MNCs' corporate social irresponsibility and foreign subsidiary performance

Author:

Nuruzzaman N.1,Makarius Erin E.2,Mukherjee Debmalya2,Gaur Ajai3ORCID

Affiliation:

1. University of Manchester, Alliance Manchester Business School Manchester UK

2. The University of Akron, College of Business Akron Ohio USA

3. Department of Management and Global Business Rutgers Business School – Newark and New Brunswick Newark New Jersey USA

Abstract

AbstractResearch SummaryBuilding on the cognitive view of stakeholder evaluation, we propose that multinational corporations' (MNCs') socially irresponsible acts transcend geographic boundaries and negatively affect foreign subsidiary performance. Moreover, we propose that foreign subsidiaries' product innovation and marketing campaigns create strategic noise in the information space that can mitigate the negative effect of MNCs' corporate social irresponsibility (CSI) incidents occurring elsewhere on the performance of their foreign subsidiaries. We test our arguments on 335 subsidiaries of 42 multinational grocery retailers from 18 different home countries. Our analyses, based on a sample of 2185 subsidiary‐year observations over the period of 9 years (2012–2020), largely support our core argument that CSI incidents negatively influence the sales growth of foreign subsidiaries.Managerial SummaryThis research underscores the importance for MNC managers to be cognizant of the potential fallout from CSI incidents. With the global spread of information, MNCs' misconduct that occurs elsewhere can quickly impact the sales growth of foreign subsidiaries. The study found that product or service innovations are more effective than marketing campaigns in managing reputational damage, emphasizing the value of genuine, capability‐enhancing strategies. Furthermore, the findings highlight the interconnectedness between socially responsible practices and innovation, suggesting that MNCs and their subsidiaries should focus on maintaining strong ethical standards while simultaneously fostering an environment conducive to innovation. This approach not only addresses the adverse effects of CSI but also strengthens the MNC's overall standing with its stakeholders.

Publisher

Wiley

Subject

Strategy and Management,Business and International Management

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3