The Relationship between Motivations and Actions in Corporate Social Responsibility: an exploratory study

This paper examines the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) motivations and actions in twenty-five selected teaching cases. We develop a literature-based research framework used to classify the research findings of our study and enable a direct and easier identification of the resulting patterns emerging from our sample. A cross-case analysis enables us to point out evidence on the behavioral practices adopted by firms and on the causal link between CSR motivations and CSR actions, identifying four main emerging patterns in the behavior of firms investing in corporate social responsibility. Then we reconsider these patterns in light of the distinction between family and non-family enterprises.