Preliminary communication
Published in: Holistic Approach Environ. 3(2013) 3, pp. 145 – 165
Paper reference number: HAE-43
Download Full text PDF

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND COMPANY PERFORMANCE – EVIDENCE FROM FOUR EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

Nidžara Osmanagić Bedenik*, Irene Fafaliou**, Malgorzata Porada-Rochon***, Alexandra Rausch****, Davor Labaš*

* Faculty of Economics and Business University of Zagreb, Croatia

** Department of Economics University of Piraeus, Greece

*** Faculty of Management and Economics of Services University of Szczecin, Poland

**** Department of Controlling and Strategic Management, Universität Klagenfurt, Austria

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

ABSTRACT

The ability of companies to sense and adapt to environmental uncertainty by leveraging corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies is of critical importance. However, for majority of business entities awareness and knowledge on CSR issues is insufficient or underdeveloped. Further, there is no clear perception among business people on the benefits entailed from the implementation of CSR practices into their business models. In this paper, we used a sample of 146 companies operating in Croatia, Greece, Poland and Austria, we have examined how these entrepreneurial entities have viewed CSR and how they have valued the importance of CSR in the sustainable context development of their business. By applying a questionnaire survey methodology, our findings are providing a useful insight into the conditions and various levels of CSR implementation used by these countries.

Keywords: corporate social responsibility, business performance, Croatia, Greece, Poland, Austria
___________________________________________________________________________________________________