Abstract
In this study, a decision modeling approach is used to measure the relative importances of four social responsibility components. When given information concerning the economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic activities of 16 hypothetical organizations, 159 junior and senior management students judged the social responsibility of these firms. The study used two types of analysis: first, a within-subject regression, then a between-subject ANOVA. Results showed ethical behavior to be most important in judging social responsibility; legal behavior was second, discretionary behavior third, and economic behavior was least important. In addition, all but one rater consistently applied the social responsibility components. The implications of these results and suggestions for future research are discussed.
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Barbara A. Spencer is Assistant Professor of Management at Clemson University. Her current research interests include strategic management, social issues, and business ethics. She has published several articles on corporate social responsibility.
John K. Butler is Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior at Clemson University. He has published articles on job satisfaction, trust, group processes, political representation, and research methods in academic journals and proceedings.
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Spencer, B.A., Butler, J.K. Measuring the relative importances of social responsibility components: A decision modeling approach. J Bus Ethics 6, 573–577 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00383750
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00383750