Date of Award

5-2023

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Business Administration

Department

Business Administration

First Advisor

Dixit, Ashutosh

Second Advisor

Meier, Heidi

Third Advisor

Neuendorf, Kimberly

Abstract

Various stakeholder groups have increased their attention on socially responsible activities, which has resulted in companies pursuing strategies that not only meet legal obligations or increase profits, but also somehow benefit society. The perceived authenticity of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives (i.e., whether or not they are seen as driven by organizational values) is crucial in determining the success and acceptance of CSR programs. However, the extant CSR literature includes notable gaps, including that much of the research on CSR authenticity has been from the perspective of external stakeholders, few studies have been performed in emerging markets, and the use of secondary data, often from the KLD database, is very common.

Based on stakeholder theory and the resource-based view, this dissertation uses structural equation modeling to empirically test a comprehensive model evaluating the antecedents and outcomes of perceived authenticity of CSR from the perspective of employees. This study was performed in the context of an emerging market, India, a particularly interesting country for an authenticity study since CSR is effectively mandated for many companies through the Companies Act of 2013. The results of this study provide new insights into the antecedents of perceived CSR authenticity and confirm that CSR activities that are perceived to be authentic by the firm’s employees can be viewed as a resource which may provide a competitive advantage.

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