Theses and Dissertations

ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6428-1038

Advisor

Adams, Frank G.

Committee Member

Landers, Myles V.

Committee Member

Boone, Christopher A.

Committee Member

Sexton, Jennifer C.

Committee Member

Gabler, Colin B.

Date of Degree

5-16-2025

Original embargo terms

Visible MSU Only 2 Years

Document Type

Dissertation - Campus Access Only

Major

Business Administration (Marketing)

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Business

Department

Department of Marketing, Quantitative Analysis and Business Law

Abstract

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategies have been the target of the attention of scholars and practitioners since the 1950s. Contributions to the field include identifying structural factors that drive the development of CSR strategies, boundary conditions that make them effective, and the associated outcomes. Yet, CSR is the target of controversies and criticism from scholars and practitioners alike, including a shift away from CSR-related practices. Much of this backlash is attributed to the inability of these strategies to provide direct returns for organizations under the argument that they only serve the interests of a few stakeholders with little to no interest in the success or continuity of operations of an organization. To address this criticism, this dissertation develops three essays to discuss that the formulation and implementation of CSR strategies follow social imperatives rather than solely the formalization of social values into the structures of an organization. To that end, it develops three essays discussing CSR strategy formulation and implementation through the lens of theories that consider the external environment as a key element in the strategic process of organizations, namely, the Institutional Theory, the Resource-Dependence Theory, and the Resource-Advantage Theory. Each essay provides unique findings related to the role of the external environment in impacting the adoption of policies and how organizations draw from external elements to conform to key stakeholders’ expectations, accomplish goals, and attain positions of advantage relative to competitors. The findings of each essay account for an integrative framework for the development of CSR strategies that considers the inherent demands in society for advancing social good, dynamics of power and exchange between organizations, and other organizations competing for the attention and support of customers to accomplish their goals.

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