Connecting market orientation, learning orientation and corporate social responsibility implementation: is innovativeness a mediator?

Abstract

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been a topic of interest to both practitioners and researchers in the forest products sector. However, the existing literature falls short of examining the connections between CSR implementation and firm cultures, a key link to further our understanding for CSR implementation. This current study investigates the relationship between firm cultures and CSR implementation in the global forest, paper & packaging industry companies. Specifically, the authors propose firm cultures, including market orientation, learning orientation and innovativeness potentially support CSR implementation. Also, innovativeness is proposed to mediate the market orientation-CSR and learning orientation-CSR relationships. Data are collected through a mail survey with responses from 58 companies (87 individuals) of the Top 100 global forest, paper & packaging industry companies, identified by PricewaterhouseCoopers in its 2008 Global Forest, Paper & Packaging Industry Survey. Results confirm the hypothesized relationships between market orientation and CSR and learning orientation and CSR. However, the proposed mediating effect of innovativeness is not significant.

Keywords:

• market orientation
• learning orientation
• CSR implementation
• innovativeness

Acknowledgements

Financial support from Center for Wood Utilization Research, USDA CSREES Special Research Grant Program is gratefully acknowledged. The authors also would like to extend our appreciation to the reviewers for the insightful comments.