CSR and new product development performance in transition economies: Roles of internal capabilities, external networks, and dysfunctional competition

Jang, Seongsoo ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5948-0876, Ding, Meixia, Yuan, Xina and Zhang, Chuanjing 2025. CSR and new product development performance in transition economies: Roles of internal capabilities, external networks, and dysfunctional competition. Innovation: Organization & Management 27 (4) , pp. 538-563. 10.1080/14479338.2023.2293291

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Abstract

Despite abundant research on corporate social responsibility (CSR) outcomes, few studies have examined whether CSR contributes to new product development (NPD) performance. Existing studies argue that CSR increases firms’ innovation activities and launches more new products, however, these arguments have yet to fully extend to the understanding of underlying mechanisms in the CSR-NPD relationship and how CSR fosters NPD performance in different scenarios, especially in transition economies. Building on the resource-based view, social capital theory, and structuration theory, this paper hypothesizes that the CSR influence on NPD performance is mediated by internal capabilities and external networks and moderated by dysfunctional competition. Using empirical data of 219 small and medium-sized firms in China, we find that CSR not only directly increases firms’ NPD performance but also has positive effects on internal capabilities and external networks, which in turn improve NPD performance. Moreover, as one of the most representative institutional environments in transition economies, dysfunctional competition strengthens the effects of CSR on internal capabilities and external networks. This research contributes to the CSR and NPD literature in transition economies and offers strategic guidance to innovating firms in transition economies on how to foster and benefit from CSR initiatives, NPD managers should comprehend the coevolution of CSR, innovation, and institutional environments in transition economies.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Business (Including Economics)
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
ISSN:	1447-9338
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	20 December 2023
Date of Acceptance:	5 December 2023
Last Modified:	22 Oct 2025 15:45
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/165010

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