analysis itself is not the goal).

-        - It is unclear when the research was conducted (timeframe), on what group of enterprises (spatial scope)—the only clue is in the abstract: “worldwide”. There is no detailed explanation of how these enterprises were selected for the sample. The methodological description is incomplete.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

a lot of language mistakes

Author Response

 

Reviewer Comment	Response/Action Taken
Unacceptable preparation of the article with numerous errors, typos, and inconsistencies (e.g., lines 473-474: таким образом, line 132: "In othe I this research trompnt …", line 83: “e technologies”, line 402: “bpractises”, lowercase "csr" in line 583, etc.).	Thoroughly revised the manuscript to correct all typographical, grammatical, and formatting errors. All instances of linguistic inconsistencies and inaccuracies (e.g., lowercase "csr", misplaced symbols) were corrected.
Language mixing (e.g., lines 473-474: таким образом)	Removed the mixed-language phrase and replaced it with a coherent English equivalent.
Incomprehensible sections (e.g., line 132: "In othe I this research trompnt …")	Rewrote the incomprehensible sections for clarity, ensuring that all sentences are grammatically correct and coherent.
Numerous typographical errors (e.g., line 83: “e technologies”, line 402: “bpractises”)	Corrected all typographical errors (e.g., replaced “e technologies” with “technologies,” corrected “bpractises” to “practices”).
Sentences starting with lowercase letters (e.g., line 217: “study after study”)	Capitalized the first letters of all affected sentences and ensured proper sentence structure.
Improper section titles (e.g., period in "Literature review.")	Removed the period from section titles (e.g., "Literature review") and standardized formatting across all headings and subheadings.
Avoid using "analyze" in stating the article’s purpose.	Rephrased instances where "analyze" was used in the article’s purpose. Clarified that the analysis was conducted as part of achieving a larger research goal.
Unclear timeframe and spatial scope of the research.	Added a detailed description of the timeframe and spatial scope of the research in the methodology section. Clarified that the survey was conducted globally across various chemical enterprises.
No explanation of how enterprises were selected for the sample.	Expanded the sampling section in the methodology to provide a detailed explanation of the selection criteria and sampling process (e.g., stratified random sampling by size, region, and service type).
Incomplete methodological description.	Added further details to the methodology, including the data collection process, participant recruitment methods, ethical considerations, and steps for ensuring data reliability.

 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The article is much better prepared (including linguistic issues) compared to the previous version.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

no comments