When Employees Walk The Company Talk: The Importance Of Employee Involvement In Corporate Philanthropy

Although corporate philanthropy is often viewed as a vehicle for fostering employee commitment, research suggests that it does not always accomplish this goal. Drawing on theories on prosocial sensemaking and on social identity theory, I propose that involving employees in corporate philanthropy encourages more benevolent attributions for philanthropy, thereby promoting higher attitudinal and behavioral commitment. In Study 1, a field study with employees and supervisors in a chemical‐pharmaceutical firm, employee involvement in corporate philanthropy predicted higher attitudinal and behavioral commitment to the firm. In Study 2, a laboratory experiment, participants reported higher attitudinal and behavioral commitment to a company when it was described as involving employees in philanthropy. In both studies, benevolent attributions mediated the associations of employee involvement in philanthropy with both attitudinal and behavioral commitment. My research provides new insights for understanding the impact of corporate philanthropy on a particularly important group of stakeholders—employees—and shows how employee involvement may encourage insiders to act to improve the organization's external image. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Stage models of corporate ‘greening’: a critical evaluation

Corporate ‘greening’, i.e. the process by which companies can become more environmentally responsible in their operations, has attracted considerable interest lately. Largely born out of hands-on consultancy experience, various models have been proposed which describe a series of ‘stages’ by which companies become progressively more environmentally conscious and reduce their impact on the natural environment. The present article critically analyses some of these ‘stage’ models of corporate ‘greening’ from both an empirical and a management theoretical point of view. The empirical analysis is based on four case studies of the ‘greening’ efforts of companies in the UK water and electricity industries. Environmental strategy and management in these companies is found to fit poorly into the stage models of corporate ‘greening’. The article concludes that more comprehensive and interpretative explanations of organizational ‘greening’ are needed, including contextual and process oriented analysis. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

自我控制资源对亲社会行为的影响

大量研究表明人们需要消耗自我控制资源压抑自利动机才能实现亲社会行为。然而,有研究发现自我控制资源和亲社会行为之间并不存在关系,甚至发现自我控制资源受损的个体反而更有可能产生亲社会行为。因此,对于亲社会行为究竟是“有意为之”还是“直觉使然”仍然存在争议。基于双系统理论视角,具体探讨自我控制资源如何影响人们的亲社会决策,包括何时采用何系统进行决策,以及在不同系统下存在的不同的影响因素和作用机制。未来研究需要进一步细化及完善对亲社会行为的测量,探究其中的调节变量。     

The greening of industry: needs of the field

This article takes stock of some of the advances research on the greening of industry has made over the last decade and sets out an agenda for the next one. Obviously, a thorough review of all of the work on the greening of industry is outside the scope of this article. Instead we will only outline the evolution of the field and focus on the area of inquiry situated at the centre of greening of industry studies: the determinants and consequences of greening. These two questions were the focus of some of the first greening of industry studies and a multitude of works, especially on the determinants of greening, subsequently has identified numerous important insights. Yet, this area of inquiry also exemplifies major weaknesses within research in data on the greening of industry. Progress in our understanding of greening has been hampered by a lack of theoretical and methodological rigour. This article points out the resulting gaps in the scientific analysis of greening and lays out research necessary to improve our understanding of its causes and consequences. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

Organisational learning in contested environments: lessons from Brent Spar

The Post–Altman model of corporate greening, with its focus on organisational learning as a key component in overcoming organisational barriers to environmental changes, is reviewed in relation to Shell's attempted deep sea disposal of Brent Spar in 1995. It is argued here that environmental innovation requires not only organisational learning but a capacity to collaborate with outsiders. Shell's failure to appreciate different perceptions of its Brent Spar proposals, and to develop the alliances that would have been needed to explore alternatives, resulted in costly damage to both its reputation and its European sales. The decision was reversed, and substantial organisational change took place, but as a result of external pressure rather than internal learning. Shell's experience raises significant issues for corporate greening, and particularly for companies seeking to improve environmental performance in contested environments. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

Does a sense of calling facilitate sustainability? Research on the influence of calling on employee green behavior

Organizations recently attach growing importance to sustainable development and green human resource management (GHRM), raising research interest in predicting employee green behavior (EGB). However, the potential linkage between a sense of calling and EGB is neglected. This research fills the void by examining whether, how, and when calling predicts EGB. Drawing upon self-determination theory, we argue that by satisfying three basic psychological needs (i.e., autonomy, competence, and relatedness), a sense of calling enhances employees' prosocial motivation, which in turn promotes EGB. We further propose that calling predicts EGB more effectively for less conscientious employees. We conducted two field surveys to test the hypotheses. Both Study 1 (N = 280) and Study 2 (N = 295) confirm that calling positively affects EGB through partial mediation of prosocial motivation and that conscientiousness negatively moderates the relationship between calling and prosocial motivation as well as the indirect effect. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are discussed.     

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND INNOVATION: A SURVEY

Abstract The traditional economics of innovation, inspired by Schumpeter and more recent advances on his work, seem unable to explain why firms with similar external conditions may show greatly different performance in innovation. Contrastingly, the literature on corporate governance provides some useful insights for understanding corporate innovation activity, to the extent that such literature examines the economic effects of different modes of coordination between firm members. The process through which individuals integrate their human and physical resources within the firm is central to the dynamics of corporate innovation. This paper provides the first survey of the literature on this issue. We start by discussing how various theoretical approaches to the analysis of the firm deal with technological innovation. We then describe three main channels – corporate ownership, corporate finance and labour – through which a system of corporate governance shapes a firm's innovation activity. Finally, we examine the relationship between country‐level institutional settings, national patterns of corporate governance and the aggregate innovation activity of corporations. We conclude by suggesting that future research should focus more deeply on the interrelation between the various dimensions of corporate governance and on their joint effect on firm innovation.     

Business model innovation in corporate entrepreneurship: exploratory insights from corporate accelerators

Corporate accelerators are a rapidly growing entrepreneurial phenomenon occurring in different business contexts and business models within corporate entrepreneurship. Corporate accelerators are considered as an innovation fostering approach within new ventures provided by start-ups. The aim of the paper is twofold: firstly, to explore the motives behind corporations’ engagement with start-ups in launching corporate accelerators, and secondly, to identify the corporate benefits and challenges of this business model innovation. The research design is based on a qualitative interpretative approach exploiting a triangulation of methods by using in-depth interviews (IDI) with corporate managers involved in development of corporate accelerators as well as a focus group interview (FGI) with industry experts. In addition, secondary data were applied to strengthen the exploratory research. The study demonstrates that a wide range of benefits stem from the accelerator activities which can ultimately can initiate changes in large companies. Our research expands on prior findings and suggests that corporate accelerators are driven by internal and external push and pull motives. The study contributes to expanding the scope of corporate entrepreneurship research in regard to the challenges and benefits of corporate accelerators. It provides evidence that corporate accelerators are a source of innovation that can be used to foster entrepreneurial-market logic and entrepreneurial learning.

     

Corporate entrepreneurship in a dispersed setting: actors, behaviors, and process

Although conceptual models of the corporate entrepreneurship process are numerous, our current empirical knowledge regarding it remains fragmented, especially concerning the contributions of individual employees to corporate entrepreneurship. Thus, two important questions remain unanswered: How do employees from different managerial ranks of an organization contribute to the corporate entrepreneurship process, and how do these contributions change as the project unfolds over time? In the current research, we aim to answer these questions and offer an integrative framework for the corporate entrepreneurship process that would account for dynamic contributions of multiple actors through their activities and behaviors. We approach these questions in a specific context by studying three cases within a large company in a dispersed corporate setting.     

Creating compassion: How volunteering websites encourage prosocial behaviour

Organisations increasingly use websites to promote prosocial behaviour such as volunteering, philanthropy, and activism. However, these websites often fail to encourage prosocial behaviours effectively. To address the lack of relevant research, we develop, then refine, a design model that identifies the user experience factors that create intention to engage in prosocial behaviour on websites. We test an initial model developed from the literature, by interviewing forty participants, each of whom visited and compared six volunteering websites. Our analysis of the participants' user experience reveals eighteen elements that interplay to create intention to engage in prosocial behaviour. Our refined design model comprises ten website features (interaction, factual, anecdata, external recognition, organisational expression, value suggestion, explanatory content, visual media, written media and, website design), seven perceptions (ease of use, aesthetics, information quality, trust, negative affect, positive affect, and argument strength), and one motivation (egoism). These findings provide novel insights into how to design Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to encourage prosocial behaviour.     

Language‐Based Exclusion and Prosocial Behaviors in Organizations

Organizations can be seen as amalgams of languages that can serve as a source of divisive tensions among employees. In our conceptual model, we draw upon social identity and social exclusion research to propose that linguistic diversity increases the potential for language‐based exclusion in multilingual work settings. Language may cue listeners to ethnic or cultural stereotypes as well as negatively affect perceptions of speakers’ competence, leading listeners to exclude speakers of certain languages. We contend that when excluded, perception of oneself can be cast in an antagonistic relation to perceptions of others, with detrimental effects on prosocial behaviors. Perceptions of procedural unfairness, a weakened identity, and impaired mood serve to amplify the association between language‐based exclusion and prosocial behaviors. However, organizational factors such as positive diversity climate may mitigate experiences with language‐based exclusion. We outline an agenda for future research and discuss implications for human resource practice. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A metric for corporate environmental indicators … for small and medium enterprises in the Philippines

This paper is an outcome of the empirical research, funded by UNDP Philippines and National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), done to establish and implement a metric of corporate environmental indicators for SMEs in the Philippines. SMEs have always played a vital role in the creation of goods and services in the country. It is therefore imperative that SMEs adhere to safe environment practices so that the greening of industries in this region is consummate. In this research we have considered SMEs operating in the food and beverage, furniture, fashion accessories, hotel and restaurant, automotive parts and electroplating sectors. The metric adopted in this research follows the framework given by the Federal Environmental Ministry in Bonn and the Federal Environmental Agency in Berlin. The empirical approach develops an exploratory analysis and a structural equation model to bring out statistically significant linkages between five latent constructs: environment management indicators, environment performance indicators, environmental performance, business performance and competitiveness. The research hopes to urge SMEs to implement this metric with confidence given that this would not only enhance their environmental performance but also lead to superior business performance and enhanced competitiveness. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

The processes of defining corporate responsibility: a study of Swedish garment retailers' responsibility

Despite extensive research on corporate responsibility, little research exists on how the inter‐organizational processes of defining corporate responsibility develop. In this paper, we present a framework based on actor‐network theory (ANT) for analysing these processes. The developed framework is illustrated in a study of the redefinition of Swedish garment retailers' responsibilities for workers' rights at suppliers' factories between 1996 and 2004. We show that definition processes can be characterized as battles for the right to interpretation, and that traditionally non‐dominant actors can, at least temporarily, win these battles and dictate the development of the processes for defining corporate responsibility. We also show that definition processes can take an exclusionary form prohibiting certain actors from participating. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

Retroduction: an alternative research strategy?

In this essay it is argued that the dualism between pure inductive and deductive research processes can be overcome by introducing retroduction. Retroduction makes possible a research process that is characterized by the linking of evidence (induction) and social theory (deduction) in a continually evolving, dynamic process. It will be argued that research processes characterized by retroduction have a potential that can be utilized within research on the greening of industry. This research is typically carried out as case studies, with some links to theory. These links can be made more explicit through retroduction and in turn increase our understanding of the contradicting relations between industry and the social and environmental context it is operating within. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

Strategic human resource management and inertia in the corporate entrepreneurship of a multinational enterprise

Abstract

Corporate entrepreneurship (CE) supports sustained competitive advantage through the continuous exploration and exploitation of new sources of knowledge. With an emphasis on combining knowledge in new configurations, strategic human resource management (HRM) activities are core to these entrepreneurial endeavours. We explore how strategic HRM activities may facilitate and impede CE through a rich, qualitative case study of three local entities within a business unit of a large multinational enterprise facing business stagnation and low levels of corporate entrepreneurship. Responding to a call for more empirical research that probes the subtle and complex interactions between HRM activities and other organisational factors affecting CE, we identify a configuration of inter-dependent factors that mutually reinforce each other and sustain inertia in corporate entrepreneurship. We also make two novel contributions to theory by (1) elaborating the links between organisational process-orientation, strategic HRM and CE; and (2) refining to our current understanding of human competencies for CE.     

Corporate Social Responsibility in Management Research: Focus,Nature, Salience and Sources of Influence*

abstract In this paper we investigate the status of corporate social responsibility (CSR) research within the management literature. In particular, we examine the focus and nature of knowledge, the changing salience of this knowledge and the academic influences on the knowledge. We present empirical evidence based on publication and citation analyses of research published from 1992 to 2002. Our results demonstrate that, for CSR research published in management journals, the most popular issues investigated have been environmental and ethics; the empirical research has been overwhelmingly of a quantitative nature; the theoretical research has been primarily non‐normative; the field is driven by agendas in the business environment as well as by continuing scientific engagement; and the single most important source of references for CSR articles was the management literature itself.     

R&D spillovers and innovative activity

The new learning has raised a number of explanations why smaller enterprises may, in fact, tend to have an innovative advantage, at least in certain industries. The purpose of this paper is to identify the degree to which university and corporate R&D spills over to innovative activity at the state level. We find substantial evidence that spillovers are facilitated by the geographic coincidence of universities and research laboratories within the state.     

Do LGBT‐supportive corporate policies enhance firm performance?

Prior research provides evidence that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)‐supportive corporate policies are related to important human resource functions, such as enhanced recruitment and retention. In addition, prior research indicates that investors view the adoption of such policies positively. We examine the firm‐performance mechanisms underlying favorable stock‐market reactions based on an integration of perspectives from corporate social responsibility and the business case for diversity. Specifically, we estimate a hierarchical linear model (HLM) to account for the nested nature of our data (firms nested within states) and find that (1) the presence of LGBT‐supportive policies is associated with higher firm value, productivity, and profitability; (2) the firm‐value and profitability benefits associated with LGBT‐supportive policies are larger for companies engaged in research and development (R&D) activities; and (3) the firm‐value and profitability benefits of LGBT‐supportive policies persist in the presence of state antidiscrimination laws. In supplemental analyses, we find that firms implementing (discontinuing) LGBT‐supportive policies experience increases (decreases) in firm value, productivity, and profitability. We are among the first to link LGBT‐supportive policies specifically to financial performance outcomes as well as to develop and test a multilevel model of these relationships. Our results have important implications for theory and research on LGBT issues in organizations, human resource managers, and policymakers.     

The greening of industry for a sustainable future: building an international research agenda

In 1995 the coordinators of the Netherlands Advisory Council for Research on Nature and Environment (RMNO) and the Greening of Industry Network initiated a process of developing an international research agenda on sustainable development and the role of industry. The purpose of this initiative was two-fold: • To develop a research agenda on the process of greening of industry in the context of sustainable development which defines main research priorities for the coming decade;• To provide a clearer perspective on how research priorities are currently developed and how to improve this process. After a two year process of discussions via workshops and interviews including various stakeholders, four main research themes were selected: • Transformation towards sustainable development• Changing consumption patterns • Finance, capital and performance indicators • Technological breakthroughs. We hope to solicit a discussion on the future of the greening of industry research agenda. This article is based on a report The Greening of Industry for a Sustainable Future: Building an International Research Agenda (1997). © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment.