非市场战略和组织间的溢出效应研究

Abstract

This dissertation consists of two essays that address issues related to non-market strategies and inter-organizational spillovers. The first essay examines how corporate social responsibility (CSR) affects negative spillovers within the same industry, as reflected in the market reaction to bystander firms. Specifically, it analyzes the impact of perpetrator CSR, bystander CSR, and bystander CSR relative to that of perpetrator on negative spillovers using a causal-based categorization based on two distinct attributions: systemic attribution and isolated attribution. Systemic attribution emphasizes that a perpetrator’s misconduct is indicative of a common problem among a larger group of firms (i.e., bystander firms in the same industry), which increases concerns that others are also engaging in or will engage in similar misconduct, thus increasing the degree of industry negative spillovers. In contrast, isolated attribution highlights the differences between bystanders and perpetrators, which reduces concerns that bystanders engage in or will engage in similar misconduct and decreases the degree of industry negative spillovers. The essay’s findings suggest that higher perpetrator CSR increases investors’ systemic attributions and thus increases the degree of industry negative spillovers. In contrast, higher bystander CSR relative to that of perpetrator increases investors’ isolated attributions and thus decreases the degree of industry negative spillovers. However, higher bystander CSR itself does not have such an effect. The second essay examines the role of perpetrator and bystander political connections in negative spillovers in the same industry from the perspective of goal-based categorization. The research is conducted in the context of media coverage of bystander firms after a crisis involving the perpetrator. The study analyzes how and why the media’s interpretive process following instances of corporate crisis is likely to involve both prototype-based and goal-based categorization. The findings suggest that if the perpetrator firm has more political connections, which may trigger the media’s goal-based categorization, the negative spillover effect on the bystander firm will be greater. However, if the bystander firms have more political connections, the negative spillover effect on them will be reduced. In conclusion, the first essay in my dissertation examines the roles of perpetrator CSR, bystander CSR and bystander CSR relative to that of perpetrator in the context of negative spillovers. Specifically, I build on existing research by shifting the focus from prototype-based categorization to both prototype-based and causal-based categorization. I propose systemic attribution and isolated attribution as two mechanisms that explain the relationship between perpetrator CSR, bystander CSR, or bystander CSR relative to that of perpetrator and negative spillovers. The second essay in my dissertation investigates the roles of both perpetrator and bystander political connections in the negative spillover context. I expand on existing research by moving away from prototype-based categorization alone to include both prototype-based categorization and goal-based categorization. I develop negative spillover predictions that encompass two unique effects based on goal-based categorization. First, I propose an amplifying effect such that if the perpetrator firm has political connections, the bystander firm will experience a more significant negative spillover effect. Second, I posit a mitigating effect wherein if the bystander firms have political connections, the negative spillover effect on them will be reduced. Overall, my dissertation contributes to the literature on CSR, political connections, and inter-organizational spillovers.

Date of Award	14 Aug 2023
Original language	Chinese (Simplified)
Supervisor	Daniel Han Ming Chng (Supervisor)