Search Results (2,030)

Demands for companies to comply with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) requirements are growing, and companies are also expected to play a role in promoting sustainable development. For companies to achieve sustainable growth while addressing ESG, it must be understood whether ESG activities promote improved corporate financial performance. We conducted a five-year panel data analysis of 635 Japanese firms from FY 2019 to FY 2023, using the PBR, PER, and ROE financial indicators as the dependent variables and CSR ratings in the human resource utilization (HR), environment (E), governance (G), and social (S) categories as the independent variables. The results revealed that, depending on the combination of ESG field and financial indicators, companies with advanced ESG initiatives had greater financial performance, with some cases showing a nonlinear relationship; differences in the results between manufacturing and nonmanufacturing industries were also observed. For companies to effectively advance ESG activities, it is important to clarify the objectives and results for each ESG category. For policymakers to consider measures to encourage companies’ ESG activities, it is also important to design finely tuned regulations and incentives according to the ESG category and industry characteristics. Full article

Energy-intensive industries (EIIs) face mounting pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining international competitiveness—a balance that is central to achieving the EU’s 2030 and 2050 climate objectives. In this context, energy management (EM) emerges as a strategic instrument to decouple industrial growth from fossil energy consumption. This study proposes a redefinition of EM to support carbon-neutral supply chains within the European Union’s EIIs, addressing critical limitations of conventional EM frameworks under increasingly stringent carbon regulations. Using a modified systematic literature review based on PRISMA methodology, complemented by expert insights from EU Member States, this research identifies structural gaps in current EM practices and highlights opportunities for integrating sustainable innovations across the whole industrial value chain. The proposed EM concept is validated through an analysis of 24 EM definitions, over 170 scientific publications, and over 80 EU legal and strategic documents. The framework incorporates advanced digital technologies—including artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and big data analytics—to enable real-time optimisation, predictive control, and greater system adaptability. Going beyond traditional energy efficiency, the redefined EM encompasses the entire energy lifecycle, including use, transformation, storage, and generation. It also incorporates social dimensions, such as corporate social responsibility (CSR) and stakeholder engagement, to cultivate a culture of environmental stewardship within EIIs. This holistic approach provides a strategic management tool for optimising energy use, reducing emissions, and strengthening resilience to regulatory, environmental, and market pressures, thereby promoting more sustainable, inclusive, and transparent supply chain operations. Full article

In an era where sustainable development is increasingly a core strategic issue for businesses, how top management, as the architects of corporate strategy, can achieve a synergy of economic, social, and environmental benefits through internal management mechanisms to promote corporate sustainability is a central focus for both academia and practice. This study aims to explore how Executive Cognitive Flexibility (CF) influences Firm Performance and to uncover the mediating effects of Non-market Strategy. We use panel data from Chinese A-share listed companies between 2016 and 2022 to examine and empirically analyze this mechanism. Our findings indicate that CF has a positive impact on Firm Performance. This relationship is realized through the pathway of Non-market Strategy, specifically manifesting as a reduction in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and an increase in Corporate Political Activity (CPA). Further analysis reveals that the impact of executive cognitive flexibility on firm performance is differentially influenced by internal and external environmental contexts. The findings of this study provide important practical insights and policy recommendations for companies on cultivating executive cognitive flexibility, optimizing non-market strategies, and enhancing firm performance in various internal and external environments. Full article

This paper examines the moderating role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on the relationship between environmental, social, and governance (ESG) dimensions and investor decision-making in Jordan. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire designed for institutional investors and financial analysts, capturing perceptions of ESG, CSR, and investment behavior. A stratified random sample of 350 professionals across the financial, industrial, and service sectors was surveyed. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4. The findings show that environmental and social dimensions have positive effects on investor decisions, with governance dimensions having a negative effect. Notably, CSR has a negative moderating effect on the governance dimensions and investor decision, with no observed statistical moderating effect for environmental or social dimensions. This research unravels the multidimensional role of CSR in building the ESG-investor decision interface and identifies a counterintuitive negative moderating impact of CSR on governance, contributing to the existing literature on sustainability alignment in emerging markets. The results offer practical implications for companies aiming to attract sustainability-oriented investors by indicating the necessity for an integrated and genuine CSR and ESG approach. Full article

Prior research often portrays Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a coercive institutional force compelling firms to passively conform for legitimacy. More recent studies, however, suggest firms actively pursue CSR to gain sustainable competitive advantages. Yet, how and when CSR buffers firms against adverse shocks of crises remains insufficiently understood. This study addresses this gap by using multiple regression analysis to examine the buffering effects of CSR investments during the COVID-19 crisis, which severely disrupted capital markets and firm valuation. Drawing on signaling theory and CSR literature, we analyze the stock market performance of China’s A-share listed firms using a sample of 2577 observations as of the end of 2019. Results indicate that firms with higher CSR investments experienced significantly greater cumulative abnormal returns during the pandemic. Moreover, the buffering effect is amplified among firms with higher debt burdens, greater financing constraints, and those operating in regions with stronger social trust and more severe COVID-19 impact. These findings are robust across multiple robustness checks. This study highlights the strategic value of CSR as a resilience mechanism during crises and supports a more proactive view of CSR engagement for sustainable development, complementing the traditional legitimacy-focused perspective in existing literature. Full article

Ocular diseases can significantly affect vision and overall quality of life, with diagnosis often being time-consuming and dependent on expert interpretation. While previous computer-aided diagnostic systems have focused primarily on medical imaging, this paper proposes VisionTrack, a multi-modal AI system for predicting multiple retinal diseases, including Diabetic Retinopathy (DR), Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), Diabetic Macular Edema (DME), drusen, Central Serous Retinopathy (CSR), and Macular Hole (MH), as well as normal cases. The proposed framework integrates a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) for image-based feature extraction, a Graph Neural Network (GNN) to model complex relationships among clinical risk factors, and a Large Language Model (LLM) to process patient medical reports. By leveraging diverse data sources, VisionTrack improves prediction accuracy and offers a more comprehensive assessment of retinal health. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of this hybrid system, highlighting its potential for early detection, risk assessment, and personalized ophthalmic care. Experiments were conducted using two publicly available datasets, RetinalOCT and RFMID, which provide diverse retinal imaging modalities: OCT images and fundus images, respectively. The proposed multi-modal AI system demonstrated strong performance in multi-label disease prediction. On the RetinalOCT dataset, the model achieved an accuracy of 0.980, F1-score of 0.979, recall of 0.978, and precision of 0.979. Similarly, on the RFMID dataset, it reached an accuracy of 0.989, F1-score of 0.881, recall of 0.866, and precision of 0.897. These results confirm the robustness, reliability, and generalization capability of the proposed approach across different imaging modalities. Full article

The aim of this study was to compare IC and CSR and to examine ICr as a mediating variable. The study employed a relational survey design and involved participants drawn from industrial organizations based in Tehran. To evaluate participants’ perceptions of innovation climate, corporate social responsibility, and Individual Creativity, standardized questionnaires were used. In analyzing the findings, the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was adopted, and the analyses were conducted using SPSS AMOS version 26. The analysis revealed that an Innovative Climate exerts a positive and statistically significant influence on CSR. In addition, a positive and significant association was identified between Innovative Climate and Individual Creativity. The results further demonstrated a meaningful relationship between Individual Creativity and CSR. Finally, to test the hypothesis of partial mediation, the study confirmed that Individual Creativity functions as a mediating mechanism between IC and CSR. Overall, these findings highlight the critical role of an innovative environment in enhancing CSR efforts from the perspective of Individual Creativity, and they provide insight for future studies aimed at developing strategies to strengthen creativity as a strategic means of achieving more effective CSR outcomes. The study advocates the development of an innovation-oriented mindset as a pathway to promoting socially responsible practices within Tehran’s industrial sector. Full article

As Chinese firms play pivotal roles in global supply chains, multinational corporations face increasing pressure to ensure ESG accountability across their sourcing networks. Current ESG rating systems lack transparency in incorporating China’s unique industrial, economic, and cultural factors, creating reliability concerns for stakeholders managing supply chain sustainability risks. This study develops an explainable artificial intelligence framework using SHAP and permutation feature importance (PFI) methods to predict the ESG performance of Chinese firms. We analyze comprehensive ESG data of 1608 Chinese listed companies over 13 years (2009–2021), integrating financial and non-financial determinants traditionally examined in isolation. Empirical findings demonstrate that random forest algorithms significantly outperform multivariate linear regression in capturing nonlinear ESG relationships. Key non-financial determinants include patent portfolios, CSR training initiatives, pollutant emissions, and charitable donations, while financial factors such as current assets and gearing ratios prove influential. Sectoral analysis reveals that manufacturing firms are evaluated through pollutant emissions and technical capabilities, whereas non-manufacturing firms are assessed on business taxes and intangible assets. These insights provide essential tools for multinational corporations to anticipate supply chain sustainability conditions. Full article

The oil and gas industry remains vital to the global economy, yet its operations contribute significantly to environmental degradation, one of the most urgent challenges of the 21st century. This study explores the lived experiences of those directly impacted by the negative externalities of oil and gas activities, with a focus on gas flaring, oil spills, and habitat loss. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental conservation in lower-income countries remain underexplored in the existing literature. This study addresses that gap by specifically examining Nigeria’s oil and gas industry context. It examines the extent to which CSR initiatives address or intensify these environmental issues, raising the central question: to what extent do CSR efforts contribute meaningfully to environmental conservation, and how are they perceived by affected communities? Using an exploratory qualitative approach, this study draws on in-depth, face-to-face interviews with key stakeholders, including oil company staff and host community members. Data were analysed thematically through inductive coding, leading to the construction of one overarching theme: “CSR as a strategic response.” This theme emerged from three central codes—afforestation, shore protection, and environmental conservation and remediation. Findings suggest that CSR must evolve from transactional interventionist gestures to long-term ecological stewardship. Full article

This study investigates the impact of outsiders’ demand for more information (or transparency) on corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Drawing on a dataset of U.S. companies from 2010 to 2023, CSR performance is measured using ASSET4 ratings, while CSR disclosure levels are captured through the number of words and sentences in reports. Utilizing within-industry and -firm OLS regressions, our analyses reveal a positive relationship between the demand for more information and future CSR investments, showing that firms with higher demand for information not only enhance their CSR performance but also expand the length of their CSR reports. These results suggest that increased pressures for information encourage organizations to engage more deeply with social responsibility, resulting in more robust CSR activities and more comprehensive reporting practices. This study contributes to the existing literature by highlighting the strong predictive role of outsiders’ demand for more information in promoting CSR investment and disclosure, and by offering important insights for policymakers and practitioners on fostering corporate responsibility through enhanced transparency. Full article

As a major agricultural center in China, Henan Province is highly dependent on groundwater resources for its socioeconomic development. However, under the triple pressure of intensive agricultural irrigation, surging industrial water demand, and accelerating urbanization, the sustainable use of groundwater resources has become a key issue for regional development. This paper utilizes GRACE satellite data and the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) assimilation model from 2003 to 2023 to invert alterations in terrestrial water storage (TWS) and groundwater storage (GWS) in Henan Province. We examine the factors influencing these changes and compare the spherical harmonic coefficient (SH) data with Mascon data, integrating precipitation and soil moisture data. Using the GRACE Mascon data as a reference, GWS in Henan Province exhibited a stable trend from January 2003 to October 2010, with a rate of −0.060 cm/month. From October 2010 to June 2020, GWS demonstrated a declining trend, with a rate of −0.121 cm/month. Conversely, from June 2020 to December 2023, GWS revealed a significant upward trend, with a rate of 0.255 cm/month. The TWS and GWS of the inverse performances of the Centre for Space Research (CSR) SH data and the CRS Mascon data exhibited a similar trend, albeit with differing values. Additionally, the precipitation data, soil moisture, and GLDAS data demonstrated significant seasonal variations, with a lag of approximately two months between changes in precipitation and GWS. Declining GWS could be related to climatic and anthropogenic factors. The changes in groundwater in Henan Province studied in this paper can provide a reference for the sustainable utilization of groundwater resources in the region. Full article

Indonesia’s post-mining landscapes require an integrated governance approach to achieve equitable and sustainable reclamation. This study developed and evaluated the TILANG Framework (Triple-Bottom-Line Integrated Land Governance) as a multidimensional model that aligns ecological restoration, community empowerment, and institutional accountability. Based on a meta-synthesis of 773 academic and institutional remarks coded using NVivo 12, the study identified sustainable cacao agriculture as a viable compensation mechanism that supports livelihood recovery while restoring degraded land. The framework draws on six foundational theoretical components—Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Stakeholder Theory, Legitimacy Theory, the Theory of Planned Behavior, the Triple Bottom Line, and multi-level governance—and is operationalized through six implementation principles: Trust, Inclusivity, Legitimacy, Alignment, Norms, and Governance. The findings support performance-based land reclamation by embedding behavioral readiness and institutional co-financing into sustainability strategies. This model is particularly relevant to Indonesia’s ongoing land-use transformation, where post-extractive zones are shifting toward agroecological and community-centered recovery. The study found that (1) reframing land compensation as a restorative, performance-based mechanism enables more legitimate and inclusive post-mining governance; (2) sustainable cacao agriculture represents a viable and socially accepted strategy for ecological recovery and rural livelihood revitalization; and (3) the TILANG Framework advances land-use transformation by integrating corporate responsibility, behavioral readiness, and multi-level governance into a cohesive performance model. Full article

The main purpose of this study is to explore the impact of internal and external corporate social responsibility perception (CSRP) on organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and the mediating effect of person–corporate social responsibility fit (P-CSR Fit) among staff members in Saudi Arabia’s banking industry. The existing literature offers limited exploration of mechanisms that enhance CSR effectiveness in influencing OCB. This study explores the mediating impact of P-CSR Fit on OCB, particularly within the developing country context of Saudi Arabia. A sample of 200 employees from banks in Saudi Arabia was surveyed to investigate these relationships, utilizing a structured questionnaire. Both SPSS and AMOS were utilized to assess the relationships and test the hypotheses within structural equation modeling. The study findings reveal that P-CSR Fit fully mediates the relationship between internal CSRP and OCB. However, external P-CSR Fit does not mediate the relationship between external CSRP and OCB. The discussion includes theoretical and practical implications, as well as study limitations. Full article

As the world recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism industry is experiencing a surge in demand. While this growth is essential for economic recovery, it also presents significant challenges in terms of sustainability. The tourism industry is under increasing pressure to adopt business practices that align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has emerged as a critical framework for addressing these challenges. This study seeks to understand how CSR can contribute to the achievement of the SDGs within the tourism industry, with a focus on identifying the best practices of management. A systematic literature review was conducted to address this research question. A comprehensive search of the literature was performed using Boolean operators in databases including Web of Science, ABI/Inform Collection, Business Source Complete, and Emerald Insight. After applying pre-determined inclusion criteria, the selected studies were analysed using the population/problem, intervention, comparison, and outcome (PICO) framework. The quality of the evidence was assessed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines to ensure the rigor and reliability of the findings. Full article

This paper examines the relation between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and firm financial performance—a topic that continues to generate debate among academics and practitioners. We focus on firms included in the 100 Best Corporate Citizens (BCC) rankings from 2009 to 2022, a list that highlights companies recognized for CSR transparency and performance. Using panel data regression analyses and matched sample comparison, we examine whether BCC firms outperform their peers. Our findings show that, relative to matched firms not included in the rankings, BCC firms demonstrate significantly stronger future operating performance. Among BCC firms, CSR rankings are positively associated with future operating performance, although this positive relation has diminished in more recent years. Furthermore, we find no significant association between operating performance and most individual CSR component rankings except for employee relations. Finally, our evidence indicates that more socially responsible firms engage in less tax avoidance and pay higher audit fees, suggesting that CSR-oriented firms exhibit stronger ethical considerations across a broad range of corporate activities. This study contributes to the CSR literature by providing updated empirical evidence and practical insights for stakeholders evaluating corporate behavior and outcomes through the BCC rankings. Full article