Document Type : Conceptual Paper

Authors

1 College of Economics and Management, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, P.R. China

2 Department of Industrial Management, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, Kuliyapitiya, Sri Lanka

3 College of Economics and Management, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China

Abstract

Product harm crises often reflect the outcomes of firms’ unethical business decision-making behaviours. Literature showed that the majority of crisis management studies have paid high attention for finding strategies from the consumer’s perspective. Hence, the purpose of present study is set to conceptualise the impact of an entrepreneur’s personal values on making ethical business decisions to fill the empirical gap that has been arisen from a firm’s perspective. A systematic approach was followed to review the crisis management literature and to examine the current status of product harm crisis management strategies in scholarly accepted databases. The analyzed content found that the relationship among the variables of entrepreneur’s personal values, firm’s attitude towards fulfilling the corporate social responsibilities, and the ethical decision-making behaviour can be explained through the value- attitude-behaviour hierarchy model. Some propositions have been suggested as future research directions for academia and it is believed that the present study finding is a pre-requisite for the content provision from a firm’s perspective in product harm crisis management study context.

Keywords

Adams, D.M., & Maine, E.W. (1998). Business Ethics for the 21st Century. California: Mayfield Publishing Company.
Agle, B.R., Mitchell, R.K., & Sonnenfeld, J.A. (1999). Who matters to CEOs? An investigation of stakeholder attributes and salience, corporate performance, and CEO values. Academy of Management Journal, 42, 507-525.
Andrews, K.R. (1971). The Concept of Corporate Strategy. Illinois, U.S.A: Irwin.
Aram, J.D. (1989). The paradox of interdependent relations in the field of social issues in management. The Academy of Management Review, 14(2): 266-283.
Arlow, P., & Gannon, M. (1982). Social responsiveness, corporate structure and economic performance. Academy of Management Review, 7, 235-241.
Barnard, C.I. (1938). The Functions of the Executive. Cambridge, U.S.A: Harvard University Press.
Baumol, W.J. (2014). On the appropriate social responsibilities of successful entrepreneurs. Business & Society. Retrieved from doi: 10.1177/0007650314523087
Bowen. H.R. (1953). Social Responsibility of the Businessman. New York, U.S.A.: Harper.
Brickley, J.A., Smith, C.W., & Zimmerman, J.L. (1997). Managerial Economics and Organizational Architecture. Chicago, U.S.A: Irwin.
Brown, T., & Dacin, P. (1997). The company and the product: Corporate associations and consumer product responses. Journal of Marketing, 61(1): 68-84.
Carroll, A.B. (1979). A three-dimensional conceptual model of corporate performance. The Academy of Management Review, 497-505.
Carroll, A.B. (1991). The pyramid of corporate social responsibility: toward the moral management of organizational stakeholders. Journal of Business Horizons, 34(4): 39-48.
Chan, Y.Y.Y., & Ngai, E.W.T. (2011). Conceptualising electronic word of mouth activity: An input-process-output perspective. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 29, 488-516.
Chin, M.K., Hambrick, D.C., & Trevino, L.K. (2013). Political ideologies of CEOs: The influence of executives’ values on corporate social responsibility. Administrative Science Quarterly, 58(2):197-232.
Collins, D. (1989). Organizational harm, legal condemnation and stakeholder retaliation: a typology, research agenda and application. Journal of Business Ethics, 8, 1-13.
Connor, P.E., & Becker, B.W. (1979). Values and the organization: Suggestions for research. In: M. Rokeach (Eds.). Understanding Human Values: Individual and Societal, New York, U.S.A.: The Free Press.
Cotte, J., Coulter, R.A., & Moore, M. (2005). Enhancing or disrupting guilt: The role of ad credibility and perceived manipulative intent. Journal of Business Research, 58(3): 361-368.
Dahlsrud, A. (2006). How corporate social responsibility is defined: An analysis of 37 definitions. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 15, 1-13.
Davis, K. (1973). The case for and against business assumption of social responsibilities. Academy of Management Journal, 16(2): 312-322.
Dawar, N. (1998). Product-harm crises and the signaling ability of brands. International Studies of Management & Organization, 28(3): 109-119.
Dawar, N., & Pillutla, M.M. (2000). Impact of product-harm crises on brand equity: The moderating role of consumer expectations. Journal of Marketing Research, 37, 215-226.
Ferrell, O.C., & Gresham, L.G. (1985). A contingency framework for understanding ethical decisions in marketing. Journal of Marketing, 49(3): 87-96.
Frederick, W.C., & Weber, J. (1987). The values of corporate managers and their critics: an empirical description and normative implications. In: L.F. Preston (Eds.). Research in Corporate Social Performance and Policy, 9, 131-152.
Friedman, M. (1970). The social responsibility of business is to increase its Profits. New York Time Magazine, 122-126.
Fritzsche, D.J., & Oz, Effy (2007). Personal values’ influence on the ethical dimension of decision making. Journal of Business Ethics, 75, 335-343.
Galaskiewicz, J. (1985). From Self interest to enlightened self-interest. Orlando, FL, U.S.A.: Academic Press.
Gallo, M.A. (2004). The family business and its social responsibilities. Family Business Review, 6, 135-149.
Ghillyer, A. (2008).  Business Ethics, A real world approach. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Hagan, T.Y., & Jo Long, S.  (2005). The ethics of crisis management: a juxtaposition of examples in cognitive-decision making and framing in corporate crisis management. Journal of Business and Economics Research, 3(2): 49-60.
Hambrick, D.C. (2007). Upper echelons theory: An update. Academy of Management Review, 32(2): 334-343.
Hambrick, D.C., & Mason, P.A. (1984).Upper echelons: The organization as a reflection of its top managers. Academy of Management Review, 9, 193-206.
Handelman, J., & Arnold, S. (1999). The role of marketing actions with a social dimension: Appeals to the institutional environment. Journal of Marketing, 63(3): 33-48.
Härtel, C., McColl-Kennedy, J.R., & McDonald, L. (1998). Incorporating attributional theory and the theory of reasoned action within an affective events theory framework to produce a contingency predictive model of consumer reactions to organizational mishaps. Advances in Consumer Research, 25,428-432.
Heerde, H.V., Helsen, K., & Dekimpe, M.G. (2007). The impact of a Product-harm Crisis on Marketing Effectiveness. Marketing Science, 26(2): 230-245.
Herridge, J. (2003). The potential benefits of corporate social responsibility in the construction industry. Construction Information Quarterly, 3, 12-16.
Homer, P.M., & Kahle, L.R. (1988). A structural equation test of the value - attitude - behavior hierarchy. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 638-646.
Hunt, S.D., Wood, V.R., & Chonko, L.B. (1989). Corporate ethical values and organizational commitment in marketing. Journal of Marketing, 53, 79-90.
Jayawardhena, C. (2004). Personal values’ influence on e-shopping attitude and behavior. Internet Research, 14(2): 127-138.
Kahle, L.R. (1984). Attitudes and Social Adaptation. In: Elmsford (Eds.), New York: Pergamon Press.
Kamakura, W.A., & Mazzon, J.A. (1991). Values segmentation: a model for the measurement of values and values systems. Journal of Consumer Research, 18(2): 208-218.
Keim, G.D. (1978). Corporate social responsibility: An assessment of the enlightened self-interest model. The Academy of Management Review, 3(1): 32-39.
Klen, J., & Dawar, N. (2004). Corporate social responsibility and consumers’ attributions and brand evaluations in a product-harm crisis. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 21, 203-217.
Kropp, F., Lavack, A.M., & Silvera, D.H. (2005). Values and collective self-esteem as predictors of consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence among university students. International Marketing Review, 22(1): 7-33.
Lerbinger, O. (1997). The Crisis Manager: Facing Risk and Responsibility. New Jersey, U.S.A.: mLawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Levitt, T. (1958). The dangers of social responsibility. Harvard Business Review, 36(5). Retried from http://www.citeulike.org/user/mking007/article/9385690
Liedtka, J.M. (1989). Value Congruence: The Interplay of Individual and Organizational Values Systems. Journal of Business Ethics, 8, 805-815.
Lincoln, D.J., Pressley, M.M., & Litde, D. (1982). Ethical beliefs and personal values of top level executives. Journal of Business Research, 10, 475-487.
Lotz, S.L., Shim, S. & Gehrt, K.C. (2003). A study of Japanese consumers’ cognitive hierarchies in formal and informal gift-giving situations. Psychology & Marketing, 20(1): 59-85.
Luchs, M.G., Naylor, R.W., Irwin, J.R., & Raghunathan, R. (2010). The sustainability liability: Potential negative effects of ethicality on product preferences. Journal of Marketing, 74, 18-31.
Maio, G.R., & Olson, J.M. (1994). Value - attitude - behaviour relations: The moderating role of attitude functions. British Journal of Social Psychology, 33(3): 301-312.
McGuire, J.W. (1963). Business and Society. New York, U.S.A.: McGraw-Hill.
McWilliams, A., & Siegel, D. (2001). Corporate social responsibility: A theory of the firm perspective. Academy of Management Review, 26: 117-127.
Mescon, T.S., & Tilson, D.J. (1987). Corporate philanthropy: A strategic approach to the bottom-line. California Management Review, 24(2): 49-61.
Miller, D., & Shamsie, J. (2001). Learning across the life cycle: Experimentation and performance among the Hollywood studio heads. Strategic Management Journal, 22, 725-745.
Muller, A., & Kolk, A. (2010). Extrinsic and intrinsic drivers of corporate social performance: Evidence from foreign and domestic firms in Mexico. Journal of Management Studies, 47, 1-26.
Muller, R. (1985). Corporate Crisis Management. Long Range Planning, 18, 38-48.
Nehm, L.S., Swinney, J., & Miller, N.J. (2008). Community social responsibility and its consequences for family business performance. Journal of Small Business Management, 46(3): 331-350.
Nystrom, P.C. (1990). Differences in moral values between corporations. Journal of Business Ethics, 9, 971-979.
Orlitzky, M., Schmidt, F.L., & Rynes, S.L. (2003). Corporate social and financial performance: A meta-analysis. Organization Studies, 24, 403-441.
Pauchant, T.C., Coulombe, C., & Martineau, J.T. (2007). Crisis management and ethics. In: R.W. Kolb (Eds.). Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society, Sage Publications.
Peloza, J., White, K., & Shang, J. (2013). Good and guilt-free; The role of self accountability in influencing preferences for products with ethical attributes. Journal of Marketing, 77, 104-119.
Peterson, R.S., Smith, D.B., Martorana, P.V., & Owens P.D. (2003). The impact of chief executive officer personality on top management team dynamics: One mechanism by which leadership affects organizational performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88, 795-808.
Posner, B.Z., & Schmidt, W.H. (1987). Ethics in American Companies: A Managerial Perspective. Journal of Business Ethics, 5, 383-391.
Putrevu, S., McGuire, J., Sieger, D.S., & Smith, D.M. (2012). Corporate social responsibility, irresponsibility, and corruption: Introduction to the special section. Journal of Business Research, 65, 1618-1621.
Reinhardt. F.L. (1998). Environmental Product Differentiation. California Management Review, 40, 43-73.
Robins, S.P.  (2005). Organizational Behaviour. New Delhi, India: Prentice-Hall of India (Pvt.) Ltd.
Robins, S.P., & Judge, T.A. (2013). Organizational Behaviour (15th Ed.).New Jersey, United States: Pearson Education Inc.
Rokeach, M. (1979). Understanding Human Values. New York: The Free Press.
Schrempf, J. (2014). A social connection approach to corporate responsibility: The case of the fast-food industry and obesity. Business & Society, 53(2): 300-332.
Schwartz, M.S., & Weber, J. (2006). A business ethics national index (BENI) Measuring business ethics activity around the world. Business & Society, 45(3): 382-405.
Schwartz, S.H. (1999). Cultural value differences: some implications for work. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 48, 23-48.
Seeger, M.W., & Ulmer, R.R. (2001). Virtuous responses to organizational crisis: Aaron Feuerstein and Milt Cole. Journal of Business Ethics, 31, 369-376.
Selznick, P. (1957). Leadership in Administration. New York, U.S.A.: Harper and Row.
Sen, S., & Bhattacharya, C.B. (2001).  Does doing good always lead to doing better? Consumer reactions to corporate social responsibility. Journal of Marketing Research, 38(20): 225-243.
Sheikh, S.R., & Beise-Zee, R. (2011). Corporate social responsibility or cause-related marketing? The role of cause specificity of CSR. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 28(1): 27-39.
Shim, S., & Eastlick, M. A. (1998). The hierarchical influence of personal values on mall shopping attitude and behavior. Journal of Retailing, 74(1): 139-160.
Simsek, Z., Veiga, J.F., Lubatkin, M.H., & Dino, R.N. (2005). Modeling the multilevel determinants of top management team behavioral integration. Academy of Management Journal, 68, 69-84.
Siomkos, G., Triantafillidou, A., Vassilikopoulou, A., & Tsiamis, I. (2010). Opportunities and threats for competitors in product-harm crises. Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 28(6): 770-791.
Siomkos, G.J., & Kurzbard, G. (1994). The hidden crisis in product-harm crisis management. European Journal of Marketing, 28(2): 30-41.
Standop, D., & Grunwald, G. (2009). How to solve product-harm crises in retailing? Empirical insights from service recovery and negative publicity research. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 37(11): 915-932.
Uzzi, B. (1996). The sources and consequences of embeddedness for the economic performance of organizations: The network effect. American Sociological Review, 61(4): 674-698.
Vaaland, T.I., Heide, M., & Grønhaug, K. (2008). Corporate social responsibility: investigating theory and research in the marketing context. European Journal of Marketing, 42, 927-953.
Vassilikopoulou, A., Chatzipanagiotou, K., Siomkos, G. & Triantafillidou, A. (2011). The role of consumer ethical beliefs in product-harm crises. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 10, 279-289.
Waldman, D.A., Siegel, D., & Javidan, M. (2006). Components of CEO transformational leadership and corporate social responsibility. Journal of Management Studies, 43, 1703-1725.
Weng, J.T., & de Run, E.S. (2013). Consumer’s personal values and sales promotion preferences effect on behavioural intention and purchase satisfaction for consumer product. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 25(1): 70-101.