Corporate social responsibility in non-profit organizations

Abstract

The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in nonprofit organizations (NPOs) is a challenge for the literature and for the organizations themselves. The concept is often confused with social responsibility or sustainability. The pleonasm between CSR and the mission, values and nature of NPOs also raises questions. Finally, the relevance of the concept in its current state to NPOs calls into question, because of the “corporate” terminology. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a literature review, this article proposes to respond to these different gaps thanks to an analysis of the definitions, the theories, measurement methods and content of research dedicated to CSR, social responsibility and sustainability. Findings: The research underlines the triple relevance of the concept of CSR in NPOs. Its relevance to the other two concepts, its strategic importance and the interest of differentiation from for-profit organizations. Originality: This article proposes a literature review on CSR in NPOs, a subject that is still emerging in the literature but which nevertheless needs to be addressed in the current context of multiple crises.

Core charitable purpose and voluntary CSR activities in charity organisations: do they conflict?

“…Neergaard’s (2006) model classifies CSR motivations as institutional (it is expected/normal), instrumental (it pays off) or emotional (the right thing to do) and appears to encompass many of the other terms identified by other researchers (Brønn and Vidaver-Cohen, 2009; Rasche et al , 2017; Werther and Chandler, 2011; Porter and Kramer, 2006; Carroll and Buchholtz, 2009; Wymer, 2021; Carroll, 1999). Neergaard’s motivations were, therefore, selected as the basis for the thematic empirical research.…”

From CSR to Impact; How to Integrate CSR in a University Strategy

“…While NPOs are not typically thought of as corporations in the traditional business sense, the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) can still be applied to them. Furthermore, the overlap between CSR and the mission, values and nature of NPOs raises questions [2].…”

“…Lin-Hi et al (2015) found that negative CSR performance significantly destroys trustworthiness among stakeholders. The reputational dimension and the image that stakeholders have of CSR initiatives and of the managerial practices of a NPO are important; stakeholders tend to be relatively critical with respect to CSR performance of NPOs [2,3].…”

“…The objective of this paper is to contribute to the operationalization of CSR in the context of a university. The literature points out three main characteristics which distinguish universities from companies: (1) social responsibility is to a large extent interwoven with the mission and strategy, (2) there is a special relation with an important stakeholder group, namely students, and (3) given their mission and social responsibilities, universities are often critically viewed by their stakeholders, demanding a high standard of responsible behaviour ('practice what you preach').…”