British Food Journal

Louise Manning

doi: 10.1108/00070701311289858pmid: N/A

Purpose – The purpose is to analyse the interaction between corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies and consumer social responsibility (C N SR) and then contribute to theory‐building by developing an interaction model. Design/methodology/approach – The research included a literature review and the development of a CSR/C N SR interaction model for the food supply chain. Findings – CSR is an organo‐centric response to a series of supply chain drivers, which in a competitive market promotes corporate/product differentiation and more effective use of resources. CSR is however of limited value to the organisation if there is a lack of, or a change in, consumer engagement. Recent economic drivers have influenced C N SR behaviour with the consumerism component rather than the caring component of C N SR playing a lead role. However, this is not the case with all food products and C N SR can be a solo, product‐centric purchasing decision within the shopping basket. Organisations need to recognise that their CSR activities must remain congruent with C N SR in order that they maintain or improve market share and customer loyalty. Originality/value – This research is of academic value and of value to policy makers and practitioners in the food supply chain. The results show that organisations need to consider the influence of the nature of consumer social responsibility associated with their products and services in the development and refinement of CSR strategies.

Sari Forsman‐Hugg; Juha‐Matti Katajajuuri; Inkeri Riipi; Johanna Mäkelä; Katja Järvelä; Päivi Timonen

doi: 10.1108/00070701311289867pmid: N/A

Purpose – This paper aims to identify and define the content of corporate social responsibility (CSR) for the food chain. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative research approach was applied in the study, based on participatory and case study research methodologies. The study drew on three different case food products and their supply chains: rye bread, broiler chicken products and margarine. The content of CSR was built through participatory workshops, the aim of which was to elicit the ideas of different stakeholder groups. Findings – The study identified seven key dimensions of food chain CSR: environment, product safety, corporate nutritional responsibility, occupational welfare, animal health and welfare, local market presence and economic responsibility. Originality/value – The results provide food and agribusiness companies with a better understanding of core CSR issues and their relevance in complex chains and networks. This may encourage the companies to promote their activities in a more responsible and sustainable direction and offer elements to build sustainable business cases. In addition, the results may indicate a change towards broader understanding of what is meant by corporate social responsibility.

Katharina Poetz; Rainer Haas; Michaela Balzarova

doi: 10.1108/00070701311289876pmid: N/A

Purpose – The rise of CSR followed a demand for CSR standards and guidelines. In a sector already characterized by a large number of standards, the authors seek to ask what CSR schemes apply to agribusiness, and how they can be systematically compared and analysed. Design/methodology/approach – Following a deductive‐inductive approach the authors develop a model to compare and analyse CSR schemes based on existing studies and on coding qualitative data on 216 CSR schemes. Findings – The authors confirm that CSR standards and guidelines have entered agribusiness and identify a complex landscape of schemes that can be categorized on focus areas, scales, mechanisms, origins, types and commitment levels. Research limitations/implications – The findings contribute to conceptual and empirical research on existing models to compare and analyse CSR standards. Sampling technique and depth of analysis limit this research, but the authors offer insights into patterns of CSR standard development in agribusiness and point to important research avenues. Practical implications – These findings can help agribusiness managers to select and analyse CSR standards and other forms of CSR guidance. Social implications – Standard and guidance setting activities can be expected to have real‐life effects on CSR outcomes. These effects need to be better understood by policy makers and stakeholders. The authors' meta‐analysis contributes to further research on who or what influences standard development. Originality/value – Models to compare CSR schemes are rare and often focus on a small number of cases. The authors provide decision makers and researchers with insights into structural conditions through a meta‐analysis of a larger number of CSR schemes.

Valeria Sodano; Martin Hingley

doi: 10.1108/00070701311289885pmid: N/A

Purpose – This theoretical research article aims to take an economics approach to set out the role of the food system and its importance in control of greenhouse gases (GHG) and contribution to climate change. The article seeks to challenge the weak position of public policy aimed at tackling this major issue and the shortcomings of reliance on food corporations' voluntary and sporadic approach based on corporate social responsibility (CSR). Design/methodology/approach – A review of literature and analysis of the legal and economic theories of the firm show how both public and private intervention tends to be ineffective in facing the many problems raised by climate change within the food sector. This article proposes a “government case” for CSR. Findings – It is argued that interventions to tackle climate change are political rather than economic and depend on power relationships among different actors, such as states and large corporations, involved in their implementation. The main conclusion of the article is that a renovated agenda to tackle climate change ought to be based on the two pillars of soft regulation‐voluntary CSR and binding state regulation. In this new scenario corporate and antitrust laws should be used to correct the growing imbalance between corporate rights and corporate responsibility, with binding regulations supporting voluntary CSR. Originality/value – Application of CSR has been left to corporations which have pursued their own piecemeal agenda; and the predominant creed of neoliberalism has been ineffectual in governance. This article questions its effectiveness and proposes an original and potentially sustainable alternative.

Anne Wiese; Waldemar Toporowski

doi: 10.1108/00070701311289894pmid: N/A

Purpose – Companies implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices along their supply chains to fulfil stakeholder requirements. In doing so, failures in which CSR aspects are violated also emerge, caused by single supply chain members. In these situations, quite often the other supply chain members also appear responsible although they mostly do not have complete control over suppliers and sub‐suppliers due to information gaps. Therefore, the malpractice of one single company can harm the reputation of related companies. This paper aims to analyse recent CSR failures along food supply chains with the aim of evaluating why these occurred and what possibilities exist to avoid similar failures in the future. Design/methodology/approach – Agency theory analyses information asymmetries in relationships in which one party delegates work to another party. In the considered failures, the downstream company can be regarded as principal by ordering products from the suppliers (agents). Consequently, agency theory contributes towards understanding failures in CSR implementation and highlighting solutions. Findings – The cases analysed illustrate that CSR failures can have negative impacts on the companies' reputation and therefore also financial effects. Implementing a successful CSR policy should therefore be a primary interest of companies. Agency theory proved suitable to illustrate supply chain relationships and point out implications for companies. The instruments of agency theory can help to avoid CSR failures in food supply chains. Originality/value – The paper combines agency theory with failures in CSR along food supply chains. In doing so, new insights into supply chain relationships are gained and implications for supply chain members to avoid CSR failures can be deduced. One special characteristic of the analysed failures is that the principal is not aimed at increasing the quantity of the agent's output but the quality.

Ioannis Assiouras; Ozge Ozgen; George Skourtis

doi: 10.1108/00070701311289902pmid: N/A

Purpose – The first purpose of this study is to analyse the impact of prior CSR information on the perceived degree of danger, attribution of blame, brand evaluation and buying intentions after a product‐harm crisis in the food industry. The second purpose is to examine the moderation effect of CSR importance ascribed by the consumers on the above mentioned relations. Design/methodology/approach – An experimental design consisting of three between‐subjects conditions was applied and three CSR initiative conditions were selected (positive, negative CSR and no CSR information as a control condition). In this framework, three different scenarios were designed and tested under the condition of a product‐harm crisis related to margarine. Findings – This study highlights that CSR has an impact on attribution of blame, brand evaluation and buying intention but not on the perceived degree of danger. CSR importance has a moderation effect on the relationship between CSR and blame attribution, brand evaluation and buying intention. Practical implications – Companies in the food industry should generate CSR strategies and should develop favourable CSR history not only because CSR has an impact on brand evaluation and buying intention in routine situations but because it is a part of crisis management and response strategy as well. Originality/value – There is lack of research directly emphasizing the role of CSR in product‐harm crises, in the food industry. Besides, the assessment of CSR as an antecedent assurance factor in crisis situations has significant meaning due to the high vulnerability of food industry.

Monika Hartmann; Sarah Heinen; Sabrina Melis; Johannes Simons

doi: 10.1108/00070701311289911pmid: N/A

Purpose – All food sectors, especially meat production and processing, has been in the dock over the last decades. CSR is considered as a way for an enterprise to increase its reputation and safeguard against risks, e.g. food safety, environmental or social incidence. Thus, it is not surprising that CSR has gained importance for meat companies. However, the question arises whether consumers are indeed aware and appreciative of this involvement. This paper seeks to address these issues. Design/methodology/approach – A convenient sample of 123 consumers was interviewed with a standardized questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive as well as uni‐ and multivariate methods. Findings – The results show that CSR is hardly known by German consumers and only plays a moderate role in their present purchase behavior. However, consumers are interested in CSR and the survey results reveal a potential for CSR to become an important determinant in consumers' purchase decision of meat. Research limitations/implications – Concerning the interpretation of the results, there exist potential limitations that arise from the small sample size, the method of data collection and a social desirability bias in responses. Future research may analyze the role of CSR in consumers' purchase decisions using non‐hypothetical choice experiments. Practical implications – There is scope for companies to gain competitive advantage by responsible conduct and by spreading information about that in a thoughtful and authentic manner. This holds especially for the area of animal welfare. Originality/value – There exists little research that analyzes consumers' attitudes towards and perception of CSR for the food sector and no study so far has concentrated on the meat industry. This study provides information for decision makers in food companies and researchers interested in the impact of CSR on consumers' attitudes and behavior.

Simone Mueller Loose; Hervé Remaud

doi: 10.1108/00070701311289920pmid: N/A

Purpose – The study seeks to assess the impact of two different corporate social responsibility (CSR) claims, relating to social and environmental dimensions, on consumers' wine choice across international markets. It analyses how point of purchase CSR claims compete with other food claims and their awareness, penetration and consumers' trust are examined. Design/methodology/approach – A discrete choice experiment with a visual shelf simulation was used to elicit consumer preferences and to estimate marginal willingness to pay for CSR and other food claims across the UK, France, Germany, the US East Coast, the US Midwest, and Anglophone and Francophone Canada. Findings – CSR claims relating to social and environmental responsibility have a similar awareness, penetration and consumer trust, but differ in their impact on consumer choice, where environmental corporate responsibility claims benefit from a higher marginal willingness to pay. Consumer valuation of CSR claims significantly differs across international markets, but is consistently lower than for organic claims. Originality/value – This is the first cross‐national study that analyses the impact of CSR claims on consumer food choice relative to other food claims using large representative consumer samples. The strength of the paper also pertains to the utilisation of innovative choice experiments covering a large range of choice relevant product attributes.

Ipek Aktar

doi: 10.1108/00070701311289939pmid: N/A

Purpose – The author's objective is to reveal the consumer responses to information disclosure strategies regarding controversial ethical issues. Design/methodology/approach – The author is interested in how voluntary disclosure of questionable business practices by chocolate manufacturers regarding child labor exploitation at cocoa plantations influences consumer behavior. A total of 120 students participated in an experimental study in which the author manipulated awareness of ethical issues in the chocolate industry and corporate disclosure strategy. The author measured willingness to pay (WTP) and consumer perceptions about the firm's commitment to corporate social responsibility. Findings – The study found that voluntary disclosure of unethical business practices by a firm was not damaging in terms of consumer perceptions. When public awareness was limited, disclosing participation in unethical behavior did not influence WTP for the firm's products. When public awareness was high, disclosing this negative information is even more beneficial than no disclosure and generates similar responses to including only positive elements in the firm's communication, provided that the firm commits to eliminate its unethical practices. Research limitations/implications – Voluntary negative social disclosure will not hurt a firm's performance in terms of sales, given the disclosure is transparent and this suggests a credible commitment to improve its practices regarding the issue. Originality/value – The author investigates the optimal strategy for a firm to disclose ethical infractions. She demonstrates that being open about them does not necessarily damage a firm's reputation and suggests under which conditions this is the case.