Religion and Attitudes to Corporate Social Responsibility in a Large Cross-Country Sample Author(S): S
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Religion and Attitudes to Corporate Social Responsibility in a Large Cross-Country Sample Author(s): S. Brammer, Geoffrey Williams and John Zinkin Source: Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 71, No. 3 (Mar., 2007), pp. 229-243 Published by: Springer Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25075330 . Accessed: 11/04/2013 16:12 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Springer is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Journal of Business Ethics. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 141.161.133.194 on Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:12:39 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Journal of Business Ethics (2007) 71:229-243 ? Springer 2006 DOI 10.1007/sl0551-006-9136-z and Attitudes to Corporate Religion S. Brammer Social in a Responsibility Large GeoffreyWilliams Cross-Country Sample John Zinkin ABSTRACT. This paper explores the relationship of the firm and that which is required by law" between denomination and individual attitudes religious (McWilliams and Siegel (2001) has become a more to Social within the Corporate Responsibility (CSR) salient aspect of corporate competitive contexts. context of a large sample of over 17,000 individuals In this climate, organised religion has sought to two drawn from 20 countries. We address general ques play a significant role in establishing and dissemi tions: do members of denominations have dif religious moral and ethical that are con no nating prescriptions ferent attitudes concerning CSR than people of sistent with religious doctrines and that offer denomination? And: do members of different religions to those involved in business have different attitudes to CSR that conform to general practical guidance ethical conduct. For the priors about the teachings of different religions? Our concerning example, interfaith declaration on business ethics was devel evidence suggests that, broadly, religious individuals do to not prioritise the responsibilities of the firm differently, oped codify "the shared moral, ethical and spiri but do tend to hold broader conceptions of the social tual values" of Christianity, Islam and Judaism in of businesses than individ a responsibilities non-religious order to "draw up number of principles that might we show that this neither true for all uals. However, serve as guidelines for international business behav nor for all areas of CSR. religious groups, iour" (Interfaith Declaration, 1993, p. 2).1 More direct action has been taken by the Interfaith Centre KEY WORDS: corporate social responsibility, religion on Corporate Responsibility, an organisation com mitted to using the "power of persuasion backed by economic pressure from consumers and investors to Introduction hold corporations accountable." In this paper, we conduct an analysis of the rela Recent corporate scandals and the increasingly tionship between individual religious affiliation and international context within which modern busi attitudes towards CSR that draws upon a large cross nesses have issues con over operate raised important sectional database of 17,000 individuals from 20 cerning the roles and responsibilities of companies. countries. We make two main contributions. First, Pressures on companies to behave ethically have we develop the empirical literature on the relation intensified and in consequence, firms face pressure to ship between religious denomination and attitudes develop policies, standards and behaviours that towards the corporate social responsibilities of busi demonstrate their sensitivity to stakeholder concerns. nesses by encompassing a more diverse range of In consequence, corporate social responsibility religions than has been previously analysed in the (CSR), defined by the European Commission as "a literature. In doing so, we are able to shed more light concept whereby companies integrate social and on the importance of religion and the diversity in environmental concerns in their business operations religious beliefs in general, for individual expecta and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a tions concerning CSR. Given the increasingly global voluntary basis" (European Commission, 2001) and business context that many large multinational cor in the academic literature as "actions that appear porations operate in, managing these diverse societal to further some social good, beyond the interest expectations is likely to become a more significant This content downloaded from 141.161.133.194 on Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:12:39 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 230S. Brammer et al. task. Understanding the variation in these attitudes shows that more religiously inclined individuals tend across cultures is an important first step in that to exhibit better decision-making in ethical contexts process. Second, in contrast to several earlier studies, and a greater orientation to CSR. However, this we are able to examine the role played by religion in research often suffers from a number of well-known shaping individual attitudes both towards the broad limitations (Longnecker et al., 2004; Weaver and responsibilities of businesses and towards a range of Agle, 2002). In particular, it tends to be based upon specific aspects of CSR. Thus, our analysis builds small samples (typically, but not exclusively, under upon the recognition that CSR is fundamentally a graduate or MBA students), and typically focuses on multidimensional construct (Carroll, 1979; Griffin Christianity as the relevant dimension of religiosity and Mahon, 1997; Wood, 1991). (Agle and van Buren, 1999). The paper is structured as follows. In the next Longenecker et al. (2004) point out that religious section we present a brief review of previous studies intensity may influence business ethics more than on religion and business ethics. In Section 3, we denomination per se and this issue is also considered outline a conceptual framework for the relationship important by some others (Guiso et al., 2003). between religion and attitudes to CSR and develop However, detailed research on the issue of religious our hypotheses. Section 4 presents the empirical intensity and economic characteristics based on methods employed including a discussion of the very large dataseis from the World Values Survey sample. The fifth section reports the findings of our (Inglehart 1997) has provided evidence for the view a a runs i.e. research before final section provides discussion that causality the other way respondents' and conclusion. economic circumstances and their attitudes often determine their religiosity, lower income people are often more devout for example (Barro and Previous studies on religion and business McCleary 2003). Therefore the impact of religious ethics intensity is not as clear as may be suggested by Longenecker et al. (2004) and others. Rather than The relationship between religion and business attempting to test this issue indirectly by supple ethics has been the subject of significant recent menting our data with secondary sources we are conceptual and empirical work (Calkins, 2000; simply interested in identifying preliminary regular a Epstein, 2002; 1998; Weaver and Agle, 2002). Much ities between religious groups in cross-sample of this research is explicitly normative (Epstein, context. Our hope is to highlight areas where greater 2000; Stackhouse et al., 1995) and several contri in-depth research might be explored later. butions note that the Hebrew Bible, Rabbinic writings, the Qur'an and the books of Sunnah are reasonably explicit concerning the ethical standards Conceptual development and hypotheses expected in particular business contexts (Epstein, 2000; Sacks, 2004; Tamari, 1990; Zinkin, 2004; In common with earlier authors, we focus on the 2006; Zinkin and Williams, 2006). Also, the relationship between religious denomination and so Christian Gospels "establish an action-guiding, attitudes concerning CSR. We do because of the other-centred perspective toward business affairs that limited evidence available to date and because dif are is carried forward elsewhere in Scripture and in ferences in attitudes hkely antecedents of differ Christian tradition" (Calkins, 2000, p. 343). ences in behaviour towards companies on the basis van A growing body of empirical research has linked of their degree of responsibility (Agle and Buren, are a religion and ethical values in the economics and 1999).3 We not attempting to provide detailed we use business context (Angelidis and Ibrahim, 2004; theological review here. Rather aim to Guiso et al., 2003; Ibrahim and Angelidis, 1993; examples to illustrate potential differences in atti across Meising and Preble, 1985; Smith and Oakley, 1996; tudes to CSR religions and between the Terpstra et al., 1993) and in managerial attitudes and religious and the non-religious. decision-making (Agle and van Buren, 1999; Our starting point is the assumption that, in the Kidwell et al., 1987; Longenecker et al., 2004). This absence of an involvement with religion, individuals This content downloaded from 141.161.133.194 on Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:12:39 PM All use subject