No. 139. NATIONAL CSR AND INSTITUTIONAL CONDITIONS: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY

A. Chymis, A. Skouloudis. 2014

 

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) footprints in terms of relevant policies, schemes and practices are evident among all regions, but the level of uptake and diffusion differs, as countries differ considerably in terms of their levels of institutional efficiency and efficacy. With this in mind, the purpose of this study is twofold. First, building on the work of Gjølberg (2009a), a national-level corporate responsibility index is devised for 86 countries around the world. The index is based on sixteen international CSR standards, initiatives and ratings reflecting the level of penetration of responsible business conduct among national business systems. Second, using the index as a comprehensive proxy of national CSR status, we attempt to shed light on the underlying relationship between CSR implementation and institutional conditions proposed by Campbell (2007). Bridging Campbell’s seminal normative argumentation with Gjølberg’s empirical technique offers fruitful findings and ultimately sets forth new perspectives for future research on the national specificity of CSR.

 

(pdf)