Corporate Leadership in Sustainability: A Green Ranking Performance-Based Approach to Understanding the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Positive Marketing Impact

Abstract

This paper analyzes several foundational concepts and questions regarding corporate social responsibility (CSR). Its primary contribution is a statistical examination of relationships between CSR and Newsweek's 2012 Green Rankings using forensic-based financial and accounting measures. We also replicate a previous study and introduce new variables for looking at CSR from an economic perspective. The paper is interdisciplinary in that it synthesizes preceding studies' conceptions of CSR through finance, consumer behavior, branding, and ethics -a mix which has received minimal attention -in an attempt to better characterize and measure CSR.