Abstract:Sustainability is a central topic for an increasing number of companies, as a part of their business strategies. Human sustainability, that is, preserving and improving the quality of human life, in other words, maintaining and advancing human capital, appears as one relevant issue in that context. Humans and human capital are the foremost resources for professional service firms. Their role in the international economic scenario will most likely depend on how they deal with human sustainability and the wellbe… Show more
“…The outcome of such results could highlight that CSR is becoming an enjoyable experience for employees and that engagement in CSR practices could potentially be viewed as a measure of employee satisfaction. Those results contribute to Human Capital literature, showing how CSR might be used to increase human sustainability (Dal Mas, 2019;Massaro et al, 2018Massaro et al, , 2020. Indeed, the results of the study are consistent with the literature in confirming that good CSR standards aid employee commitment (Lee & Ha-Brookshire, 2018), with one participant stating:…”
Section: How Is Csr Communicated Between Head Offices and Stores?supporting
confidence: 85%
“…The outcome of such results could highlight that CSR is becoming an enjoyable experience for employees and that engagement in CSR practices could potentially be viewed as a measure of employee satisfaction. Those results contribute to Human Capital literature, showing how CSR might be used to increase human sustainability (Dal Mas, 2019; Massaro et al, 2018, 2020). Indeed, the results of the study are consistent with the literature in confirming that good CSR standards aid employee commitment (Lee & Ha‐Brookshire, 2018), with one participant stating:The Company operates a structured CSR programme which helps me understand my daily tasks making them much more enjoyable and easier to complete.Participants were keen to outline that they wanted to work for a business that demonstrated similar views and that the alignment between the two was what motivated them the most.…”
Section: Discussionsupporting
confidence: 58%
“…Additionally, acting in a socially responsible manner may increase trust and the feeling of connection of local communities to an organization, influencing loyalty (Castaldo et al, 2009; Cuesta‐Valiño et al, 2019). Therefore, CSR might have a central role in increasing human capital and human sustainability (Dal Mas, 2019; Edvinsson et al, 2022; Massaro et al, 2018; Massaro et al, 2020), and investigating how CSR impacts employees should not be neglected (Lee & Ha‐Brookshire, 2018).…”
In an economic scenario that sees greater attention paid to sustainability issues, the retail sector features significant economic influence and resources to address sustainability challenges successfully. The retail industry is challenged to carry on corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives whilst aiming at competitive prices and communicating such CSR activities to its customers and employees. Employing a case study conducted within one of the major European retailers in clothing, the paper aims to provide a new perspective on CSR in the retail business. Results highlight the importance of clear and extensive communication and translation of CSR initiatives as a central element to raise awareness and engagement for both employees and customers, positively impacting retail organizations in boosting their business performance and sustainability outcomes at the same time. Practical implications include the need for retail firms to organize their CSR external and internal communication effectively.
“…The outcome of such results could highlight that CSR is becoming an enjoyable experience for employees and that engagement in CSR practices could potentially be viewed as a measure of employee satisfaction. Those results contribute to Human Capital literature, showing how CSR might be used to increase human sustainability (Dal Mas, 2019;Massaro et al, 2018Massaro et al, , 2020. Indeed, the results of the study are consistent with the literature in confirming that good CSR standards aid employee commitment (Lee & Ha-Brookshire, 2018), with one participant stating:…”
Section: How Is Csr Communicated Between Head Offices and Stores?supporting
confidence: 85%
“…The outcome of such results could highlight that CSR is becoming an enjoyable experience for employees and that engagement in CSR practices could potentially be viewed as a measure of employee satisfaction. Those results contribute to Human Capital literature, showing how CSR might be used to increase human sustainability (Dal Mas, 2019; Massaro et al, 2018, 2020). Indeed, the results of the study are consistent with the literature in confirming that good CSR standards aid employee commitment (Lee & Ha‐Brookshire, 2018), with one participant stating:The Company operates a structured CSR programme which helps me understand my daily tasks making them much more enjoyable and easier to complete.Participants were keen to outline that they wanted to work for a business that demonstrated similar views and that the alignment between the two was what motivated them the most.…”
Section: Discussionsupporting
confidence: 58%
“…Additionally, acting in a socially responsible manner may increase trust and the feeling of connection of local communities to an organization, influencing loyalty (Castaldo et al, 2009; Cuesta‐Valiño et al, 2019). Therefore, CSR might have a central role in increasing human capital and human sustainability (Dal Mas, 2019; Edvinsson et al, 2022; Massaro et al, 2018; Massaro et al, 2020), and investigating how CSR impacts employees should not be neglected (Lee & Ha‐Brookshire, 2018).…”
In an economic scenario that sees greater attention paid to sustainability issues, the retail sector features significant economic influence and resources to address sustainability challenges successfully. The retail industry is challenged to carry on corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives whilst aiming at competitive prices and communicating such CSR activities to its customers and employees. Employing a case study conducted within one of the major European retailers in clothing, the paper aims to provide a new perspective on CSR in the retail business. Results highlight the importance of clear and extensive communication and translation of CSR initiatives as a central element to raise awareness and engagement for both employees and customers, positively impacting retail organizations in boosting their business performance and sustainability outcomes at the same time. Practical implications include the need for retail firms to organize their CSR external and internal communication effectively.
“…An overall legitimation process must be taken into account (Biloslavo, Bagnoli, Massaro, & Cosentino, 2020; Reuber & Morgan‐Thomas, 2019). This aspect leads to the first definition of sustainability linked to a balance among economic performance, social inclusiveness and environmental resilience for future generations (Massaro, Bagnoli, & Dal Mas, 2020). Ghisellini, Cialani, and Ulgiati (2016) define the CE as a restorative and regenerative system followed by various authors who associate it with the ability to recycle and regenerate the production process outputs (Gregson, Crang, Fuller, & Holmes, 2015; Haas, Krausmann, Wiedenhofer, & Heinz, 2015; Stahel, 2016; Yang & Feng, 2008).…”
The union between Industry 4.0 and the circular economy (CE) appears relatively recent. In this sense, new trading zones for sharing a common scenario among academics and practitioners are needed. The paper aims to investigate the link between Industry 4.0 and the CE by understanding how Industry 4.0 can foster the impact of the CE on companies. The study proposes a broader perspective that includes thematic and content analysis gathering data on professional documents based on business cases, newspaper articles, press releases and specialised blogs, as well as scientific papers. The joint academic‐practitioners view highlights how Industry 4.0 has the potential to impact on the CE through countless actions: increasing waste disposal; promoting remanufacturing; enhancing the efficiency of critical resources such as water, energy, gas and CO2; and improving business models and the mission of companies. However, barriers still exist in its adoption, stressing the need for holistic and integrated design and a proactive environment of collaboration among stakeholders. Results lead to practical as well as research implications.
“…The uniqueness of this study is the focus on how influential individuals (in this case, professional service providers who provide guidance and counsel to consumers) interpret sustainability messages of brands and how that impacts their trust in the brand. Previous business-to-business-oriented studies have focused attention on how sustainability is instilled as part of the organizational culture, how the business can position their brands as sustainable, optimize resource allocation for that purpose or take a macro approach related to the public sector (Kirovska and Simonovska, 2013; Massaro et al , 2020; McDonald and Madhavaram, 2007; Thaichon and Quach, 2015). The literature is also rich with information detailing consumer-related perceptions of sustainability and the perceived motives companies have when promoting products/services as sustainable.…”
Purpose
This investigation builds on two domains. First, professional service providers, such as dentists and veterinarians, represent an understudied link in the distribution channel. Their recommendation of products, such as toothpaste and pet food, are impactful to their clientele. Second, for consumers, sustainability is growing as a motivating factor in product consideration. Consequently, brands committed to sustainability want to promote their products accordingly to connect with the consumer. The purpose of this study is to determine how to trust in sustainable brands is built in the mind of professional service providers, as they are influential in their clients’ decision process.
Design/methodology/approach
Structural equation modeling was used to test the conceptual model that predicted how brand trust of sustainable products is built in the mind of the professional service provider using a sample of 457 veterinarians.
Findings
Results revealed that trust in sustainable brands is built via professionals’ expertise in sustainability and their perception of the importance of sustainability. Additionally, the perception of altruistic motivations had a positive impact on brand trust while the perception of strategic motivations had no influence on trust in sustainable brands.
Originality/value
Previous studies typically examine sustainability in an organizational context or as a brand consideration factor for consumers. This research focuses on professional service providers, who operate independently of the organization, alongside the formal distribution channel. The study examines how their perception of sustainability importance and their perceived motives of brands engaging in sustainability activities impacts their trust in sustainable brands.
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