CSR Firm Profiles and Innovation: An Empirical Exploration with Survey Data

GATE Working Paper No. 1117

18 Pages Posted: 8 Apr 2011

See all articles by Rachel Bocquet

Rachel Bocquet

University of Savoy - Institut de Recherche en Gestion et Économie (IREGE)

Christian Le Bas

Université Catholique de Lyon - ESDES School of Business and Management

Caroline Mothe

University of Savoy - Institut de Recherche en Gestion et Économie (IREGE)

Nicolas Poussing

Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER); CREM

Date Written: April 4, 2011

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between different Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategies and innovation. Using a survey carried out on CSR behavior of Luxembourg firms, we found two types of firms as far as CSR practices are concerned. Cluster 1 firms adopted CSR practices to achieve economic goals without resorting to the formalization of these practices. In contrast, cluster 2 firms “learn CSR by doing” and by establishing CSR procedures and tools. Then we match Community Innovation Survey (CIS) data and specific data collected on CSR clusters. We estimate Logit models to explain the different types of innovation (product, process, organizational). In comparison with the firms which don’t adopt CSR, firms in Cluster 1 are more innovative in terms of product and process once we control for firm characteristics and innovation drivers while firms in cluster 2 tend to reject innovation in process and adopt organizational innovation. These results, which show the link between the various CSR practices and innovation types, have important consequences in terms of managerial recommendations and public policy support for innovation.

Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility, Innovation, Organizational, Practices, Product, Process

JEL Classification: O31

Suggested Citation

Bocquet, Rachel and Le Bas, Christian and Mothe, Caroline and Poussing, Nicolas, CSR Firm Profiles and Innovation: An Empirical Exploration with Survey Data (April 4, 2011). GATE Working Paper No. 1117, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1802505 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1802505

Rachel Bocquet

University of Savoy - Institut de Recherche en Gestion et Économie (IREGE) ( email )

4 Chemin de Bellevue
BP 80439
Annecy-le-Vieux, 74944
France

Christian Le Bas

Université Catholique de Lyon - ESDES School of Business and Management ( email )

6, rue de l'Abbaye d'Ainay
Lyon, 69002
France

Caroline Mothe

University of Savoy - Institut de Recherche en Gestion et Économie (IREGE) ( email )

4 Chemin de Bellevue
BP 80439
Annecy-le-Vieux, 74944
France

Nicolas Poussing (Contact Author)

Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) ( email )

11, Porte des Sciences
Campus Belval – Maison des Sciences Humaines
Esch-sur-Alzette, L-4366
Luxembourg

HOME PAGE: http://www.liser.lu

CREM ( email )

7 place Hoche
Rennes, Bretagne 35065
France

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