Search Results (495)

This study investigates how family firms adjusted their tax strategies following Brazil’s 2023 alignment with the OECD transfer pricing guidelines, using nonfamily firms as a benchmark. The analysis adopts a blended socioemotional wealth (SEW) and implicit theory perspective, which explains family firms’ behavioral responses to institutional change by linking SEW intensity to owners’ cognitive orientations. The sample comprises 1239 firm-year observations from 177 nonfinancial companies listed on Brazil’s stock exchange between 2018 and 2024. Before the transfer pricing reform, family firms displayed a more aggressive approach to corporate income tax (CIT) minimization than their nonfamily counterparts. After the reform, only nonfamily firms, typically more internationalized, intensified their CIT minimization, indicating greater responsiveness to the new OECD-aligned rules. Family firms, by contrast, exhibited no significant change. Exploiting the new rules requires cross-border operations, which family firms tend to limit to preserve family control. With little such exposure, they were not positioned to benefit from the reform and their tax behavior remained unchanged. This inertia is consistent with an entity-oriented mindset, indirectly inferable from the firms’ muted tax response to the reform. The study contributes to family business and international taxation research by revealing that ownership structure conditions firms’ responses to regulatory change, extending the SEW–implicit theory framework to explain heterogeneous tax behavior, and offering policy insights that standardized enforcement may yield uneven outcomes across ownership types. Full article

This research investigates how CE initiatives, interpreted as manifestations of corporate social responsibility, shape green value co-creation, green collaborative culture, and green supply chain integration across both supplier and customer contexts. The proposed conceptual framework also explores the possibility that digital maturity can moderate these interrelations, based on signaling theory. Empirical results, obtained through PLS SEM and NCA on a data sample of 493 suppliers and customers, confirm that CE practices have a significant positive impact on green value co-creation, which, in turn, influences the green collaborative behavior of the actors and the integration of the supply chain. The moderating role of digital maturity is reinforced in the linkages between green value co-creation, collaboration, and integration. Thereby, their effectiveness is strengthened. This study adds to the literature by proposing an integrative relationship between CE practices and outcomes within the supply chain dyad, offering a rare empirical study of relationships between suppliers and organizations in an emerging economy, and shedding light on the boundary condition of digital maturity within these relationships. The results have significant implications for managers seeking to maximize their sustainability performance through circular practices and digital capabilities. Full article

In this study, we examine the impact of corporate social advocacy campaigns on customer behavior, a subject which has garnered increasing interest yet remains in need of empirical evidence. We employ the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) to assess the relationship between corporate social advocacy and customer citizenship behavior while considering the mediating effects of brand attachment and electronic word of mouth. Adopting a quantitative approach using Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modeling and a convenience sampling method, we questioned a total of 219 university-level students via a survey. University students are theoretically relevant, as they are digitally active, socially conscious, and engaged in relational rather than transactional institutional relationships, which heightens their sensitivity to advocacy initiatives and their likelihood of exhibiting extra-role behaviors. Our results show that the social advocacy of universities can directly impact the extra-role behavior of their students, which can manifest in their behaviors (i.e., helping others, providing feedback, and advocacy for the organization). These findings are beneficial for scholars as well as practitioners in academia (i.e., managers and marketing departments). Genuine, value-driven, and socially just advocacies can be enhanced with proper messaging, providing better strategic positioning for universities as socially responsible and conscious organizations, in keeping with the values of younger generations. This indicates that corporate involvement could primarily drive long-term brand success and consumer trust. Full article

Over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids offer a cost-effective solution for adults with mild-to-moderate hearing loss, whereas their market penetration remains low despite regulatory support and technological advancements. In this paper, we analyze OTC hearing aid patients’ behavior and experiences of integrating them into sustainable healthcare logistics across China. As an econometric toolkit, we use multiple linear regression models for the purpose of predictive modeling and hearing aid policy formulation. The focus is on patient awareness and attitudes towards the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in shaping sustainable purchase decisions. This study also examines the challenges related to insufficient Chinese hearing-impaired patients’ understanding of some trusted sales channels (TSCs) like digitization-driven platforms. The outcomes show that CSR initiatives increase purchase intention. In contrast, we observe that reliance on non-traditional TSCs may be associated with failure to build patient confidence in comparison with hospital-recommended brands of OTC hearing aids. From a strategic healthcare economic perspective, we highlight the potential of the healthcare market with a growing aging population and rising demand for equitable hearing solutions. The transferable framework provides insights for policymakers regarding healthcare accessibility and affordability in China to bridge the gap between market offerings and patient needs. Full article

This paper examines stock market reactions to corporate blockchain adoption announcements and explores whether the visibility of such initiatives shapes investor response. While prior research documents strong valuation effects during early phases of technological hype, evidence from more mature stages of diffusion remains limited. Accordingly, this study provides exploratory evidence on investor behavior in a later-stage adoption context. We construct a hand-collected dataset of 51 announcements by publicly traded firms across multiple industries and employ a standard event-study methodology to estimate abnormal returns over short announcement windows, using both market-model and Fama–French factor specifications. Adoption visibility is conceptualized as a multidimensional construct capturing (i) the intensity of communication surrounding the initiative and (ii) whether the application is customer-facing or internally oriented. The results indicate that average abnormal returns around announcement dates are positive but economically modest and statistically insignificant. These findings suggest that blockchain adoption announcements no longer trigger uniform market repricing effects. Instead, investors appear to respond more selectively, potentially differentiating based on the perceived informational content and strategic relevance of the initiatives. Overall, the analysis offers exploratory evidence consistent with a shift in investor response as emerging technologies move beyond hype-driven phases toward more mature stages of diffusion. The results should be interpreted with appropriate caution and motivate further research using larger samples and complementary empirical approaches. Full article

Fulfilling corporate ESG responsibilities enhances a firm’s sustainable development capabilities but also comes at an economic cost. This study investigates whether firms should invest heavily in ESG or maintain moderate ESG practices to balance cost efficiency and resilience. Using a sample of A-share listed companies in China from 2012 to 2024, we employ OLS regression models to explore the impact of ESG responsibility fulfillment on cost stickiness and the factors that influence this relationship. The study finds that (1) there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between corporate ESG responsibility fulfillment and cost stickiness; (2) the turning point lies between the B and CCC Huazheng ESG rating levels. Below this level, ESG responsibility fulfillment reduces cost stickiness, while above it, excessive ESG fulfillment increases cost stickiness; (3) environmental sensitivity, managerial overconfidence, and state ownership amplify this non-linear effect, making the reduction or increase in cost stickiness more pronounced. This paper deepens the understanding of the drivers of cost stickiness from the perspective of ESG responsibility fulfillment, offering new insights for future research on cost behavior and providing valuable guidance for firms seeking to optimize cost management through ESG strategies. Full article

This study introduces a comprehensive framework for understanding sustainable online shopping preferences, validated using survey data collected in Serbia and Slovenia in 2025 (n = 572), thereby enhancing its generalizability. The primary aim of this research is to examine the extent to which specific environmental, social, and economic indicators influence decision-making processes for online purchasing and delivery. A detailed quantitative analysis was conducted using a structured questionnaire that included a wide range of variables related to online shopping behaviors and delivery preferences. The findings indicate that preferences for sustainability are inherently complex and multifaceted, shaped by critical factors such as environmental concerns, social responsibility, trust, skepticism towards sustainability claims, willingness to pay (WTP), and price sensitivity. Demographic variables, particularly gender and age, show consistent links to preferences for environmental considerations and corporate social responsibility (CSR), while income impacts trust-related behaviors and WTP. Furthermore, the analysis distinguishes between two distinct decision-making approaches: a value-driven sustainability cluster represented by EcoIndex, SocialIndex, and WTPIndex, and a cost-minimization strategy focused on price sensitivity (PriceIndex), with trust acting as a related yet separate factor (CredibilityIndex). Overall, this study emphasizes that a range of interconnected dimensions significantly shape sustainable online shopping preferences. The study was conducted in two developing European countries. Additionally, the findings highlight the need to address universal market barriers, such as price sensitivity, information asymmetry, and consumer skepticism. In a business context, they underscore the importance of adopting advanced analytical methods to enhance decision-making and optimize sustainable business strategies. Full article

This study aims to examine whether and how environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance is related to corporate tax avoidance in a non-linear and threshold-dependent manner using explainable machine learning. Based on 6461 firm-year observations of publicly listed European firms over the 2018–2023 period, this study employs a multi-algorithmic machine-learning classification framework. Model interpretability is achieved through SHAP, which identifies feature importance, marginal effects, interaction patterns, and ESG-related threshold dynamics. The results demonstrate that the ESG–tax relationship is highly non-linear. While the Country and Industry factors establish baseline tax risks, ESG sub-dimensions act as critical firm-level determinants. Specifically, high Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Human Rights scores effectively constrain tax avoidance. In contrast, exceptionally high Management scores correlate with increased tax-avoidance risk. These findings support the legitimacy buffer argument and show that strong governance may also reflect managerial sophistication and capacity for less visible tax planning. The study contributes by revealing non-linear ESG threshold effects and by demonstrating how XAI/SHAP can distinguish between symbolic and substantive sustainability practices in corporate tax behavior. Full article

This paper provides a theory-informed synthesis of earnings management research through a review of the 100 most cited studies in the accounting literature. Rather than functioning as a purely bibliometric review, the study integrates theoretical, empirical, methodological, and survey-based contributions to examine how influential research has conceptualized, measured, and interpreted earnings management. Citation data were collected from Web of Science and Google Scholar as of 5 January 2025 using predefined search criteria, filtering procedures, and classification protocols. While citation counts are used to identify influential studies, they are not treated as direct indicators of research quality due to concerns regarding citation bias, publication visibility, and proxy limitations. The review organizes the literature around major themes, including corporate governance, audit quality, managerial incentives, institutional environments, market reactions, and regulatory change. The analysis highlights enduring debates concerning proxy validity, endogeneity and identification challenges, the distinction between statistical detection and economic significance, and the trade-off between accrual-based and real earnings management. The synthesis also incorporates emerging research streams involving family firms, gender diversity, ESG reporting, textual analysis, and AI-assisted analytics within broader agency and institutional theory perspectives. A central contribution of the paper is the development of an integrative analytical framework linking proxy validity, strategic substitution between reporting mechanisms, and institutional constraints within a unified interpretation of earnings management behavior. The review shows that advances in empirical design, textual analysis, machine learning, and predictive analytics extend rather than replace foundational insights, while persistent limitations in causal inference and measurement remain unresolved. Overall, the findings suggest that earnings management is best understood as a strategic response to incentives, monitoring, and institutional constraints rather than as a uniform indicator of opportunistic behavior. The paper concludes by outlining future research directions focused on theory-driven empirical design, methodological triangulation, AI-assisted detection approaches, and improved measurement frameworks across diverse reporting environments. Full article

While theory casts family firms as long-term stewards, rising global demands for sustainability create a practical conflict: unique family goals often clash with formal institutional expectations, leaving the true nature of their corporate social responsibility disputed. This tension motivates this investigation into how family ownership shapes the strategic divergence between substantive and symbolic ESG performance. Analyzing over 4000 public companies across twenty-seven countries, I identify a unique reputational caution model of governance. Empirical results reveal a consistent management lag—family firms systematically underperform in social initiatives and ESG management quality compared to non-family counterparts. Robustness checks using instrumental variable and endogenous treatment models confirm a significant measurement deficit, showing that family firms are less likely to track scope 1 and 3 emissions. These findings reveal a strategic divergence: despite higher emissions under concentrated control, family firms avoid greenwashing and non-compliance. Socioemotional wealth acts as a reputational floor, where the high affective cost of scandal deters active deception. This pattern persists across legal origins and is pronounced in weak macro-governance environments. Ultimately, family-firm ESG behavior is driven by avoidance of negative signaling rather than proactive stewardship. Full article

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has grown in importance as a means for companies to engage with customers who are increasingly environmentally and socially conscious. This study examines how CSR affects sustainable consumer buying tendencies, emphasizing the mediating role of consumer happiness and corporate image. Scientists contend that customers are more inclined to support businesses whose values align with CSR programs that foster positive feelings and trust. Therefore, a conceptual model was developed by following cognitive consistency theory. Data from 504 customers in Pakistan, an expanding market where awareness of sustainability issues is continually rising, were gathered to test this. The results demonstrate that CSR has a significant and favorable influence on consumer purchasing preferences, as assessed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Crucially, the proposed relationship is not only direct: CSR improves consumer happiness and corporate image, leading to better purchase decisions. By emphasizing the emotional and perceptual processes involved, these findings provide a better understanding of how CSR influences consumer behavior. The study demonstrates how CSR can encourage more conscientious consumption habits from a sustainability standpoint, supporting Sustainable Development Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). Findings suggest that well-thought-out CSR programs may truly affect how and why customers make purchase decisions, especially in emerging countries, going beyond reputation-building. Full article

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become an increasingly important factor in shaping consumer responses, particularly among younger generations who are often portrayed as ethically sensitive yet behaviorally ambivalent. While prior research has established that CSR is associated with favorable consumer outcomes, the mechanisms through which CSR perceptions translate into loyalty and economic value remain insufficiently understood. Addressing this gap, the present study adopts a mediation perspective to examine how perceived CSR influences consumer loyalty and willingness to pay through the sequential roles of trust and attitudes among young consumers. Using survey data collected from 307 young consumers in Portugal, the study tests a conceptual framework in which CSR perceptions influence trust and attitudes, which in turn shape loyalty and willingness to pay. Data were analyzed using reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis, regression-based mediation analysis, and bootstrapping procedures. The results provide strong support for the proposed mediation framework, revealing that CSR does not exert direct effects on loyalty or willingness to pay. Instead, its relationship with these outcomes is indirectly transmitted through trust, attitudes, and loyalty. Specifically, trust and attitudes sequentially mediate the relationship between CSR and loyalty, while the relationship between CSR and willingness to pay operates indirectly through loyalty. These findings contribute to the CSR and consumer behavior literature by clarifying the mechanisms through which CSR creates value for firms and by advancing a process-oriented understanding of CSR-driven consumer behavior. From a managerial perspective, the results highlight the importance of designing and communicating CSR initiatives that foster trust and positive attitudes, thereby strengthening long-term consumer relationships and enhancing willingness to pay among young consumers. Full article

This study examines whether stricter enforcement of mandatory social insurance contributions affects corporate income tax behavior in China. In the Chinese institutional context, mandatory social insurance refers to payroll-based employer and employee contributions to five statutory programs: basic pension insurance, basic medical insurance, work-injury insurance, unemployment insurance, and maternity insurance. These programs are directly related to social sustainability because they finance old-age income security, medical protection, workplace injury compensation, unemployment support, maternity protection, and labor-market stability. Using China’s 2018 social insurance collection reform as a quasi-natural experiment, we analyze A-share listed companies from 2014 to 2024 through a difference-in-differences design based on differential exposure between private firms and state-owned enterprises. To assess the reliability of the identification strategy, we employ firm and year fixed effects, event-study analysis, placebo tests, alternative measures of tax avoidance, and propensity score matching difference-in-differences robustness checks. The findings show a tax-fee seesaw effect: private firms subject to extensive regulatory scrutiny respond to more rigorous enforcement of social insurance contributions by increasing corporate income tax avoidance. Analysis of the mechanisms shows that the Whited-Wu index of financial constraints partially explains this phenomenon. The effect is more pronounced in firms with higher labor costs and greater administrative expense intensity, indicating that the increased response is driven by labor cost exposure and organizational discretion. By contrast, the effect is weaker among firms audited by the Big Four accounting networks—Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, and KPMG—indicating that high-quality external audits constrain aggressive tax planning. Regionally, the effect is most pronounced in eastern China, where markets, labor costs, and tax-planning services are more developed. The findings contribute to the sustainable development literature by demonstrating that reforms designed to strengthen social insurance sustainability can unintentionally weaken tax compliance if payroll contributions, tax administration, and corporate financial pressures are not coordinated. The study highlights the importance of integrated fiscal governance for achieving socially sustainable and fiscally balanced development. Full article

This study examines the relationship between individuals’ perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and their job-seeking intentions, with a particular focus on the mediating role of personal values and attitudes toward social responsibility. The research was conducted in Romania’s south-west region between June and September 2025, using a stratified sample of 453 respondents. Data were analyzed using SMART-PLS 3.0 through structural equation modeling. The results indicate a positive association between perceived CSR and job-seeking intention, with personal values and attitudes toward CSR significantly mediating this relationship. The findings suggest that participants in this study who perceive organizations as socially responsible also report higher levels of organizational attractiveness, particularly when there is alignment between personal and organizational values. At the same time, the results highlight that consistent CSR practices are associated with stronger perceptions of employer attractiveness. Overall, the study suggests that CSR is closely linked to employment-related attitudes and intentions, supporting the view that alignment between individual values and organizational ethical principles represents an important dimension of contemporary human resource strategies. Full article

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), which encompass a broad range of adverse events during childhood, are prevalent in rural China. However, help-seeking among adults with ACEs remains limited and underexplored. This study aims to examine the barriers to help-seeking behaviors among adults with ACEs in rural China. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 adults affected by ACEs in rural mainland China between October 2024 and December 2024. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews in Mandarin, and transcripts were analyzed using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) framework, focusing on behavioral beliefs, normative beliefs, and perceived behavioral control. The findings reveal barriers to help-seeking among individuals with ACEs in rural China, categorized into three key dimensions: (1) Behavioral Beliefs: Beliefs that corporal punishment is the responsibility as well as love of parents, and misconceptions attributing ACEs to personal faults significantly hindered help-seeking. (2) Normative Beliefs: Respect for parental authority in China culture context hinder help-seeking for adults with ACEs. Moreover, gender differences were evident, with men avoiding help-seeking due to perceived shame, while women were more likely to confide in friends and family. Finally, stigmatization of mental health services further inhibited help-seeking behaviors. (3) Perceived Behavioral Control: The lack of formal and informal support systems in rural areas exacerbated the issue, highlighting significant gaps in resource accessibility and cultural acceptance of mental health support. Addressing these barriers through public education, destigmatization of mental health services, and improved resource allocation could facilitate help-seeking behaviors and improve outcomes for individuals affected by ACEs. Full article