THE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Abstract

Aceasta lucrare contribuie la imbunataţirea inţelegerii conceptului de responsabilitate sociala corporatista prin examinarea rolului credibilitaţii corporaţiei in crearea de avantaje comprtitive. Principala contribuţie a lucrarii consta in identificarea existenţei unei relaţii positive intre avantajele competitive si responsabilitatea sociala corporatista. Gradul in care responsabilitatea sociala are impact asupra credibilitaţii unei firme influenţeaza abilitatea acesteia de a atrage capital (avantaj competiv). Prin urmare, rezultatele obţinute sugereaza faptul ca se asteapta ca firmele sa se implice in iniţiative sociale, ele fiind recompensate pentru efortul depus prin comportamente adecvate din partea clienţilor lor. This paper contributes to improvement the understanding of corporate social responsibility concept by examining the role of corporate credibility in setting up the competitive advantage. The main contribution of this paper is to find evidence of a significant positive relation between the competitive advantages, which a company can obtain, and the corporate social responsibility. The degree to which social responsibility is emphasized can also impact a firm’s credibility, ultimately influencing the ability to raise capital (competitive advantage). Therefore, our results suggest that consumers expect firms to be involved in social initiatives and may reward them for their efforts through purchase behavior.