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Assessing the Influence of Social Responsibility on Reputation: An Empirical Case-Study in Agricultural Cooperatives in Spain

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Abstract

The attention to ethics has gradually become a concurrent topic of modern companies’ management. In the last years Social Responsibility has become a key issue in the strategic agenda of competitive agriculture cooperatives. However, reputation management has not been a visible strength in the cooperative enterprises. First of all, this work theoretically analyzes the relationship between Social Responsibility and reputation in cooperatives. Later, from a practical point of view, we carry on an empirical analysis focused on the olive oil cooperatives in the south of Spain, in the province of Jaén. With respect to the previous studies on the topic, this work reveals a main reason of interest reinforcing the role of research in addressing real problems of cooperatives. The article points out the characteristics of this kind of agribusiness and shows the importance of the adoption of a responsible orientation in fostering reputation for creating sustainable competitive advantages.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Financial Economy and Accounting, Faculty of Social and Juridical Sciences, University of Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas, s/n, D-3, 23071, Jaén, Spain

    Francisca Castilla-Polo

  2. Department of Business Management and Sociology, Faculty of Economics and Business Studies, University of Extremadura, Av Elvas s/n, 06006, Badajoz, Spain

    M. Isabel Sánchez-Hernández

  3. Department of Financial Economy and Accounting, Faculty of Economics and Business Studies, University of Extremadura, Av Elvas s/n, 06006, Badajoz, Spain

    Dolores Gallardo-Vázquez

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  1. Francisca Castilla-Polo
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  2. M. Isabel Sánchez-Hernández
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  3. Dolores Gallardo-Vázquez
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Correspondence to Francisca Castilla-Polo.

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Castilla-Polo, F., Sánchez-Hernández, M.I. & Gallardo-Vázquez, D. Assessing the Influence of Social Responsibility on Reputation: An Empirical Case-Study in Agricultural Cooperatives in Spain. J Agric Environ Ethics 30, 99–120 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10806-017-9656-9

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