مقاله انگلیسی رایگان در مورد انگیزه استراتژیک مسئولیت اجتماعی شرکتی در بازار – الزویر 2019

We build a duopoly supply chain model to find the optimal degree of CSR. It shows that a unique interior solution exists when the two brand firms decide their manufacturers’ degree of CSR; but when they decide the distributors’ degree of CSR, they enforce these distributors to fully participate in the CSR activities. Moreover, in the former case, even though consumer surplus and social welfare are better off, the two brand firms’ revenues are worse off; in contrast, in the latter case, although consumer surplus and social welfare are worse off, the two brand firms can obtain more revenue.

Introduction

It was generally believed in the past that the existence of an enterprise was for earning profits and enhancing shareholder value. However, with society’s gradual emphasis on sustainable development, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become a major indicator of economic expansion and the coordination between society and the environment. Although there is no clear exact definition of CSR, more and more attention has been paid to it from all walks of life. For example, KPMG International Cooperative Taiwan Co., Ltd. released its KPMG Survey of Corporate Responsibility Reporting 2015,1 indicating that the proportion of firms issuing CSR reports has been over 90% among the world’s 250 largest companies since 2011. In addition, the Taiwan Stock Exchange has also required listed firms to prepare CSR reports since 2015.2 This shows that disclosing non-financial performance information such as that for CSR has become a trend. Many top journals in recent years have published issues related to CSR,3 pointing out that the topic is more and more related to enterprises’ profits. However, there are still many different opinions about CSR’s influence on business profits (Lee, 2008), and the only widely accepted view at present is that enterprises incur additional costs in the short run if they undertake CSR. In reality, some enterprises have taken initiatives on corporate social responsibility. For example, IKEA forbids its manufacturers from employing child labor; they must commit to promote the rights of children; and they must give consideration to the mutual development of society and the economy. General Motors has constructed a green manufacturing system, from procurement to distribution, in order to build an entirely green supply chain, which not only can enhance the performance of its cars, but also achieve a win-win situation for the environment and the economy. As the public now cares more and more about what companies do or even boycott products related to “black heart” manufacturers, each firm is afraid of being infected with this name. Thus, “The CSR Guidelines for Suppliers” are also becoming increasingly common. Firms under this standard must consider the costs to society and the environment. In addition to their profit-making targets, they must also consider the non-profit target of their partner companies. In view of this, we use a supply chain model to explore the impact of CSR on a firm’s profits and social welfare, given that the firm can decide whether to request its manufacturers or distributors to engage in CSR.