How expected outcomes, stakeholders, and institutions influence corporate social responsibility at different levels of large basic needs firms
通过实验研究402家能源、包装食品和制药企业的CSR活动选择，发现预期结果而非制度或利益相关者驱动具体活动选择，但制度与利益相关者解释整体CSR策略。
Abstract A firm's choice to practice corporate social responsibility (CSR) is commonly explained using insights from institutional theory or stakeholder management. However, we do not know how important external pressures are at the executive level and individual manager level in a firm's choice to engage in particular CSR activities. Nor do we know how important these external pressures are in comparison with other attributes of CSR activities that can influence this choice, such as costs or expected returns of an activity. Finally, we do not know whether all firms respond in the same way to these influences. Hence, we ask the following: How do the outcomes and pressures for a CSR activity influence the choice of that particular activity by different classes of large basic needs industry firms? Using a choice experiment, we study the CSR activities of 402 firms in the energy, packaged foods, and pharmaceutical industries. We demonstrate that expected outcomes, rather than institutions or stakeholders, drive the choice of an activity. Firms invest differing amounts of funds into a particular activity. Although institutions and stakeholders explain the overall CSR strategy of the firm, they do not explain their choices for specific activities.