No abstract

Social networks are an opportunity to foster and strengthen dialogue between companies and their audiences and also to integrate social expectations into their corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies. This research analyses communication on CSR on Twitter and its main objectives are: 1) to analyze if there are CSR concepts which can lead the conversation among Twitter users and companies when discourse is limited to CSR related concepts; and 2) to detect those concepts which might create engagement (underlying conversations) between companies and Twitter users. Our research is focused on insurance companies included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI). The methodology used is qualitative and the sample comprises more than 8,500 tweets which include a set of keywords related to CSR, that were published by the companies in the sample and/or mentioned those companies. The results show that industry-related words, financial performance messages and the local activities of the company are opportunities to spread the CSR commitment. We concluded that communication is scarce between companies and users related to CSR. In general, companies and users shared interests, but these were not related to a real conversation about CSR and sustainability.

Despite the efforts of organisations to make their consumers loyal to their brands, numerous studies show how loyalty has been declining in recent years without apparent causes. The aim of this research is to study the relationship between personality, trust and brand loyalty, to help understand the role of each of these variables in consumers' relationships with brands. Through a structural model built from data collected from a representative sample of 1015 individuals in the Spanish market, results put forward evidence of an indirect positive influence of brand personality on consumer loyalty, mediated by brand trust. Surprisingly, the results contrast with previous studies and show that there is no direct relationship between brand personality and brand loyalty. The results of this study have implications for both researchers and managers because previous research has analysed the direct influence of brand personality on trust or loyalty but not the mediating role that trust has on the relationship between personality and loyalty.

No abstract

(1) Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) foster the relationships between public and private sectors while adding value to new forms of investment that are closely linked to Socially Responsible Investments (SRIs). In this context, Sustainable Developments Goals (SDGs) aim to strengthen global partnerships in order to achieve the 2030 Agenda. Sustainable banking should consider its role in both new responsible investment products and the 2030 Agenda. This study aims to: (i) estimate the ROI of SIBS, (ii) define a financial formulation and a measurement system, and (iii) explain the relationship between SIBs and SDGs. (2) This research analyzes SIBs from an SDG approach, and proposes a valuation model based on a financial options valuation methodology that clarifies the financial value of the world’s first SIB (Peterborough Prison, UK). (3) Findings suggest that investors expect to have a negative return of 16.48%, and that this expected loss may be compensated for by the short- and long-term positive impact of an intervention in society. (4) It is shown that SIBs provide an opportunity to reach SDG 17 and improve sustainable investment portfolios, while providing an opportunity to strengthen a company’s Corporate Social Responsibility policy and its corporate reputation.