Corporate food donations: altruism, strategy or cost saving?
ISSN: 0007-070X
Article publication date: 17 July 2018
Issue publication date: 7 August 2018
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to enhance the understanding of motives behind corporate giving and at finding out whether and when operational efficiency plays a major role in the case of surplus food donations by food supply chain companies.
Design/methodology/approach
A multiple case study methodology has been applied considering a sample of 16 food sector companies operating in Italy. Three cases have been analyzed in-depth to highlight the contextual factors that make cost savings possible and donations sizeable and regular.
Findings
The results show that the willingness of companies to reduce operational costs plays a relevant role in managerial decisions concerning the recovery and donation of unsold food, although to different degrees across the supply chain stages.
Originality/value
The paper shows that not only strategic and moral motives, but also economic efficiency concern plays an important role in the managerial decision-making process pertaining to surplus food donations.
Keywords
Citation
Sert, S., Garrone, P., Melacini, M. and Perego, A. (2018), "Corporate food donations: altruism, strategy or cost saving?", British Food Journal, Vol. 120 No. 7, pp. 1628-1642. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-08-2017-0435
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited