Corporate Social Responsibility and SME Value Creation

Despite small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) ability to contribute in achieving sustainable economic growth, to reduce unemployment, value creation ability of SMEs through CSR remains unexplored. We examine the impact of CSR on SME value in manufacturing and service industries context, the industries ignored by existing research. We also explore the interactive relationship of CSR and access to finance and their impact on CSR-Value relationship. Our key finding is that SMEs value is positively associated with the CSR expenditure and access to finance. The results indicate that current year CSR expenditure creates value for SMEs through improving their access to finance and ultimately improving their sales in the next year but do not moderate the CSR-Value relationship . Our results are robust and reliable because we employed both 2SLS and generalised method of moments (GMM) approaches to address possible endogeneity. Moreover, we use actual CSR spending data from developing country instead of CSR scores as a proxy for CSR expenditures usually used by prior studies concentrating only on large firms. Our results could be used by the policy makers and regulators in other emerging countries to justify the introduction of schemes to improve CSR and access to finance for SMEs

Determinants of Pro-environmental Behaviours – A Cross Country Study of Would-be Managers

Purpose: This cross-cultural based paper aims to provide an understanding of the determinants contributing to adopting pro-environmental behaviour by ‘would-be managers’ represented by MBA students studying in two highly carbon emitting yet contrasting countries – India and Australia. The paper particularly examines the effects of personal values, moral obligation, attitudes, and subjective norms on pro-environmental behavior of such would-be managers. Design/methodology/approach: In predicting the pro-environmental behavior of would-be managers, a conceptual model was developed by combining Schwartz’s (1992) value theory and Homer and Kahle’s cognitive hierarchy model of value-attitude-behaviour (VAB). Data was collected from 476 respondents consisting of 342 MBA students from India and 134 MBA students from Australia. Partial least square based structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used in analysing the data. Findings: The findings reveal that the inclination of pro-environmental behaviour of would-be managers can be predicted by their personal value, moral obligation, attitudes and subjective norms, thereby providing both theoretical and empirical supports to our model in understanding the determinants of pro-environmental behaviour. Practical implications: The findings are critical in developing strategies for building capacity and willingness of would-be managers to adopt pro-environmental behaviour. In so doing, business schools may use these findings in designing effective CSR/sustainable development contents in their curriculum which will not only help educators to nurture classroom discussion but also sensitize students’ critical thinking in addressing issues of climate change as well as improving environmental well-being. Originality/value: Conceptually, this paper proposes a comprehensive framework to understand the determinants of pro-environmental behavior. Empirically, it applies a novel and appropriate method for predicting such behavior in two contrasting yet highly carbon emitting countries – an important issue that receives little attention in current CSR/sustainable development literature

Corporate Social Responsibility and SME Value Creation

Keywords: SME, CSR spending, SME value, access to finance Despite small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) ability to contribute in achieving sustainable economic growth, to reduce unemployment, value creation ability of SMEs through CSR remains unexplored. We examine the impact of CSR on SME value in manufacturing and service industries context, the industries ignored by existing research. We also explore the interactive relationship of CSR and access to finance and their impact on CSR-Value relationship. Our key finding is that SMEs value is positively associated with the CSR expenditure and access to finance. The results indicate that current year CSR expenditure creates value for SMEs through improving their access to finance and ultimately improving their sales in the next year but do not moderate the CSR-Value relationship . Our results are robust and reliable because we employed both 2SLS and generalised method of moments (GMM) approaches to address possible endogeneity. Moreover, we use actual CSR spending data from developing country instead of CSR scores as a proxy for CSR expenditures usually used by prior studies concentrating only on large firms. Our results could be used by the policy makers and regulators in other emerging countries to justify the introduction of schemes to improve CSR and access to finance for SMEs

In search of time-varying jumps during the turmoil periods : Evidence from crude oil futures markets

Prior literature demonstrates that energy prices are characterized by time-varying jumps. However, earlier studies do not investigate if the intensity of such jumps appears to be higher amid periods of extreme volatility in comparison to normal periods. Employing the GARCH-jump model, this study examines whether jumps occurring in energy prices are an indicator of market crashes. To serve this purpose, we consider several downturns in oil markets spanning over the last few years. Our empirical analyses reveal that the conditional expected number of jumps in WTI and Brent oil futures prices increases significantly amid the depression periods, which is, however, not the case when the market functions normally. We, therefore, conclude that such clusters of jumps may contain predictive information for oil market crashes and thus provide early signals of future downturns. The findings further show that crude oil volatility, the US equity VIX, and economic policy uncertainty play a significant role in explaining the time-dependent jumps during the turmoil periods. The findings of our research could be useful for investors participating in global crude oil markets and for policymakers watching out for the impact of energy prices on the economy.© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

Corporate social responsibility : attitude, performance measurement and disclosure - a cross country comparison

1 page(s

Learning accounting in globalised australian universities: challenges and way out

In designing appropriate learning activities, learning problems need to be considered, and suitable teaching and learning strategies need to be identified to resolve these problems. This study reports on the major problems encountered by international students studying accounting in an Australian university, particularly those related to differences in cultural background, learning approach, English language fluency, and local accents etc. whereby some solutions can be offered. Twenty students were asked to identify the main problems they face in learning accounting in Australia, and to describe their expectations and needs during their study. Based on the findings, the author suggests eight actions which might go a long way to resolve the problems currently being faced: (a) Getting students to explicitly workshop and negotiate issues around culture, language and learning, and how best to respond to their needs, (b) Taking individual care to give them confidence, (c) Going slowly in classes so that they can understand concepts, (d) Extensive use of a white board and Power point slides during lectures, (e) Providing lecture notes prior to the lecture, (f) Encouraging students to form informal study groups, (g) Making greater efforts to understand the culture and their learning approaches and, (h) Meeting the students in a tutorial session at least once a week

Personal values and attitudes toward societal and environmental accountability: A study of MBA students

Bhattacharyya, A ORCiD: 0000-0002-0816-0063Efforts to promote corporate societal and environmental accountability (SEA) should be informed by an understanding of stakeholders’ attitudes toward enhanced accountability standards. However, little is known regarding current attitudes on this subject or the determinants of these attitudes. To address this issue, this study examines the relationship between personal values and support for social and environmental accountability for a sample of Indian MBA students. Selected contemporary social and environmental issues were used to assess the students’ support for social and environmental accountability. Principal component analysis was used to explore the underlying dimensions or factors that shape social and environmental beliefs and attitudes. Multiple regression models were run for each of the SEA dimensions to test the hypotheses and the relationship between the values and support for SEA

Enhancing accounting learning of the international students

Bhattacharyya, A ORCiD: 0000-0002-0816-0063Chinese students constitute the single largest group of overseas students in Australian universities. The prior learning experiences and academic traditions of countries from which international students are drawn can significantly impact on learning experiences and outcomes in new learning environments. In designing appropriate learning activities, we need to consider their learning problems and identify suitable teaching strategies to resolve these problems. The purpose of the current study was to develop such theoretical understandings by conducting an empirical investigation into students’ needs and expectations during their study of accounting, for improvement to evaluate teaching strategies applied to overcome the problems they face and to provide suggestions. This paper seeks to highlight the initial problems faced by Chinese international students in terms of learning styles and how they strive to overcome these difficulties through discussions and practice. This paper tried to enhance the learning experience of International accounting students by adopting various teaching and learning strategies and reports research which investigates the effectiveness and way in which some of these students learn

A Comparative study of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in an emerging and developed economy

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to (1) compare the attitudes of managers toward social and environmental (SE) issues, (2) assess SE performance and quality and (3) determine SE disclosures in Australia and India. This study is important in gaining an understanding of current and potentially future managerial attitudes toward SE accountability and the environmental performance of selected environmentally intensive industries. Originality: The study provides a detailed comparative analysis of CSR from an emerging and developed economy perspective. The study uses Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) performance indicators and combined research method (primary and secondary data). Key literature / theoretical perspective: The study has taken Stakeholder and Legitimacy theory perspective. Design/methodology/approach: The approach uses both a questionnaire and content analysis within annual reports. Seventeen social and eighteen environmental performance indicators have been used. Findings: Australian respondents were concerned about specific issues within the broad social accountability continuum, whilst Indian respondents were concerned about a range of issues surrounding social accountability. Indian respondents were stronger in their support than the Australian respondents with respect to environmental attitudes. Significant differences did exist among respondents. SE reporting by Indian organisations is poorer in quality than Australian organisations. The extent of total disclosure is significantly higher for large organisations in the Forestry and Paper, Industrial Engineering, and Mining industries. The extent of total disclosure is unrelated to organisational age, external auditor size, and extent of multinational influence for both countries. Research limitations/implications: The study is limited by the use of imputation in analysis. Furthermore, culture was not explicitly explored as a possible factor in the study. However, the study contributed to the comparative CSR literature. Practical and Social implications: The paper argues for greater SE accounting (SEA) researcher engagement with SEA practice, particularly in emerging economies. The study demonstrates that challenge remain in improving the quality of SEA.2 page(s

Corporate environmental performance evaluation: A cross-country appraisal

Bhattacharyya, A ORCiD: 0000-0002-0816-0063This study scrutinises cross-country neutral evaluation of corporate environmental performance (CEP) using a multidimensional model. The study compares Australian and Indian CEP measurement and tests a model to explore whether that model can be effectively implemented in both countries. The model consist of four managerial performance (MP) and two operational performance (OP) indicators. Factor analysis with varimax rotation along with ordinary least squares regression were untaken to analyse the relationship and individual contribution of PM and OP to CEP. Two models were confirmed using AMOS Version 18 software. Results indicated that environmental managerial performance and environmental operational performance are two separate constructs of CEP and are mutually dependent and that a single model could not be effectively implement in different cultural locations. The results als