Is the corporate social responsibility-innovation link homogeneous?: looking for sustainable innovation in the Spanish context

Abstract

This study examines if the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and innovation is homogeneous or depends on the type of CSR practice and/or thetype of innovation. The paper focuses on the three dimensions of the"three bottomline" of CSR (economic, social, and environmental) and on the so called"fateful triangle" of innovation, which together with studied product and process innovation typesalso considers organizational innovation. The theoretical framework is based on the resource-based view and the knowledge-based view approaches. In analysing sustainable innovation in the Spanish context, we look at a set of firms taking data forthe 2009-2014 Spanish Community Innovation Survey. The empirical study usesrandom effect probit panel data methodology. The results show that, although thepositive effect of CSR on innovation is confirmed for the majority of the cases, thereare differences depending on the innovation type and the CSR dimension.