The Relation between CSR and Innovation. Model Approach

Abstract

The paper attempts to fulfil the research gap concerning the mutual relation between company innovation and its corporate social responsibility practices, by determining the conditions in which the innovation/CSR relation appears and develops. The research was based on systematic literature studies performed using SALSA and backwards-snowballing methods. The data was examined with the use of the meta-synthesis approach. The authors' model explaining the studied relation was proposed. The research suggested that the impact of innovation on the CSR practices depended on the type of innovation and degree of novelty involved; while the way CSR affected innovation depended on such CSR features as: type of reaction, degree of development, and field of activity. The relation was also moderated by a series of six exogenous factors: external factors, industry, company characteristics, attitude, performance, and R&D.