An analysis of the ethical frameworks and financial outcomes of corporate social responsibility and business press reporting of US pharmaceutical companies

Abstract

We use content analysis to discern ethical patterns of communication differences between the business press and corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports in the US pharmaceutical sector. The methodology is based on content analysis of documents in the public domain, rather than based on surveys or interviews of other empirical work, allowing for replication and transparency. The qualitative and statistical analysis of our data indicates that there are statistically significant differences between how CSR is communicated in the business press and in the CSR documents themselves. However, there was not a statistical relationship between having a formal CSR report and financial outcome as measured by return on assets. The results indicate that individuals and organisations charged with communicating the organisations' activities should be cognisant of where there are differences and should develop communication processes to assure the company is disseminating the correct message in the reporting of their CSR activities.

The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Consumer Trust and Perception of Company Image

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Corporate social responsibility and customer loyalty during the Covid-19 pandemic: evidence from pharmacy practice

“…First, pharmaceutical companies are highly accountable to society, as they play a crucial role in the global economy through their research and development of innovative medicines and services (Yousefi et al , 2017; Leisinger, 2009). However, very few studies have examined CSR in this sector (LaVan et al , 2021), with the majority having focused on the CSR reporting system rather than CSR as a strategic tool (Luu, 2020; Cook et al , 2018). Second, this dynamic sector is made up of a diverse group of stakeholders, including patients, regulators, health professionals and shareholders, all of whom require different attention.…”

How does organizational learning contribute to corporate social responsibility and innovation performance? The dynamic capability view

“…Pharmaceutical companies play a critical role in the global economy by conducting research and developing and delivering innovative medicines, which makes them highly accountable to society (Leisinger, 2009; Volodina et al , 2009). However, there are very limited studies on CSR in the pharmaceutical sector (LaVan et al , 2021), and most of these are related to the CSR reporting system rather than studying CSRP as a strategic tool (Cook et al , 2018). Moreover, the main traits associated with knowledge-based organizations can be attributed to the pharmaceutical companies and, therefore, the relevant knowledge for sustainable operation is more complicated for this sector than other research-intensive ones (Ghasemzadeh et al , 2019; Mehralian et al , 2018).…”