Lucia Gatti - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Lucia Gatti

Research paper thumbnail of Education for sustainable development through business simulation games: An exploratory study of sustainability gamification and its effects on students' learning outcomes

Journal of Cleaner Production, 2019

E-learning in higher education can be of great relevance in effective lifelong learning education... more E-learning in higher education can be of great relevance in effective lifelong learning education for sustainable development in a population of students who are simultaneously full time employees. The aim of this research was to assess the Education of Sustainable Development effectiveness through elearning in higher education in a case study. The expectations and experience of students who enrolled in more than one programme in environmental and/or sustainability science (bachelor, master, and doctorate), offered by Universidade Aberta, the Portuguese Distance Learning University, were analysed. The six dimensions analysed were: general expectations; learning quality; teaching resources, pedagogical tools and evaluation; acquired competences in education for sustainable development; satisfaction and interactions; and reasons to pursue enrolment in a new programme at Universidade Aberta. Data was collected using semi-structured qualitative interviews. The results showed that the surveyed students felt that they attained a high level of motivation and satisfaction, and had reached an effective learning outcome of knowledge, competences, values, attitudes and behaviour in environment and/or sustainability sciences. For these reasons they were motivated to return to Universidade Aberta and enrol for further training in the sustainability area. These results are built upon previous work developed by the authors, and allow us to conclude that formal e-learning programmes can provide an effective alternative to face-to-face training, allowing students to pursue their studies, in a flexible, collaborative and interactive way, whilst holding down full time jobs. In this way, Education for Sustainable Development in an e-learning regime can contribute to, and have a role in, the transition to sustainable societal patterns.

Research paper thumbnail of The role of corporate social responsibility, perceived quality and corporate reputation on purchase intention: Implications for brand management

Journal of Brand Management, 2012

ABSTRACT Businesses increasingly consider corporate reputation as a valuable asset that has a pos... more ABSTRACT Businesses increasingly consider corporate reputation as a valuable asset that has a positive impact on purchase intention. Concurrently, corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues have received growing attention and the importance of CSR has been increasingly emphasized. Claims have been made that both CSR and corporate reputation can provide a competitive advantage as in conjunction with perceived product quality they can influence purchase intentions. In this article we explore the interaction between these concepts and put forward a set of hypotheses about the expected linkages. Our discussion is based on findings from a study on a sample of customers of two brands of a traditional type of Italian Christmas cake – Panettone. The two brands are widely known in a specific geographical and cultural area and one is well known for its strong engagement in CSR activities. We conclude by discussing the limitations of our study and drawing implications for future research.

Research paper thumbnail of CSR through the CEO's pen: Comparing CEO letters from CSR reports from Asia, Europe, and the U.S

Following institutional theory, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach depends on the i... more Following institutional theory, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach depends on the institutional environment. This study addresses country-specific differences in CSR motivating principles and corporate virtues as well as industry-specific differences and thus contributes to the notion of cultural relativity of corporations in international contexts. To do so, we content analyzed chief executive officers' letters to internal and external stakeholders published in the CSR reports of Asian, European, and U.S. companies. The results demonstrate significant differences with regard to motivating principles and virtues among regions and industries, supporting the notion of a country-specific CSR approach based on the institutionalism argument

Research paper thumbnail of CSR through the CEO’s pen

uwf UmweltWirtschaftsForum, 2015

Following institutional theory, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach depends on the i... more Following institutional theory, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach depends on the institutional environment. This study addresses country-specific differences in CSR motivating principles and corporate virtues as well as industry-specific differences and thus contributes to the notion of cultural relativity of corporations in international contexts. To do so, we content analyzed chief executive officers’ letters to internal and external stakeholders published in the CSR reports of Asian, European, and U.S. companies. The results demonstrate significant differences with regard to motivating principles and virtues among regions and industries, supporting the notion of a country-specific CSR approach based on the institutionalism argument.ZusammenfassungDer Institutionentheorie zufolge hängt die soziale Verantwortung von Unternehmen (CSR für Corporate Social Responsibility) vom institutionellen Umfeld ab. In diesem Artikel untersuchen wir sowohl länderspezifische als auch sektorspezifische Unterschiede der CSR Motivation sowie von Unternehmenswerten. Somit trägt der Artikel zum Verständnis kultureller Faktoren von Unternehmen in internationalen Zusammenhängen bei. Wir führten eine Inhaltsanalyse der Geleitbriefe von Vorstandsvorsitzenden an interne und externe Stakeholder aus CSR Berichten von asiatischen, europäischen und U.S. amerikanischen Unternehmen durch. Die Ergebnisse zeigen signifikante Unterschiede bezüglich Motivation und Unternehmenswerten hinsichtlich Region und Sektor, welche die Theorievorgabe eines länderspezifischen CSR Ansatzes der Institutionentheorie bestätigt.

Research paper thumbnail of Whose Economics of Religion?

Journal of Religion in Europe, 2014

This article aims to map—for the first time—the emerging but not yet substantively defined field ... more This article aims to map—for the first time—the emerging but not yet substantively defined field of economics of religion. To do so, we conducted a quantitative literature review, using the Partly Annotated Bibliography of Economics of Religion’s (Koch 2011) 763 publications as the sample. Although loaded with limitations like the German language backlog, the sample allows for an explorative map as it also includes publications from a variety of disciplines. The sample was coded along formal variables like discipline, date of publication, or language to quantify the body of literature, thereby enabling us to establish parameters to formally map the field. Our findings shed light on the most important disciplines (RQ1), most used publication formats (2), language frequencies (3), and most published experts (4); in addition, by synthesizing the results, we present trends and patterns according to disciplines over time (5) and interpret peak publication frequencies around 9/11. The lim...

Research paper thumbnail of Green lies and their effect on intention to invest

Journal of Business Research, 2021

Abstract The article explores the consequences of greenwashing deceptions on intention to invest.... more Abstract The article explores the consequences of greenwashing deceptions on intention to invest. It analyses whether the presence of a greenwashing lie to stakeholders is detrimental to intention to invest. When a company greenwashes, it deliberately deceives stakeholders about its environmental commitment. Our results suggest that greenwashing has a greater negative impact on intention to invest than a corporate misbehaviour unrelated to a deceptive communication. In order to understand how different forms of greenwashing may affect intention to invest, we develop a typology of greenwashing deceptions, based on the variety of greenwashing cases that have emerged recently. The results show that individuals are less inclined to invest in a company that falsifies its claims (falsification) and which engages in manipulative business practices (deceptive manipulation), as compared to a company that instrumentally selects which information to disclose (information selection) or tries to obscure misbehaviours through publicizing its good business practices (attention diversion).

Research paper thumbnail of Firms Talk, Suppliers Walk: Analyzing the Locus of Greenwashing in the Blame Game and Introducing ‘Vicarious Greenwashing’

Journal of Business Ethics, 2019

Greenwashing extensively deals with scandals at the supply chain; despite this, however, research... more Greenwashing extensively deals with scandals at the supply chain; despite this, however, research on this subject remains in the early stages, while much more is needed to advance our understanding of stakeholder's reactions to greenwashing. We propose a new typology of greenwashing based on the locus of discrepancy, i.e., the point along the supply chain where the discrepancy between the responsible words and the irresponsible walks happens. With three experiments, we tested how the types affect investor reactions from ethical (blame attribution) and business (intention to invest) perspectives. We developed our hypotheses building on attribution theory, which explains how observers construct perceptions about events. We expected that the more the discrepancy is internal, controllable, and intentional, the higher the blame attributed to a company and the lower the investment intentions. We found that, when greenwashing occurs at a company level (direct greenwashing), it increases the blame while decreasing investment intentions. Indirect greenwashing refers to Firms Talk, Suppliers Walk 2 misbehavior perpetrated by a supplier that claims to be sustainable and results to be less negative for a company. We also propose a third and original type: vicarious greenwashing, which happens when the behavior of a supplier is in breach of a company's sustainability claim. Although stakeholders attribute less blame on a company when vicariously involved in greenwashing, this type of greenwashing is detrimental for investments. The findings here advance the understanding of how greenwashing shapes stakeholder reactions and call attention to the need of a careful management of the supply chain.

Research paper thumbnail of Grey zone in – greenwash out. A review of greenwashing research and implications for the voluntary-mandatory transition of CSR

International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility, 2019

As public concern over greenwashing has grown in the last two decades, academic research has incr... more As public concern over greenwashing has grown in the last two decades, academic research has increased correspondingly, and there is now a substantial body of research addressing issues related to greenwashing. In this paper, we therefore review and analyze greenwashing research, to provide an evaluation of trends and progress in the field and a synthesis of the empirical and conceptual results presented in existing studies. Our main finding leading to our theory contribution is the criticism raised in greenwashing research that the entirely voluntary CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) approach facilitates the diffusion of greenwashing. The voluntary idea of CSR is still prevalent in the CSR literature and appears to be a grey-zone that creates space for misleading 'green' communication. Consequently, we propose that greenwashing could be better prevented with a combination of voluntary and mandatory aspects. The new paradigm should promote creative and effective corporate CSR initiatives, while at the same time design the limits and the rules for their accomplishments and communication, as firms would risk breaching legislation when overstretching CSR messages.

Research paper thumbnail of Are We Moving Beyond Voluntary CSR? Exploring Theoretical and Managerial Implications of Mandatory CSR Resulting from the New Indian Companies Act

Journal of Business Ethics, 2018

Although the literature on corporate social responsibility (CSR) has discussed the scope and mean... more Although the literature on corporate social responsibility (CSR) has discussed the scope and meaning of CSR extensively, confusion still exists regarding how to define the concept. One controversial issue deals with the changing legal status of CSR (i.e., the voluntary vs. mandatory nature of the concept). Based on a review of CSR definitions and meta-studies on CSR definitions, we find that the majority of definitions leans toward voluntary CSR. However, some recent regulatory amendments toward mandatory CSR have called into question the established idea of CSR as merely a managerial tool of self-regulation. In this paper, we juxtapose the evolution of CSR in India against the scholarly literature discussing voluntaryversus-mandatory CSR to understand the recent shift toward a new conceptualization of CSR as a form of co-regulation that includes elements of both voluntary and mandatory regulation. The Indian Companies Act 2013 (Section 135) is a remarkable example in that it replaced an older version from 1956, taking a bold step toward the integration of voluntary and mandatory aspects in the application of CSR. We present practical implications of the Indian case for businesses and discuss implications for CSR theory development; we particularly consider the evolution of the business and society relationship from a voluntary soft law approach to CSR to an increasingly hard law approach and transitory hybrid forms in-between like soft-hard law and hard-soft law.

Research paper thumbnail of CSR in Marketing: Quo Vadis? Empirical Evidence for Questioning the Dominant Instrumental Approach

Academy of Management Proceedings, 2013

The objective of this article is to understand how the discipline of marketing has thus far addre... more The objective of this article is to understand how the discipline of marketing has thus far addressed and incorporated corporate social responsibility (CSR). Our quantitative literature review shows that research questions in literature are stuck in the “how” question frame—that is, how CSR can affect consumer response, which in turn influences the firm’s profitability. In addition, our review confirms that most marketing research is based on the “instrumental” approach to CSR, which tends to emphasize solely the business consequences of engaging in CSR. As our review suggests, the instrumental perspective favours a rationalistic vision of consumers that excludes ethical considerations as a question of responsibility. We therefore claim—based on the American Marketing Association (AMA) definition of marketing— the need to take a step toward a more comprehensive integration of the ethical, societal, and political implications of CSR in marketing.

Research paper thumbnail of Greenwashing Revisited: In Search of a Typology and Accusation-Based Definition Incorporating Legitimacy Strategies

Business Strategy and the Environment, 2015

Is greenwashing a concept describing companies using misleading communication or is it coconstruc... more Is greenwashing a concept describing companies using misleading communication or is it coconstructed in the eye of the beholder? By discussing the literature, we find that existing definitions of greenwashing overemphasize the strategic intention to mislead and do not incorporate unjust allegations. Then, by combining signaling theory with legitimacy theory, we frame the communication process of the greenwashing accusation and the emergence of a negative narrative caused by the accusation and its effect on legitimacy. Hence, in this paper we argue that greenwashing epistemologically is constituted in the eye of the beholder, depending on an external accusation. Following this view, the greenwashing accusation is understood as a distortion factor altering the signal reliability of green messages. Based on our conceptual analysis, we provide a conceptual framework introducing a new typology of case-based greenwashing (greenwashing, false greenwashing, potential greenwashing and no greenwashing) and the effects of these types on corporate legitimacy. Finally, we propose a revised definition of greenwashing as co-creation of an external accusation toward an organization with regard to presenting a misleading green message.

Research paper thumbnail of CSR through the CEO’s pen

uwf UmweltWirtschaftsForum, 2015

Following institutional theory, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach depends on the i... more Following institutional theory, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach depends on the institutional environment. This study addresses country-specific differences in CSR motivating principles and corporate virtues as well as industry-specific differences and thus contributes to the notion of cultural relativity of corporations in international contexts. To do so, we content analyzed chief executive officers’ letters to internal and external stakeholders published in the CSR reports of Asian, European, and U.S. companies. The results demonstrate significant differences with regard to motivating principles and virtues among regions and industries, supporting the notion of a country-specific CSR approach based on the institutionalism argument.ZusammenfassungDer Institutionentheorie zufolge hängt die soziale Verantwortung von Unternehmen (CSR für Corporate Social Responsibility) vom institutionellen Umfeld ab. In diesem Artikel untersuchen wir sowohl länderspezifische als auch sektorspezifische Unterschiede der CSR Motivation sowie von Unternehmenswerten. Somit trägt der Artikel zum Verständnis kultureller Faktoren von Unternehmen in internationalen Zusammenhängen bei. Wir führten eine Inhaltsanalyse der Geleitbriefe von Vorstandsvorsitzenden an interne und externe Stakeholder aus CSR Berichten von asiatischen, europäischen und U.S. amerikanischen Unternehmen durch. Die Ergebnisse zeigen signifikante Unterschiede bezüglich Motivation und Unternehmenswerten hinsichtlich Region und Sektor, welche die Theorievorgabe eines länderspezifischen CSR Ansatzes der Institutionentheorie bestätigt.

Research paper thumbnail of Whose Economics of Religion?

Journal of Religion in Europe, 2014

This article aims to map—for the first time—the emerging but not yet substantively defined field ... more This article aims to map—for the first time—the emerging but not yet substantively defined field of economics of religion. To do so, we conducted a quantitative literature review, using the Partly Annotated Bibliography of Economics of Religion’s (Koch 2011) 763 publications as the sample. Although loaded with limitations like the German language backlog, the sample allows for an explorative map as it also includes publications from a variety of disciplines. The sample was coded along formal variables like discipline, date of publication, or language to quantify the body of literature, thereby enabling us to establish parameters to formally map the field. Our findings shed light on the most important disciplines (RQ1), most used publication formats (2), language frequencies (3), and most published experts (4); in addition, by synthesizing the results, we present trends and patterns according to disciplines over time (5) and interpret peak publication frequencies around 9/11. The lim...

Research paper thumbnail of Evidence for the prevalence of the sustainability concept in European corporate responsibility reporting

Sustainability Science, 2013

This paper empirically examines the terminology used in the titles of corporate social responsibi... more This paper empirically examines the terminology used in the titles of corporate social responsibility (CSR)/sustainability reports in Europe. Our data supports the claim of the rise of the sustainability concept in corporate communication in comparison to other concepts. In detail this research analysed CSR/sustainability reports to support Matten and Moon's [Acad Manage Rev 33(2):404-424, 2008] hypothesis regarding a recent European trend towards a more voluntary and explicit CSR practice. The second and main objective of the research was to describe statistically significant trends in the use of terms and concepts in CSR/sustainability reporting to better understand how European companies interpret CSR and sustainability and how they communicate it to their stakeholders. To this end, a content analysis was conducted on 329 CSR/sustainability reports from 50 leading European companies from Euro Stoxx 50 that were published between the beginning of online CSR/sustainability reporting in 1998 and 2010. Our data analysis clearly indicates that the use of social and environment-related terms occurred more frequently in the past and demonstrates the establishment of sustainability in corporate nonfinancial reporting. Based on the results of our empirical research, the final discussion explores the development and diffusion of the sustainability concept in both the academic and business fields and examines economic, environmental, and social implications. Different propositions are presented to explain the recent rise of the sustainability concept in European CSR/sustainability reporting, adding to the formation of sustainability as a concept and as a science. Keywords Sustainability Á Corporate communication Á Corporate reporting Á Corporate social responsibility Á CSR terminology Á Europe Handled by Joanne Kauffman, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (Retired), France.

Research paper thumbnail of Does It Pay Not to Engage in Greenwashing? The Effect of Supply Chain Involvement in Greenwashing on Investors’ Reactions

Global Fashion Management Conference, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Education for sustainable development through business simulation games: An exploratory study of sustainability gamification and its effects on students' learning outcomes

Journal of Cleaner Production, 2019

E-learning in higher education can be of great relevance in effective lifelong learning education... more E-learning in higher education can be of great relevance in effective lifelong learning education for sustainable development in a population of students who are simultaneously full time employees. The aim of this research was to assess the Education of Sustainable Development effectiveness through elearning in higher education in a case study. The expectations and experience of students who enrolled in more than one programme in environmental and/or sustainability science (bachelor, master, and doctorate), offered by Universidade Aberta, the Portuguese Distance Learning University, were analysed. The six dimensions analysed were: general expectations; learning quality; teaching resources, pedagogical tools and evaluation; acquired competences in education for sustainable development; satisfaction and interactions; and reasons to pursue enrolment in a new programme at Universidade Aberta. Data was collected using semi-structured qualitative interviews. The results showed that the surveyed students felt that they attained a high level of motivation and satisfaction, and had reached an effective learning outcome of knowledge, competences, values, attitudes and behaviour in environment and/or sustainability sciences. For these reasons they were motivated to return to Universidade Aberta and enrol for further training in the sustainability area. These results are built upon previous work developed by the authors, and allow us to conclude that formal e-learning programmes can provide an effective alternative to face-to-face training, allowing students to pursue their studies, in a flexible, collaborative and interactive way, whilst holding down full time jobs. In this way, Education for Sustainable Development in an e-learning regime can contribute to, and have a role in, the transition to sustainable societal patterns.

Research paper thumbnail of The role of corporate social responsibility, perceived quality and corporate reputation on purchase intention: Implications for brand management

Journal of Brand Management, 2012

ABSTRACT Businesses increasingly consider corporate reputation as a valuable asset that has a pos... more ABSTRACT Businesses increasingly consider corporate reputation as a valuable asset that has a positive impact on purchase intention. Concurrently, corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues have received growing attention and the importance of CSR has been increasingly emphasized. Claims have been made that both CSR and corporate reputation can provide a competitive advantage as in conjunction with perceived product quality they can influence purchase intentions. In this article we explore the interaction between these concepts and put forward a set of hypotheses about the expected linkages. Our discussion is based on findings from a study on a sample of customers of two brands of a traditional type of Italian Christmas cake – Panettone. The two brands are widely known in a specific geographical and cultural area and one is well known for its strong engagement in CSR activities. We conclude by discussing the limitations of our study and drawing implications for future research.

Research paper thumbnail of CSR through the CEO's pen: Comparing CEO letters from CSR reports from Asia, Europe, and the U.S

Following institutional theory, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach depends on the i... more Following institutional theory, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach depends on the institutional environment. This study addresses country-specific differences in CSR motivating principles and corporate virtues as well as industry-specific differences and thus contributes to the notion of cultural relativity of corporations in international contexts. To do so, we content analyzed chief executive officers' letters to internal and external stakeholders published in the CSR reports of Asian, European, and U.S. companies. The results demonstrate significant differences with regard to motivating principles and virtues among regions and industries, supporting the notion of a country-specific CSR approach based on the institutionalism argument

Research paper thumbnail of CSR through the CEO’s pen

uwf UmweltWirtschaftsForum, 2015

Following institutional theory, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach depends on the i... more Following institutional theory, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach depends on the institutional environment. This study addresses country-specific differences in CSR motivating principles and corporate virtues as well as industry-specific differences and thus contributes to the notion of cultural relativity of corporations in international contexts. To do so, we content analyzed chief executive officers’ letters to internal and external stakeholders published in the CSR reports of Asian, European, and U.S. companies. The results demonstrate significant differences with regard to motivating principles and virtues among regions and industries, supporting the notion of a country-specific CSR approach based on the institutionalism argument.ZusammenfassungDer Institutionentheorie zufolge hängt die soziale Verantwortung von Unternehmen (CSR für Corporate Social Responsibility) vom institutionellen Umfeld ab. In diesem Artikel untersuchen wir sowohl länderspezifische als auch sektorspezifische Unterschiede der CSR Motivation sowie von Unternehmenswerten. Somit trägt der Artikel zum Verständnis kultureller Faktoren von Unternehmen in internationalen Zusammenhängen bei. Wir führten eine Inhaltsanalyse der Geleitbriefe von Vorstandsvorsitzenden an interne und externe Stakeholder aus CSR Berichten von asiatischen, europäischen und U.S. amerikanischen Unternehmen durch. Die Ergebnisse zeigen signifikante Unterschiede bezüglich Motivation und Unternehmenswerten hinsichtlich Region und Sektor, welche die Theorievorgabe eines länderspezifischen CSR Ansatzes der Institutionentheorie bestätigt.

Research paper thumbnail of Whose Economics of Religion?

Journal of Religion in Europe, 2014

This article aims to map—for the first time—the emerging but not yet substantively defined field ... more This article aims to map—for the first time—the emerging but not yet substantively defined field of economics of religion. To do so, we conducted a quantitative literature review, using the Partly Annotated Bibliography of Economics of Religion’s (Koch 2011) 763 publications as the sample. Although loaded with limitations like the German language backlog, the sample allows for an explorative map as it also includes publications from a variety of disciplines. The sample was coded along formal variables like discipline, date of publication, or language to quantify the body of literature, thereby enabling us to establish parameters to formally map the field. Our findings shed light on the most important disciplines (RQ1), most used publication formats (2), language frequencies (3), and most published experts (4); in addition, by synthesizing the results, we present trends and patterns according to disciplines over time (5) and interpret peak publication frequencies around 9/11. The lim...

Research paper thumbnail of Green lies and their effect on intention to invest

Journal of Business Research, 2021

Abstract The article explores the consequences of greenwashing deceptions on intention to invest.... more Abstract The article explores the consequences of greenwashing deceptions on intention to invest. It analyses whether the presence of a greenwashing lie to stakeholders is detrimental to intention to invest. When a company greenwashes, it deliberately deceives stakeholders about its environmental commitment. Our results suggest that greenwashing has a greater negative impact on intention to invest than a corporate misbehaviour unrelated to a deceptive communication. In order to understand how different forms of greenwashing may affect intention to invest, we develop a typology of greenwashing deceptions, based on the variety of greenwashing cases that have emerged recently. The results show that individuals are less inclined to invest in a company that falsifies its claims (falsification) and which engages in manipulative business practices (deceptive manipulation), as compared to a company that instrumentally selects which information to disclose (information selection) or tries to obscure misbehaviours through publicizing its good business practices (attention diversion).

Research paper thumbnail of Firms Talk, Suppliers Walk: Analyzing the Locus of Greenwashing in the Blame Game and Introducing ‘Vicarious Greenwashing’

Journal of Business Ethics, 2019

Greenwashing extensively deals with scandals at the supply chain; despite this, however, research... more Greenwashing extensively deals with scandals at the supply chain; despite this, however, research on this subject remains in the early stages, while much more is needed to advance our understanding of stakeholder's reactions to greenwashing. We propose a new typology of greenwashing based on the locus of discrepancy, i.e., the point along the supply chain where the discrepancy between the responsible words and the irresponsible walks happens. With three experiments, we tested how the types affect investor reactions from ethical (blame attribution) and business (intention to invest) perspectives. We developed our hypotheses building on attribution theory, which explains how observers construct perceptions about events. We expected that the more the discrepancy is internal, controllable, and intentional, the higher the blame attributed to a company and the lower the investment intentions. We found that, when greenwashing occurs at a company level (direct greenwashing), it increases the blame while decreasing investment intentions. Indirect greenwashing refers to Firms Talk, Suppliers Walk 2 misbehavior perpetrated by a supplier that claims to be sustainable and results to be less negative for a company. We also propose a third and original type: vicarious greenwashing, which happens when the behavior of a supplier is in breach of a company's sustainability claim. Although stakeholders attribute less blame on a company when vicariously involved in greenwashing, this type of greenwashing is detrimental for investments. The findings here advance the understanding of how greenwashing shapes stakeholder reactions and call attention to the need of a careful management of the supply chain.

Research paper thumbnail of Grey zone in – greenwash out. A review of greenwashing research and implications for the voluntary-mandatory transition of CSR

International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility, 2019

As public concern over greenwashing has grown in the last two decades, academic research has incr... more As public concern over greenwashing has grown in the last two decades, academic research has increased correspondingly, and there is now a substantial body of research addressing issues related to greenwashing. In this paper, we therefore review and analyze greenwashing research, to provide an evaluation of trends and progress in the field and a synthesis of the empirical and conceptual results presented in existing studies. Our main finding leading to our theory contribution is the criticism raised in greenwashing research that the entirely voluntary CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) approach facilitates the diffusion of greenwashing. The voluntary idea of CSR is still prevalent in the CSR literature and appears to be a grey-zone that creates space for misleading 'green' communication. Consequently, we propose that greenwashing could be better prevented with a combination of voluntary and mandatory aspects. The new paradigm should promote creative and effective corporate CSR initiatives, while at the same time design the limits and the rules for their accomplishments and communication, as firms would risk breaching legislation when overstretching CSR messages.

Research paper thumbnail of Are We Moving Beyond Voluntary CSR? Exploring Theoretical and Managerial Implications of Mandatory CSR Resulting from the New Indian Companies Act

Journal of Business Ethics, 2018

Although the literature on corporate social responsibility (CSR) has discussed the scope and mean... more Although the literature on corporate social responsibility (CSR) has discussed the scope and meaning of CSR extensively, confusion still exists regarding how to define the concept. One controversial issue deals with the changing legal status of CSR (i.e., the voluntary vs. mandatory nature of the concept). Based on a review of CSR definitions and meta-studies on CSR definitions, we find that the majority of definitions leans toward voluntary CSR. However, some recent regulatory amendments toward mandatory CSR have called into question the established idea of CSR as merely a managerial tool of self-regulation. In this paper, we juxtapose the evolution of CSR in India against the scholarly literature discussing voluntaryversus-mandatory CSR to understand the recent shift toward a new conceptualization of CSR as a form of co-regulation that includes elements of both voluntary and mandatory regulation. The Indian Companies Act 2013 (Section 135) is a remarkable example in that it replaced an older version from 1956, taking a bold step toward the integration of voluntary and mandatory aspects in the application of CSR. We present practical implications of the Indian case for businesses and discuss implications for CSR theory development; we particularly consider the evolution of the business and society relationship from a voluntary soft law approach to CSR to an increasingly hard law approach and transitory hybrid forms in-between like soft-hard law and hard-soft law.

Research paper thumbnail of CSR in Marketing: Quo Vadis? Empirical Evidence for Questioning the Dominant Instrumental Approach

Academy of Management Proceedings, 2013

The objective of this article is to understand how the discipline of marketing has thus far addre... more The objective of this article is to understand how the discipline of marketing has thus far addressed and incorporated corporate social responsibility (CSR). Our quantitative literature review shows that research questions in literature are stuck in the “how” question frame—that is, how CSR can affect consumer response, which in turn influences the firm’s profitability. In addition, our review confirms that most marketing research is based on the “instrumental” approach to CSR, which tends to emphasize solely the business consequences of engaging in CSR. As our review suggests, the instrumental perspective favours a rationalistic vision of consumers that excludes ethical considerations as a question of responsibility. We therefore claim—based on the American Marketing Association (AMA) definition of marketing— the need to take a step toward a more comprehensive integration of the ethical, societal, and political implications of CSR in marketing.

Research paper thumbnail of Greenwashing Revisited: In Search of a Typology and Accusation-Based Definition Incorporating Legitimacy Strategies

Business Strategy and the Environment, 2015

Is greenwashing a concept describing companies using misleading communication or is it coconstruc... more Is greenwashing a concept describing companies using misleading communication or is it coconstructed in the eye of the beholder? By discussing the literature, we find that existing definitions of greenwashing overemphasize the strategic intention to mislead and do not incorporate unjust allegations. Then, by combining signaling theory with legitimacy theory, we frame the communication process of the greenwashing accusation and the emergence of a negative narrative caused by the accusation and its effect on legitimacy. Hence, in this paper we argue that greenwashing epistemologically is constituted in the eye of the beholder, depending on an external accusation. Following this view, the greenwashing accusation is understood as a distortion factor altering the signal reliability of green messages. Based on our conceptual analysis, we provide a conceptual framework introducing a new typology of case-based greenwashing (greenwashing, false greenwashing, potential greenwashing and no greenwashing) and the effects of these types on corporate legitimacy. Finally, we propose a revised definition of greenwashing as co-creation of an external accusation toward an organization with regard to presenting a misleading green message.

Research paper thumbnail of CSR through the CEO’s pen

uwf UmweltWirtschaftsForum, 2015

Following institutional theory, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach depends on the i... more Following institutional theory, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach depends on the institutional environment. This study addresses country-specific differences in CSR motivating principles and corporate virtues as well as industry-specific differences and thus contributes to the notion of cultural relativity of corporations in international contexts. To do so, we content analyzed chief executive officers’ letters to internal and external stakeholders published in the CSR reports of Asian, European, and U.S. companies. The results demonstrate significant differences with regard to motivating principles and virtues among regions and industries, supporting the notion of a country-specific CSR approach based on the institutionalism argument.ZusammenfassungDer Institutionentheorie zufolge hängt die soziale Verantwortung von Unternehmen (CSR für Corporate Social Responsibility) vom institutionellen Umfeld ab. In diesem Artikel untersuchen wir sowohl länderspezifische als auch sektorspezifische Unterschiede der CSR Motivation sowie von Unternehmenswerten. Somit trägt der Artikel zum Verständnis kultureller Faktoren von Unternehmen in internationalen Zusammenhängen bei. Wir führten eine Inhaltsanalyse der Geleitbriefe von Vorstandsvorsitzenden an interne und externe Stakeholder aus CSR Berichten von asiatischen, europäischen und U.S. amerikanischen Unternehmen durch. Die Ergebnisse zeigen signifikante Unterschiede bezüglich Motivation und Unternehmenswerten hinsichtlich Region und Sektor, welche die Theorievorgabe eines länderspezifischen CSR Ansatzes der Institutionentheorie bestätigt.

Research paper thumbnail of Whose Economics of Religion?

Journal of Religion in Europe, 2014

This article aims to map—for the first time—the emerging but not yet substantively defined field ... more This article aims to map—for the first time—the emerging but not yet substantively defined field of economics of religion. To do so, we conducted a quantitative literature review, using the Partly Annotated Bibliography of Economics of Religion’s (Koch 2011) 763 publications as the sample. Although loaded with limitations like the German language backlog, the sample allows for an explorative map as it also includes publications from a variety of disciplines. The sample was coded along formal variables like discipline, date of publication, or language to quantify the body of literature, thereby enabling us to establish parameters to formally map the field. Our findings shed light on the most important disciplines (RQ1), most used publication formats (2), language frequencies (3), and most published experts (4); in addition, by synthesizing the results, we present trends and patterns according to disciplines over time (5) and interpret peak publication frequencies around 9/11. The lim...

Research paper thumbnail of Evidence for the prevalence of the sustainability concept in European corporate responsibility reporting

Sustainability Science, 2013

This paper empirically examines the terminology used in the titles of corporate social responsibi... more This paper empirically examines the terminology used in the titles of corporate social responsibility (CSR)/sustainability reports in Europe. Our data supports the claim of the rise of the sustainability concept in corporate communication in comparison to other concepts. In detail this research analysed CSR/sustainability reports to support Matten and Moon's [Acad Manage Rev 33(2):404-424, 2008] hypothesis regarding a recent European trend towards a more voluntary and explicit CSR practice. The second and main objective of the research was to describe statistically significant trends in the use of terms and concepts in CSR/sustainability reporting to better understand how European companies interpret CSR and sustainability and how they communicate it to their stakeholders. To this end, a content analysis was conducted on 329 CSR/sustainability reports from 50 leading European companies from Euro Stoxx 50 that were published between the beginning of online CSR/sustainability reporting in 1998 and 2010. Our data analysis clearly indicates that the use of social and environment-related terms occurred more frequently in the past and demonstrates the establishment of sustainability in corporate nonfinancial reporting. Based on the results of our empirical research, the final discussion explores the development and diffusion of the sustainability concept in both the academic and business fields and examines economic, environmental, and social implications. Different propositions are presented to explain the recent rise of the sustainability concept in European CSR/sustainability reporting, adding to the formation of sustainability as a concept and as a science. Keywords Sustainability Á Corporate communication Á Corporate reporting Á Corporate social responsibility Á CSR terminology Á Europe Handled by Joanne Kauffman, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (Retired), France.

Research paper thumbnail of Does It Pay Not to Engage in Greenwashing? The Effect of Supply Chain Involvement in Greenwashing on Investors’ Reactions

Global Fashion Management Conference, 2018