Investigation of CSR Activities Connected to Covid-19 in Czech and Slovak Businesses

Abstract

Research Purpose. The COVID-19 pandemic was very demanding for business entities which have to introduce new managerial tools and approaches to protect the health of employees and maintained continuity in the company's activities. Most countries worldwide have implemented policies and guidelines that protect employees from potential risks related to the Covid-19 pandemic. The study aims at identifying if any difference exists (and what these differences are) between Czech and Slovak companies in the emphasis they pay to the corporate social responsibility (abbreviated: CSR) activities connected with the COVID-19 pandemic. Design / Methodology / Approach. A questionnaire composed of Likert scale statements, whose reliability was tested with Cronbach's Alpha (0.797), was sent to daughter companies (subsidies) of foreign multinationals (pioneers in CSR activities in SK), who were selected based on stratified randomisation. We obtained data from 360 Czech and Slovak companies (180 from CZ and 180 from SK). We tested whether the differences were statistically significant using a non-parametric test, namely the Mann-Whitney U test. Findings. We identified a statistically significant difference between Czech and Slovak companies only for one factor - extra employee benefits, which include, for example, the possibility to test at the workplace or take voluntary quarantine with income compensation, etc. Other CSR activities connected with the COVID-19 pandemic were realised with the same emphasis in both countries. We observe that most of the companies use these practices. However, assisting the communities and society is somewhat neglected by the majority of them. In this regard, we argue that it is important to support communities more as the money spent for it may come back in the form of purchases by consumers. Originality / Value / Practical implications. In the same vein as previous works, we studied the differences between SK and CZ, two countries which shared for a long time the same history and culture. The originality here is the investigation of CSR practices connected to COVID-19 in the two countries. Findings have theoretical and practical implications. Theoretical as they contribute to expanding the literature on CSR and practical as we present to what degree the organisations and their managements from the sample put emphasis on CSR activities adopted to fight and limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.