Can Creating Shared Value (CSV) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) Collaborate for a Better World? Insights from East Asia

Abstract

Little is known regarding how and to what extent the emerging concept of creating shared value (CSV) can be integrated into unique Asian market dynamics. In this paper, we conduct a comparative content analysis of 240 sustainability reports on Japan, Korea, and China, spanning the period of 2012-2105. We find that CSV in Asia is a discrepant phenomenon with little theoretical and empirical support. Each country has a disorderly approach toward CSV mainly because of unique cultural and institutional contexts. More substantively, in Korea, CSV-although in decline-is seen as a popular alternative to philanthropy, while the Japanese remain cautious. In China, there is little interest in CSV. Thus, there is a possibility of CSV disappearing altogether because of scant theoretical and empirical support. To address this gap, we propose a "CSV-SDGs Collaborative Model of East Asia" (where SDGs refer to sustainable development goals). This model could contribute to early-stage CSV-SDGs collaboration for sustainable development in Asia.

What Motivates Stakeholders to Demand Corporate Social Responsibility: A Survey Experiment

“…It may be more rational for companies to do socially good and profit through it; however, such a framework is less likely to be supported, especially by consumers. Our results were consistent with Japanese social norms, suggesting that making a profit through socially good causes is not well accepted [31]. Our findings suggest that raising awareness may be one way to influence stakeholders' demands.…”

Scoping the Evolution of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Research in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Era

“…For example, Buhmann et al [62] explore how corporations can utilize their Human Resources (HR) towards achieving the SDGs. Likewise, Kim [63], Rahdari, Sepasi, and Moradi [64], and Bull and Miklian [65] analyze the socio-economic dimension of CSR from a corporate-driven standpoint, which highlights the positive economic and social gains for an organization to invest in CSR agendas. Calabrese, Costa, Ghiron, and Menichini [66] study the impact of gender equality on corporate governance, hence achieving robust CSR outcomes.…”

Interpretation and integration of “creating shared value” in Asia: implications for strategy research and practice

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