Corporate social responsibility and corporate sustainability of listed SMEs in China
The mediating role of corporate growth
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22428047 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Wanze Li (0000-0002-7521-7779, National University of Malaysia), Zaini Embong (0000-0003-2825-7812, National University of Malaysia), Norman bin Mohd Saleh (National University of Malaysia), Maizatulakma Abdullah (0000-0003-3107-3520, National University of Malaysia) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 823-840 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-16 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Responsibility Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1747-1117 • E-ISSN: 1758-857X |
| Publisher | Emerald (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1108/srj-03-2025-0191 |
| OpenAlex | W7117770497 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 63 |
Purpose This study aims to conceptually distinguish corporate growth from corporate sustainability, and on this basis, this study extends the relevant literature on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate sustainability with the aim of verifying the mediating role of corporate growth between CSR and corporate sustainability. Design/methodology/approach This study uses panel regression analysis to verify the mediating role of corporate growth in CSR and corporate sustainability using a sample of 2,069 observations from 585 listed small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in China over the period from 2015 to 2019. Findings The results show that CSR is positively related to SME sustainability, while corporate growth mediates the relationship between CSR and SME sustainability. Originality/value This study contributes to existing literature by clearly distinguishing corporate growth from corporate sustainability and innovatively demonstrating that corporate growth, through CSR fulfillment, is a crucial process for SMEs to achieve corporate sustainability.
Corporate communication · Corporate governance · Corporate security · Corporate social responsibility · Corporate sustainability · Stakeholder · Sustainability · Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting · Environmental Sustainability in Business · Sustainability in Higher Education
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Toward a Unified Conception of Business Ethics
Corporate Social Performance Revisited
A Stakeholder Framework for Analyzing and Evaluating Corporate Social Performance
Detecting Multicollinearity in Regression Analysis
Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models
Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage
Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Sustainability
Workforce engagement
The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research
Capital structure of Chinese listed SMEs
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |