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An Exploration of Two Forms of Distinctiveness in CSR Strategy.

Eunyoung. Park ProQuest Information and Learning Co.; Arizona State University. Business Administration. 2022

Dissertations Abstracts International 83-11A.

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  • Title:
    An Exploration of Two Forms of Distinctiveness in CSR Strategy.
  • Author: Eunyoung. Park
  • ProQuest Information and Learning Co.; Arizona State University. Business Administration.
  • Subjects: Business administration; Corporate social responsibility; Distinctiveness; Audience evaluation; Electronic books
  • Is Part Of: Dissertations Abstracts International 83-11A.
  • Description: How do firms differentiate themselves from others, and how do audiences respond to their distinctiveness? Optimal distinctiveness theory suggests that an intermediate level of distinctiveness in a single point or a balance in the level of distinctiveness across multiple points is most beneficial to a firm as it addresses both competition and conformity pressures. However, empirical studies have found positive, inverted U-shaped, and U-shaped relationships between distinctiveness and audience evaluation. Using CSR strategy as a research context, I develop a theory of two forms of distinctiveness-positioning distinctiveness and topic distinctiveness-and explore each form's unique and interactive effect on audience evaluation. Building on cognitive categorization research, I argue that positioning distinctiveness, or the extent to which the pattern of resource allocation across an established set of strategic decisions differs from that of category prototypes, will have a positive relationship with subsequent audience evaluation. However, topic distinctiveness, or the extent to which a firm differentiates itself from others by introducing new practices to its category, will show an inverted U-shaped relationship with audience evaluation. I also examine how positioning distinctiveness moderates the effect of topic distinctiveness and predict that audiences will assess a firm's topic distinctiveness more positively when a firm has a high level of positioning distinctiveness in its main topic domain. In addition, I investigate how strategic distinctiveness in business strategy and environmental-level factors moderate the effects of positioning and topic distinctiveness by influencing audiences' demands for differentiation and conformity. Utilizing the sample of S&P 500 firms from 2001 to 2018, I empirically examine the hypothesized relationships. By analyzing annual CSR reports using state-of-the-art natural language programming and topic modeling techniques, I develop
  • Publisher: Thesis (Ph.D.)--Arizona State University, 2022.
  • Creation Date: 2022
  • Format: 1 online resource (170 pages)..
  • Language: English
  • Identifier: ISBN9798802708347
  • Source: NUTN ALEPH
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