Research Briefs

This study found that pressures from competitors and the media, combined with a company’s corporate citizenship visibility are important determinants for the adoption of the Global Reporting Initiative guidelines. Because of the external nature of these factors, the researchers suggest a greater role of marketing professionals who are expert at managing reputation and stakeholders.

This study found that cause related marketing allows firms to link philanthropy with strategic marketing goals, however, strong relationships need to both illustrate a compatible partnership between brand and cause and be long-term commitments to be most effective. Strong CRM initiatives that have both these traits can contribute to favorable consumer attitudes, more positive word of mouth associations, and higher consumer purchase intent.

A pair of studies from Deloitte and Ernst & Young examine changes in CFO involvement in their companies’ corporate citizenship. Both studies project deeper involvement by CFOs in corporate citizenship and offer advice on how they can do it most effectively.

This paper examines the gap that exists inside many companies between human resources and corporate citizenship and provides a framework for the role human resources can play in planning, implementing, monitoring and institutionalizing citizenship.

A global survey by KPMG of more than 3,000 companies in multiple sectors finds corporate citizenship reporting is a growing practice, particularly among the largest global companies. An increasing number of companies say they derive business value from the reporting process.

A study of corporate citizenship communications by large companies in the BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India and China) indicates that the approach and focus of corporate citizenship in these large emerging economies differs from country to country. Researchers found communications by the companies demonstrate varied motives, processes, and stakeholder issue priorities.

Researchers studied what drains worker energy on the job and the strategies employed to recharge. Findings from the study indicate that rather than coffee or a quick break, strategies related to learning, finding meaning in work and building positive relationships on the job are most effective for restoring vitality.

This study suggests ways that social media can be employed as a tool to manage supply chains better. It suggests social media offer opportunities for companies to be better informed on issues that can impact supply chains, and to use the information they acquire more effectively.

A study of the effect of tangible and intangible attributes on purchasing decisions found that social attributes can play as important a role as the intangible attributes of brand or country of origin. The role of social attributes was greatest in purchases of products that required higher consumer involvement.

This study observes that requirements that professionals account for time worked affect willingness to participate in employee volunteer programs. They found that the obligation to track billable hours made employees less likely to volunteer and more likely to substitute cash gifts.

A study of the connection between a CEO’s leadership style and a company’s corporate citizenship found that companies with leaders who intellectually stimulated managers around challenges and goals had higher levels of strategic corporate citizenship activity than those whose style was more charismatic.

This study looked at the effect of stakeholder response and political access in China on the relationship between corporate philanthropy and financial performance. Results show that the positive relationship between corporate philanthropy and financial performance is contingent on the extent to which stakeholders positively respond to philanthropic giving and on whether the firm is in need of political access.