RESEARCH BRIEF - Researchers explored how consumers would respond to CSR messaging from non-CSR-themed social media influencers.
CSR Research by Topic
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Here at the BCCCC, our ongoing work with member companies helps us understand the issues today's corporate citizenship professionals are facing. With this audience in mind, we curate and summarize the latest CSR research studies each month. Use the briefs below to better integrate corporate citizenship into your business strategy and/or develop new solutions for pressing social challenges. For your convenience, the briefs are sorted into several prominent categories, all under the umbrella of corporate social responsibility.
Corporate Citizenship
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RESEARCH BRIEF - Communicating CSR commitments and results within the context of stories (vs. bulleted list or other stripped down forms) can improve attitudes toward the company and thereby encourage positive attitudes and intentions with the company.
RESEARCH BRIEF - CSR activities that align with the strategic vision and risk preferences of the firm can deliver better performance.
RESEARCH BRIEF - Consumers are more engaged in and believing of corporate citizenship communications that have a narrative style and focus on individuals—and are therefore less skeptical toward the initiatives they convey.
Engaging Employees
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RESEARCH BRIEF - To understand whether jobseekers use information about the company’s diversity scores when applying to jobs, researchers examined the click-through behavior of 178,862 jobseekers...
RESEARCH BRIEF - Active job seekers were asked to measure the impact of public acknowledgment of diversity practices in recruitment of both LGBTQ jobseekers and non-LGBTQ prospects.
RESEARCH BRIEF - Researchers observed the effect of the minimum wage on worker productivity and well-being among more than 40,000 salespeople whose pay is partly based on performance.
RESEARCH BRIEF - When it comes to inclusive vs. exclusive talent management strategies, how do employees feel about what's fair? How do their own self-perceptions play a role?
Community Involvement
view csr research on this topicRESEARCH BRIEF - Researchers examined how varying the way in which donations are solicited (e.g., requesting a specific amount vs. requesting an open-ended donation) affects donation amount and total number of donations.
RESEARCH BRIEF - To explore how a greater number of donors might be induced to give money, researchers conducted a series of seven studies with nearly 2,800 participants...
RESEARCH BRIEF - Researchers examined survey responses from 242 nonprofit organizations that received funding from foundations. They analyzed how non-monetary factors in the grantee-grantor relationship are linked to...
RESEARCH BRIEF - Communication strategies surrounding corporate citizenship efforts should be commensurate with actual corporate citizenship activities.
Sustainablity Reporting
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RESEARCH BRIEF - To investigate the relationship between ESG disclosure and future earnings risk, researchers studied disclosure scores and analyst forecast data for 1,004 S&P Global 1200 firms
RESEARCH BRIEF - Researchers studied firm ESG reporting across 36 countries with both developed and developing economies to understand what factors might influence whether a firm would report ESG metrics in alignment with SDGs.
RESEARCH BRIEF - Researchers examined more than 1,500 bonds from S&P 500 companies and the firms’ ESG scores to determine if there is a relationship between a company’s score and their cost of debt.
RESEARCH BRIEF - Researchers studied ESG information from a wide variety of sources—including reports by analysts, media, advocacy groups, and government regulators— for 3,000 companies...
Responsible Corporate Leadership
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RESEARCH BRIEF - To examine the relationship between women board directors and corporate social performance including how national culture may affect this relationship—researchers looked at nearly 3,200 public firms across 38 countries over 7 years.
RESEARCH BRIEF - To understand what effect the age of top management team members has on a firm’s environmental management strategies, researchers analyzed data from over 500 U.S. firms over eight years.
RESEARCH BRIEF - Researchers looked at the ratio of women directors on the boards of 3,175 global firms alongside the firms’ corporate social performance scores.
RESEARCH BRIEF - CFOs who are women tend to speak more realistically, concisely, and quantitatively than their male counterparts in less scripted portions of earnings calls. Read how investors respond...
Environmental Sustainability
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RESEARCH BRIEF - The purpose of this study was to understand how a country's culture and legal system, as well as internal governance mechanisms, influence a company's commitment to addressing climate change.
RESEARCH BRIEF - In this study, researchers focused on three groups of institutional investors with higher disclosure demand, which they deemed “climate-conscious investors.”
RESEARCH BRIEF - To understand the relationship between board structure and emissions performance, researchers analyzed 7,284 firm-year observations...
RESEARCH BRIEF - In a study of nearly 12,000 bank loan terms at nearly 3,000 U.S. companies, researchers analyzed how climate risk affects firm performance and risk, including operational performance, default risk, and bank loan terms.
The Value of Corporate Citizenship
view csr research on this topicRESEARCH BRIEF - This study observed market value of ~200 firms from 2002 to 2021. Researchers looked at the firms’ overall ESG scores and scores for each of ESG’s three pillars: environmental, social, and governance...
RESEARCH BRIEF - Can positive changes in a company's ESG characteristics serve as a useful indicator for predicting investment quality?
RESEARCH BRIEF - Researchers examined more than 1,500 bonds from S&P 500 companies and the firms’ ESG scores to determine if there is a relationship between a company’s score and their cost of debt.
RESEARCH BRIEF - Researchers surveyed 252 U.S. consumers, who were asked to read a negative news article about a fictitious pharmaceutical company, along with an apology statement admitting fault for failing to report adverse side effects of its pain reliever.
Supply Chain Management
view csr research on this topicRESEARCH BRIEF - To understand the relationship between different types of corporate social responsibility (CSR) messages and consumer trust, researchers surveyed participants about the CSR reputation of a specific unnamed company.
RESEARCH BRIEF - To understand whether an increase in available CSR information affects supplier contracting decisions, researchers gathered over 3,500 supplier-year observations.
RESEARCH BRIEF - Can companies increase worker compensation for employees earning low wages without a negative impact to the bottom line?
RESEARCH BRIEF - To understand how mandatory ESG disclosures might affect firms’ supply chain due diligence, researchers analyzed 1,500 firms from 2005-2016, reviewing nearly 10,000 firm year observations.