Improving CSR performance by hard and soft means: The role of organizational citizenship behaviours and the internalization of CSR standards

Abstract

This study analyzes 'hard' (i.e. formal structures) and 'soft' (i.e. values) determinants of corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance, such as the effectiveness of management systems for CSR and the role of managers' organizational citizenship behaviours. Based on a sample of 130 Italian organizations that adopted management systems according to an international standard, this study shows that CSR performance depends on employees' commitment and the internalization of formalized CSR practices. The study also underlines the role of managers' organizational citizenship behaviours and the importance of leading by example in the substantial implementation of CSR practices. The integrative model proposed in the paper provides an overall picture of both the 'hard' and 'soft' factors that can explain the effectiveness of CSR management standards. The paper also contributes to the literature on the internalization and key success factors of certifiable management standards. Managerial implications of the main findings and avenues for future research are discussed.

Embedding corporate sustainability: An empirical analysis of the antecedents of organization citizenship behavior

“…The study contributes to the emerging discussions on OCB related to environmental and social issues (Boiral & Paillé, ; Lülfs & Hahn, ; Testa, Boiral, et al, ). First, although the various drivers of OCBHSE have been investigated, a comprehensive assessment is still lacking.…”

“…The evidence suggests that in the relation between OCB and HSE performance, workers' OCB makes the formal structures and systems more effective for HSE management, by facilitating the integration of formal procedures into daily operational practices (Boiral et al, ). OCB “lubricates” formal structures and management systems, providing the necessary proactivity and flexibility to push organizational improvement beyond mere compliance to procedures (Testa, Boiral, & Heras‐Saizarbitoria, ). Specifically, OCB allows organizations to maintain compliance with formal procedures and structures while pursuing performance improvements through the proactive and voluntary daily initiatives of the workers.…”

Institutional pressures on corporate social responsibility strategy in construction corporations: The role of internal motivations

“…For instance, Hart and Milstein (1999) suggested that a lack of CSR-oriented ethical leadership in corporate management will be a disadvantage for promoting corporate CSR strategy. Other scholars further indicated that the impacts of institutional pressures on ethical leadership can be influenced by individual cognition, such as moral motivation (Hoque, Rahman, Molla, Noman, & Bhuiyan, 2018;Pan & Wei, 2014;Testa, Boiral, & Heras-Saizarbitoria, 2018;Tian & Liu, 2012;Wu et al, 2014). Furthermore, in promoting the development of corporate strategy, ethical leadership is also influenced by the corporate governance structure, such as managerial autonomy (Dill, 1958;Lioukas, Bourantas, & Papadakis, 1993;Li & Zhao, 2003;Xiao, 1991).…”

“…First, in the research of revealing the prototype, the inconsistent results led scholars to explore the internal motivations from an ethical perspective. Brown and his colleagues deeply studied the influence of leadership on ethical behavior (Brown, Treviño, & Harrison, 2005;Trevino & Brown, 2004;Treviño, Brown, & Hartman, 2003;Trevino, Hartman, & Brown, 2000) and (Bogner & Barr, 2000;Nadkarni & Barr, 2008;Santos, Murmura, & Bravi, 2018;Testa et al, 2018;Wu et al, 2014).…”

“…Brown and his colleagues deeply studied the influence of leadership on ethical behavior(Brown, Treviño, & Harrison, 2005;Trevino & Brown, 2004;Treviño, Brown, & Hartman, 2003;Trevino, Hartman, & Brown, 2000) and defined ethical leadership as the demonstration of normatively appropriate conduct through personal actions and interpersonal relationships and the promotion of such conduct to followers through two-way communication, reinforcement, and decision making(Brown et al, 2005) Brown et al (2005). Existing research also suggests that there is a mediating effect of ethical leadership on the relationship between institutional pressures and CSR strategies in general sectors(Bogner & Barr, 2000;Nadkarni & Barr, 2008;Santos, Murmura, & Bravi, 2018;Testa et al, 2018; Wu et al, 2014). Considering the unique characteristics of HCCCs, this paper develops a specific scale for measuring ethical leadership based onBrown et al (2005) andWu et al (2014) and defines the ethical leadership in four dimensions: collectivism, encouragement, altruism, and integrity.…”