Achieving sustainability through Schumpeterian social entrepreneurship: The role of social enterprises

In this paper we explore whether a number of elements influence the levels of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure in the annual reports of Polish companies. These elements include the following: company size, profitability, financial leverage, industry environmental sensitivity, board size, women on the board, internationalization, and reputation. We use content analysis to determine the quality of CSR disclosures. We test our hypotheses using a Tobit regression analysis on a sample of 60 reports from Polish companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. We find industry environmental sensitivity to have significant influence on CSR disclosures. Our research findings also reveal a relationship between company turnover, duration of the stock exchange listing, inclusion in the Respect Index portfolio and foreign capital share, and the level of CSR disclosures. This study extends the scope of previous studies by including non-commonly used independent variables: the company’s internationalization and reputation. To the authors’ knowledge, it is the primary step to investigating CSR reporting practices coupled with the corporate characteristics in a Central and Eastern European country such as Poland. The paper contributes to the understanding of determinants of CSR disclosure and offers findings which are potentially useful for both theory and practice.

Determinants of Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure: An Empirical Study of Polish Listed Companies

One of the major scholarly challenges of social entrepreneurship is the lack of an established epistemology that partly contributes to and/or stems from a conflict of discourses. This study is an attempt to pave the way for the enhancement of the field of social entrepreneurship, using Schumpeter's perspective developed in his magnum opus “Theorie der wirtschaftlichen Entwicklung”, by highlighting the role it can play in transforming business into an engine for sustainable development with an emphasis on the role that social enterprises can play. The study employs concepts of corporate citizenship, social entrepreneurship, corporate social responsibility, social enterprise, and sustainable development to form a robust conceptual understanding of the field. A canvas alongside a set of tools are developed to enlighten the way towards achieving sustainable development. The study is primarily of interest to socio-economic policy makers and social entrepreneurship scholars and benefits social and business enterprises as well. The implications of the canvas are tripartite. Firstly, the canvas demonstrates the main elements of the current socio-economic ecosystem and how they could work in unison towards the realization of sustainable development agenda. Secondly, it helps to connect diverse yet related concepts in a pragmatic manner and, as a result, lays the foundation for the realization of Sustainable Development Goals of post-2015 development agenda of the United Nations with an emphasis on the role of social enterprises. Thirdly, the canvas, in conjunction with the concomitant analyses, helps companies to understand the level of maturity and integration of their sustainable and responsible strategies. Finally, the study highlights the role social enterprises and sustainable businesses can play in achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm/SSRN_ID2817726_code2488747.pdf?abstractid=2817726&type=2

Achieving Sustainability Through Schumpeterian Social Entrepreneurship: The Role of Social Enterprises

This paper investigates factors affecting firm performance. Using data from Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Surveys (BEEPS 2013–2014), findings indicate that the following have a positive effect on firm performance: (i) innovative activities; (ii) knowledge spillovers; (iii) foreign ownership; and (iv) the proportion of skilled workers in the workforce. The paper therefore argues that innovation activities are endogenously related to firm performance, and that the performance of firms is influenced by knowledge spillovers and innovation activities, among other firm characteristics. The paper contributes to the literature by identifying spillovers and innovation activities as causal variables of firm performance—a novel approach to investigating knowledge spillovers and innovation activities.

The impact of knowledge spillovers and innovation on firm-performance: findings from the Balkans countries

This paper investigates factors affecting firm performance. Using data from Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Surveys (BEEPS 2013\textendash2014), findings indicate that the following have a positive effect on firm performance: (i) innovative activities; (ii) knowledge spillovers; (iii) foreign ownership; and (iv) the proportion of skilled workers in the workforce. The paper therefore argues that innovation activities are endogenously related to firm performance, and that the performance of firms is influenced by knowledge spillovers and innovation activities, among other firm characteristics. The paper contributes to the literature by identifying spillovers and innovation activities as causal variables of firm performance\textemdasha novel approach to investigating knowledge spillovers and innovation activities.

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Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Innovation–The Drivers of Business Growth?

CRS and innovation has emerged slowly over the past decade. One explanation of ‘social innovation’ can refer to improvements in the CRS process. As stated by the department of Trade and Industry in the United Kingdom, CSR represent “the integrity with which a company govern itself, fulfills its mission, lives by its value, engages with its stakeholders, measures its impact and reports on its activities”. The paper will analyze the main four topics related to CRS and innovation, starting with Corporate Social Innovation; which will refer to a product innovation with a social purpose, in addition we will focus on the important subtheme of corporate social innovation focused on low-income market - Base of the Pyramid (BOP). Moreover, Social Entrepreneurship will be analyzed since they act as the change agents for society, seizing opportunities others miss and improving systems, inventing new approaches, and creating solutions to change society for the better. Likewise, the paper will point the significance of Eco–Innovation as a new discipline with the purpose of describing products and processes that contribute to sustainable development.

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm/SSRN_ID1929076_code1715992.pdf?abstractid=1929076&mirid=3

Selma Kurtishi

Papers

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Innovation–The Drivers of Business Growth?

The Importance of Innovation in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)