Influence of maturity on corporate social responsibility and sustainable innovation in business performance

TLDR

Models of maturity in corporate social responsibility and sustainable innovation enable evaluation of a company's evolution and guide strategic improvement across economic, social, and environmental dimensions. The study developed maturity models to assess how corporate social responsibility maturity influences sustainable innovation and how these factors affect business performance. Using resource‑based theory, the authors applied structural equation modeling to a sample of 154 Brazilian firms. Results show that corporate social responsibility maturity positively influences sustainable innovation, and both dimensions enhance business performance, offering companies a path to value creation, competitive advantage, and superior performance.

Abstract

Abstract Models of maturity in corporate social responsibility (CSRM) and in sustainable innovation (SIM) allow us to evaluate how a company is evolved in a given area, so that it can trace a strategic path of improvements in the economic, social, and environmental dimensions. This study developed maturity models seeking to verify the influence of CSRM on the SIM and of these dimensions in the business performance (BP). The analysis, grounded on resource‐based theory, used structural equation modeling with a sample of 154 Brazilian companies. It was found that CSRM exerts influence on the SIM and that both positively influence the BP. The use of these models can assist companies in creating value, generating competitive advantage, and promoting superior performance.