Cooperation with international NGOs and supplier assessment: Investigating the multiple mediating role of CSR activities in SMEs

Rebecca Stekelorum (1, 2) , Issam Laguir (3) , Jamal Elbaz (4)

1 ICN Business School
2 CEREFIGE - Centre Européen de Recherche en Economie Financière et Gestion des Entreprises
3 MRM - Montpellier Research in Management
4 Université Ibn Zohr [Agadir]

Nontraditional supply chain stakeholders, such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), may be able to affect the adoption of CSR practices in supply chains. However, little is known about how companies cooperate with international NGOs to handle supplier assessment. Using partial least squares structural equation modelling, we establish a parsimonious model that links cooperation with international NGOs to supplier assessment through three CSR dimensions: economic, environmental and social. Data collected from eight thousand SMEs in the transportation industry generally support the hypotheses. Moreover, our findings reveal that SMEs' size matters in the relationships between cooperation with international NGOs, CSR practices, and supplier assessment. Overall, this paper provides unique insights into the role that SME CSR activities play in the relationship between cooperation with international NGOs and supplier assessment.

Mots clés: Corporate social responsibility International nongovernmental organizations Small- to medium-sized enterprises Sustainable supply chain management

Domaines: Sciences de l'Homme et Société

Rebecca Stekelorum, Issam Laguir, Jamal Elbaz. Cooperation with international NGOs and supplier assessment: Investigating the multiple mediating role of CSR activities in SMEs. Industrial Marketing Management, 2019, 84, pp.50-62. ⟨10.1016/j.indmarman.2019.04.001⟩. ⟨hal-02405150⟩