SDGs, COVID-19 and institutional pressures on organizations

PurposeThis article answers the following research question: How do institutional pressures influence the re(actions) of organizations in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic?Design/methodology/approachThe present research was conducted through the search and review of online secondary sources based on a critical and exploratory analysis. The data were obtained from the Global Compact Brazilian Committee (Rede Brasil do Pacto Global, in Portuguese) and analyzed by means of qualitative content analysis with the support of the ATLAS.ti software.FindingsThe results have showed the role of organizations in dealing with the impacts provoked by the current COVID-19 scenario. However, the association of actions implemented by organizations is evident in some SDGs, but not in all and not with the same intensity. There is a higher incidence of SDG 3 (Good health and well-being), which is linked to 278 actions. Regarding institutional pressures, we noticed a higher incidence of normative pressures, which may indicate a sense of responsibility towards employees and other stakeholders related to the prevention of the impacts caused by the pandemic.Practical implicationsThe findings presented here can encourage companies to better direct their efforts to fight the virus without neglecting the 2030 Agenda.Social implicationsThe authors intend to encourage institutions that may exert coercive, normative, and mimetic pressures to recognize the impacts of their influence and better direct it to the interests of society during and after the pandemic.Originality/valueThis research investigates organizational actions in the context of COVID-19 from an institutional theory perspective.

A moderated mediation effect of symbolic and substantive preventive actions on employees' preventive behavior in the context of Covid-19

This study utilizes Social Information Processing (SIP) theory to investigate the relationship between organizational preventive actions (substantive vs. symbolic), employee preventive behavior, the mediating role of conspiracy beliefs, and moderating role of leadership integrity in the context of Covid-19. The study explains leadership integrity as a boundary condition to facilitate or hinder the mediated relationship between organizational actions and employee preventive behavior (EPB). The hypothesized model was tested using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) on two-wave data collected from 281 respondents. The results revealed that substantive actions do not predict EPB directly but through conspiracy beliefs. Contrary to these, symbolic actions negatively predict EPB directly. Leadership integrity moderates the relationship between substantive actions and conspiracy beliefs, while the interaction effect with symbolic actions is not supported. The findings of this study caution managers to walk their talk because employees critically observe the most apparent actions, especially when management fails to practice them. The study contributes to social information processing theory by pointing to leadership integrity as a source of authenticity to curb the negative impact of symbolic actions and catalyst the effect of substantive actions on employee preventive behavior.

Institutional Logics and Digital Innovations in Healthcare Organizations in Response to Crisis

In all countries with advanced welfare systems, healthcare organizations operate in complex institutional systems, which define their space of autonomy in relation to health policy choices and affect their strategic choices, organizational design and management. Healthcare systems are a particularly fruitful context in which to examine how a range of contrasting norms and practices shape innovation. They are in fact confronted with multiple values and demands and the challenge is to simultaneously enhance the quality and reduce the costs of care. The paper examines how competing institutional logics shape innovation development through the use of digital technologies in healthcare organizations responding to emerging events, such as Covid-19 pandemic. Specifically, we adopt an institutional logics perspective to provide insight into the process of innovation, with a focus on the role of telemedicine. The need for social distancing and minimal physical contact challenged and interrupted hospital practices and, in response, digital technologies lead to new processes and services. Remote audio-visual functionality of digital technologies were appropriated in different ways, as stakeholders (state actors, managers, health professionals, and family members) sought to improvise and enhance the protection of persons concerned. Through remote monitoring of patients, telehealth works as a preventative measure to avoid admissions and is therefore a carrier of the managerialist logic of reducing costs by enabling, at the same time, a fast and accurate response to patients’ needs. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

SDGs, COVID-19 and institutional pressures on organizations

Purpose -This article answers the following research question: How do institutional pressures influence the re(actions) of organizations in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic? Design/methodology/approach - The present research was conducted through the search and review of online secondary sources based on a critical and exploratory analysis. The data were obtained from the Global Compact Brazilian Committee (Rede Brasil do Pacto Global, in Portuguese) and analyzed by means of qualitative content analysis with the support of the ATLAS.ti software. Findings-The results have showed the role of organizations in dealing with the impacts provoked by the current COVID-19 scenario. However, the association of actions implemented by organizations is evident in some SDGs, but not in all and not with the same intensity. There is a higher incidence of SDG 3 (Good health and well-being), which is linked to 278 actions. Regarding institutional pressures, we noticed a higher incidence of normative pressures, which may indicate a sense of responsibility towards employees and other stakeholders related to the prevention of the impacts caused by the pandemic. Practical implications - The findings presented here can encourage companies to better direct their efforts to fight the virus without neglecting the 2030 Agenda. Social implications - The authors intend to encourage institutions that may exert coercive, normative, and mimetic pressures to recognize the impacts of their influence and better direct it to the interests of society during and after the pandemic. Originality/value - This research investigates organizational actions in the context of COVID-19 from an institutional theory perspective.

Corporate philanthropic response to the COVID-19 pandemic in China: a dilemma?

Purpose: This study aims to examine the corporate donations in response to the intensive outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in China in 2020 and proposes that the local spread of COVID-19 is negatively associated with corporate donations due to the non-trivial costs, but meanwhile, strong institutional pressures based on institutional theory are put on firms to donate, which thus creates a dilemma for firms. This study further argues that the dilemma is heterogeneous across different institutional fields. Design/methodology/approach: Using a sample of Chinese listed companies during the intensive outbreak of this pandemic, a two-stage Heckman selection model is conducted to address the potential sample selection bias. Findings: This study reveals a negative relationship between the local spread of COVID-19 and corporate donations, confirms the driving effect of various types of institutional pressure and finds that the intensity of the COVID-19 pandemic strengthens the effect of coercive pressure and mimetic pressure on philanthropic giving but weakens the effect of normative pressure. Originality/value: This study extends the knowledge on firms’ philanthropic response to natural crises, as the COVID-19 pandemic has not only led to a public health crisis but also to a global economic crisis, and how the effects of institutional pressures are affected by a situational crisis. This work enriches the literature on corporate philanthropy and crisis management and has some implications for both policymakers and business practitioners. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.