Business Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility in the Post-COVID Era

Abstract

Our paper focuses on the transformation of the concept of sustainable business leadership (especially regarding the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the post-COVID-19 era. The COVID-19 pandemic is without question posing a generation-defining challenge for public health and the global economy. Moreover, the pandemic has revived some old and introduced many new threats that today’s business leaders will have to face in the years to come. Despite the fact that the COVID-19 crisis was a humanitarian tragedy that continues to ravage millions of lives, it can also be viewed as an excellent opportunity to restart sustainable economic development as well as to help our business and economy to shift towards real business corporate social responsibility and ethical decision-making (thanks to the reduction in carbon emissions as a result of reduced economic activity and travel, increasing investments into healthcare and education, or finding the new ways for working and learning, such as remote work and online education). Our paper examines the effect of small entrepreneurs’ perceptions of CSR on their daily business under the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper features an empirical model that assesses the implementation of CSR practices and principles (social responsibility, environmental sustainability, or ecological governance) after the COVID-19 pandemic. The model investigates whether the factors internal to the company might influence the enhancement of the CSR principles. The model is based on our own data obtained from the 450 online questionnaire surveys conducted with managers of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Czech Republic and the Russian Federation. The two countries in question have been selected due to their similarities and, at the same time, differences regarding their geopolitical orientation, pathways of economic transformation, and attitudes to sustainable development policies and embracing SDGs. Our results demonstrate that the business type, as well as the ownership structure, positively impacts the introduction of CSR and sustainable development principles in SMEs in question, while the company’s age has a negative impact. Our results might be of special importance for the stakeholders and business owners wishing to enhance CSR practices and promote sustainable economic development in their enterprises in the post-COVID era.

Integrative approaches across green energy technologies: the role of innovations in human capital

“…Societies with higher levels of education are more likely to engage in research and development activities focused on pioneering clean energy innovations [22]. Academic and research institutions lead the charge in developing new technologies and methodologies to bolster sustainable energy production [23]. A workforce enriched with a broad spectrum of skills, spanning engineering, renewable energy technologies, and environmental sciences, is crucial for leading the development and implementation of renewable energy projects [24].…”

The purpose of the company beyond its position in the market: The new agent of social development

“…In addition to this, competitiveness is influential with young managers, which stimulates the possibility of innovation, and implementation of actions corresponding to CSR (Chen et al, 2022). On the other hand, Freze et al (2023) establishes the connection between the SDGs and CSR in different cases of companies that implemented these principles during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, they achieved the establishment of better overall results and contributed to the resilience of the company.…”

“…The current complexity requires an ecosystem that involves the effort and active participation of all stakeholders. This is, developing a strategic systemic model that includes good CSR practices, linking them with the SDGs, and managing them within an environment in which the company itself questions its role and reformulates its purpose in the society (Freze et al, 2023). A proposal of this magnitude means acting based on knowledge of economic circularity, community commitment and the positive relationship with different sectors (Amicarelli & Bux, 2023).…”

The Mediating Role of Resource Availability and Allocation in Strengthening the Relationship of Change Strategies in the Growth and Development of Entrepreneurial Projects after Covid 19

“…In their diverse economic and business nature, business discontinuity, heavy business losses, mental distress, unethical business practices, financial distress, low consumption of goods and services and unemployment challenges were identified. With the prevalence of these challenges remaining high in the post-Covid-19 business landscape (Freze et al, 2023;Hassan, Rabbani & Ali, 2020;Nguyen et al, 2021), one can underscore that to mitigate such challenges, change management strategies must be implemented.…”

“…According to the presented Table 3 findings, there were high indications among the respondents that operational and capacity challenges (mean=4.27; standard deviation=1.023), funding challenges (mean=4.25; standard deviation=1.019) and customer behaviour shifts (mean=4.24; standard deviation=0.890) were the three major challenges affecting the start-ups and entrepreneurial ventures. The severity of such problems cannot be underestimated amidst the changing business landscape (Freze et al, 2023;Hassan, Rabbani & Ali, 2020), high-risk averse and cautiousness approach by investors (Fassas, 2020) and changes in consumer behavior and preferences (Orîndaru et al, 2021). The advent of supply chains and distribution channelsrelated challenges (mean=4.22; standard deviation=0.912), talent acquisition and retention (mean=4.17; standard deviation=0.904), market and Original Article |DOI: https://doi.org/10.14500/kujhss.v6n1y2023.pp104-120 industry disruptions (mean=4.11; standard deviation=1.050) and economic uncertainty (mean=4.03; standard deviation=1.005) challenges was not dismissed.…”