Title: Demonstration effect of MNCs on the building up of CSR practices in China

Authors: Xiaoting Wang; Shengxiao Li; Huafeng Wang

Addresses: School of Business and Management, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing 312000, China ' School of Business and Management, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing 312000, China ' School of Business and Management, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing 312000, China

Abstract: The literature on corporate social responsibility (CSR) in China has examined the CSR strategies of multinational corporations (MNCs) and the CSR adoption of Chinese firms. However, the connections in the CSR behaviours between these two groups of firms remain relatively unexplored. To understand further the evolution of CSR in China, we conceptualise that the demonstration effect of the CSR behaviours of MNCs has an important role in the CSR adoption of Chinese firms. We propose that the promotion-based CSR activities of MNCs significantly affect the involvement of Chinese firms in CSR practices, and that such a demonstration effect is reinforced by institutional cause, constituents, content, control, and context.

Keywords: demonstration effect; CSR; multinational corporation; institutional isomorphism; institutional theory; China; emerging economies.

DOI: 10.1504/EJIM.2018.091371

European Journal of International Management, 2018 Vol.12 No.3, pp.295 - 310

Received: 05 Nov 2015
Accepted: 14 Apr 2016
Published online: 30 Apr 2018 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article