Title: Stakeholder pressures, CSR practices, and business outcomes in Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands

Authors: Nicola Berg; Dirk Holtbrügge; Carolyn P. Egri; Olivier Furrer; Knud Sinding; Corinna Dögl

Addresses: Chair of Strategic Management, University of Hamburg, Von-Melle-Park 5, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany ' Department of International Management, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Lange Gasse 20, 90403 Nürnberg, Germany ' Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University, 500 Granville Street, Vancouver, B.C., V6C 1W6, Canada ' Chair of Marketing, University of Fribourg, Blvd de Pérolles 90, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland ' Department of Sociology, Environment and Business Economics, University of Southern Denmark, Niels Bohrs Vej 9, 6700 Esbjerg, Denmark ' Department of International Management, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Lange Gasse 20, 90403 Nürnberg, Germany

Abstract: This cross-country study investigates the antecedents and outcomes of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices. Based on institutional theory and stakeholder theory, we conducted an empirical study among 519 firms in Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. We found evidence that supports a significant positive relationship between stakeholder pressures, CSR practices, and business outcomes in the total sample. While our data reveals similarities between the three countries, differences in some areas can be observed as well. Implications for institutional theory and for CSR are derived.

Keywords: institutional theory; stakeholder theory; CSR; corporate social responsibility.

DOI: 10.1504/EJIM.2018.092846

European Journal of International Management, 2018 Vol.12 No.4, pp.472 - 500

Received: 08 Mar 2016
Accepted: 11 Nov 2016
Published online: 01 Jul 2018 *

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