Value co-creation through corporate social responsibility in a typical controversial industry: Evidence from Macao

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the social values that are created through corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure in the gaming tourism industry, and how the industry players use CSR disclosure as a communication channel with their stakeholders. This research applies the content analysis method and collects data from annual reports, sustainability/social reports and corporate websites of all gaming operators in Macao from 2011 to 2017. The results are tied to the Macao government’s report on the gaming tourism industry and the CSR reporting guidelines promulgated by the industry’s regulatory bodies. Further analysis is conducted based on public statistical data to quantify the social value co-created by the industry players with their stakeholders. The findings show that sustainability of enterprises in the gaming tourism industry is created through the participation of various stakeholder groups, such as consumers/customers, government, community, suppliers and employees. This is one of the first studies on value co-creation via CSR disclosure based on companies in the gaming tourism industry, especially in a region under the “one country, two systems” regime. Furthermore, this study pioneers in exploring how companies use CSR reporting to enhance their image and restore social values from their gaming operations which represent a typical controversial sector integrated with tourism.

KEYWORDS:

• Value co-creation
• corporate social responsibility
• sustainability
• gaming
• social accounting

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. The interim review report can be retrieved from http://www.dicj.gov.mo/web/en/news/Year-2016/mid-report/index.html

2. Refer to the contracts available at http://www.dicj.gov.mo.

3. Refer to the contracts available at www.dicj.gov.mo.

Additional information

Funding

This paper is extended from the research project “CSR Information System: the Application in Hospitality and Gaming Tourism Industry” (Ref. No. 153/2017/A) funded by The Science and Technology Development Fund, Macao Special Administration Region in China.