Alwi, S

Balmer, J

Shaalan, A

Tourky, M

Brunel University Research Archive

  4th International Conference of Marketing,  Strategy & Policy        Hosted by:       Dec 9-11, 2020 hotel’s CSR practices prior to the onset of a crisis rather than reacting solely to a crisis. This means that human resource managers should develop programs to pro-actively enhance employees’ capacity to cope with crisis adversity.   Title: Management of Corporate Identity for the pursuit of sustained CSR implementation Authors: Marwa Tourky, Sharifah Faridah Syed Alwi, Ahmed Shaalan and John Balmer. Abstract: This study answers a call for detailed models capable of addressing and describing how the function of CI attributes and practices can drive the implementation of CSR initiatives and programs, given little empirical research has examined these processes (Lindgreen et al., 2009; Polonsky & Jevons, 2009; Powell, 2011; Vallaster et al., 2012; Tourky et al., 2020). In addition, current research shows that core hindrances to CSR success are that managers have ‘little knowledge of CSR implementation processes’ an that half of all sampled managers ‘lack a clear action plan’ (Moratis & Cochius 2011). Addressing this lacuna, this paper investigates the relationship between Corporate Identity (CI) dimensions and CSR.  CSR’s perceived importance has led to theoretical advances and classification schemas which assume that public relations and/or external environmental factors may be prime drivers in incorporating CSR, with little emphasis on organizations themselves (i.e. their internal environment) (Lindgreen et al., 2016), while research offers little guidance on implementing CSR (Vallaster et al., 2012). This has severe implications internally and externally, since a company may struggle to create the commitment among its employees to the causes it may espouse. To the employees, CSR appears not as a consequence of the core business process, but rather as a separate task that companies impose, aiming at short-term results and maximum benefits (Ligeti and Oravecz, 2009). Therefore, we argue that CI could provide the catalyst and optimal platform for developing and implementing CSR in congruence with what the company stands for. This paper presents and tests a framework, grounded in theory, which directs management attention to key CI elements to address and highlights the sound CI practices, both strategic and operational, that are needed to sustain CSR implementation. Using online survey among 126 senior managers in the UK food and beverage sector, the framework tests the direct and indirect effects of seven dimensions of CI on CSR namely: (1) Top Management Behavioral Leadership (TMBL), (2) Founder Transformational Leadership (FTL), (3) Employee Identification (EI), (4) Mission and Values Dissemination (MVD), (5) Culture, (6) Visual Identity (VI) and (7) Internal Communications (IC).  In total, 15 hypotheses are tested utilising Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (SmartPLS-SEM) version 3 (Ringle, Wende & Becker, 2015), which is considered an appropriate technique given that it is a non-parametric technique capable of handling relatively small smaple size (Sarsted, Henseler & Ringle, 2011, p. 213) and complex causal models, allowing for different model elements flexibly (Sarstedt et al., 2014). This study adopts CI scale validated by Tourky et al. (2020). The analysis is carried out on two steps: first, to assess the measurement model’s validity and reliability in Step 1, and nomological validity in Step 2. The findings indicate three structural path estimates to have significant direct effect on CSR (e.g. Culture CSR; IC CSR and EI CSR, at p<.05) while VI, MVD, TMBL and FTL are found to have insignificant direct effect on CSR. We found support for all insignificant paths (VI, MVD, TMBL and FTL) which are all related to CSR via Culture, IC and EI (revealing full mediation rather than direct effects). We also found partial support for effect of Culture on CSR via Internal Communication whereby both structural paths (e.g. IC Culture CSR and IC CSR) are significant indicating a partial mediation case. Finally, MVD does not mediate nor explain the relationship between FTL and TMBL to CSR. Rather MVD affect CSR via Culture [e.g. (i) FTL MVD Culture CSR and (ii) TMBL MVD Culture CSR] Using CI as a unifying platform, the finding explained empirically how CI management can sustain CSR implementation in three main ways. First, FTL and TMBL are the two strategic dimensions that affects mission dissemination within an organisation which in turn impacts organizational Culture and legitimize CSR. That is: Culture fully mediates the relationship between the ‘people element’ (Founder and TMBL) within the organisation and CSR. Second both FTL and TMBL affect CSR via Employee Identification which are also fully mediated via EI). Thirdly, Internal Communications is also an important aspect where it fully mediates between TMBL and CSR as well as Culture and CSR. Hence Internal Communication, Culture and Employee Identification are considered the three dimensions of CI which are mainly responsible for sustained CSR implementation within the company based on our on empirical finding. Our study contributes theoretically and practically, in developing a framework, grounded in theory and managers’ perceptions of their practice, for understanding and developing CI-CSR initiatives. Specifically, our framework emphasizes the operational need to depend on CI as a platform and its dimensions (particularly those in the CSR domain) for sustained CSR’s implementation to generate desirable outcomes for firms.  

Management of Corporate Identity for the pursuit of sustained CSR implement

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Management of Corporate Identity for the pursuit of sustained CSR implement

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