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KENNESAW, Ga. | Sep 20, 2024

The gender of a chief executive officer (CEO) may serve as a good indicator of the strategies and initiatives a company will pursue, particularly in the ways a company gives back to society.

In a recent article published in the European Journal of Marketing, Kennesaw State University assistant professor Prachi Gala found that women CEOs often choose human-centered approaches when giving back to society.

鈥淚n many cases, women tend to consider the interdependence of the community when making decisions.,鈥� said Gala, who teaches marketing and professional sales in the Coles College of Business. 鈥淚nterdependence is the keyword here. Men often prioritize more product-focused strategies, which may involve a different approach to community consideration.鈥�

Co-authored with colleagues from the University of Mississippi and Union University, the research explores corporate social responsibility (CSR), or the idea that companies are responsible to society, not just their customers and investors.

CSR can take many forms. For example, in 2021, Coca-Cola sought to address environmental concerns with the release of a . Another example of companies tackling societal issues is when BMW partnered with UNICEF to address educational disparities across the world through .

However, a more modest example of CSR would be a company鈥檚 efforts to seek initiatives that promote work-life balance, such as offering employees flexible work schedules, gym memberships and robust parental leave and family-forming and reproductive benefits.

鈥淎s a CEO, I might ask: Are we celebrating our employees?鈥� Gala said, describing the questions a CEO might ponder in their search for opportunities to give back. 鈥淎re we promoting work-life balance, for example, through a four-day work week? Diversity is also crucial: Is my company diverse enough, and are we actively embracing and celebrating that diversity?鈥�

That鈥檚 not to imply that corporate social responsibility is a woman鈥檚 game. Far from it. One need not look far to find examples of male CEOs developing local and global CSR initiatives. Where Gala鈥檚 research distinguishes itself is in the way it breaks down CSR initiatives into two subtypes: relational and rational.

鈥淩elational CSR focuses on initiatives that directly benefit people,鈥� said Gala, 鈥渨hile rational CSR involves decisions where the primary goal may not be human-centric, although the outcomes can still impact people.鈥�

Coca-Cola's prototype would be an example of rational CSR because it seeks to address societal concerns by developing a 100% plant-based bottle, or a product. By contrast, BMW and UNICEF鈥檚 BRIDGE program would be considered relational CSR because it seeks to address societal concerns by developing people through educational opportunities. Here, human development is the goal.

鈥淒r. Gala has been very diligent in her research into corporate social responsibility,鈥� Coles College Dean Robin Cheramie said. 鈥淭his is a timely issue with many organizations examining their roles within the wider community. Prachi's exploration into how different CEOs approach this idea is helping move corporate research forward and is a perfect example of the kind of scholarship taking place at the Coles College of Business, and across 网红头条.鈥�

For many, Gala鈥檚 research can seem like a million miles away from their everyday lives. However, understanding corporate social responsibility and its two subtypes can be beneficial to anyone looking to work for a new company.

鈥淎s you advance in your career, you evolve and recognize the importance of aligning with a company's principles,鈥� Gala said. 鈥淵ou gain wisdom in understanding that you want the company you work for to reflect certain values. It鈥檚 important for many people, including myself, that a company aligns with their personal principles, and the extent to which a firm engages in corporate social responsibility plays a key role in that alignment.鈥�

鈥� Story by Spencer Kealamakia

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 网红头条 offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. 网红头条is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. 网红头条is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.