Corporate social responsibility: an enabler of organizational resilience

Abstract

Purpose

Drawing on social capital theory, this study aims to explore the effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on organizational resilience. The research investigates the mediating role of relationship quality in the association of CSR with organizational resilience, and the moderating role of data-driven culture in the association between CSR and relationship quality.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from Chinese agricultural firms with a sample of 241 senior or middle executives and structural equation modeling was used to test the research model and hypotheses.

Findings

The results indicate that CSR positively affects the relationship quality between agribusinesses and farmers, which in turn positively affects both proactive resilience and reactive resilience. Relationship quality has a partial mediating role in the association of CSR with proactive resilience and reactive resilience. Data-driven culture has a positive moderating effect on the relationship between CSR and relationship quality.

Originality/value

By arguing for CSR toward organizational resilience and analyzing its underlying mechanism, this study enriches the literature on CSR and organizational resilience and expands the existing knowledge on the roles of relationship quality and data-driven culture. This study also provides practical insights into how to improve organizational resilience.

Citation

Zheng, Q. and Lin, J. (2024), "Corporate social responsibility: an enabler of organizational resilience", Management Decision, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-06-2023-1018