Exploring the Geography of Corporate Philanthropic Disaster Response: A Study of Fortune Global 500 Firms

37 Pages Posted: 8 Nov 2007 Last revised: 14 Dec 2007

See all articles by Alan Muller

Alan Muller

University of Amsterdam Business School; University of Washington - Michael G. Foster School of Business

Gail Whiteman

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) - Department of Business and Society Management

Abstract

In recent years, major disasters have figured prominently in the media. While corporate responses to disasters may have raised corporate philanthropy to a new level, it remains an understudied phenomenon. This paper draws on comparative research on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate philanthropy to explore the geography of corporate philanthropic disaster response. The study analyzes donation announcements made by Fortune Global 500 firms from North America, Europe and Asia to look for regional patterns across three recent disasters: the South Asian Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, and the Kashmiri earthquake. The results reveal inter-regional differences in the overall likelihood of donations and in their cash value, in addition to the identification of home-region- and local presence effects. Implications for researchers and practitioners are discussed.

Keywords: CSR, disasters, philanthropy, regions

Suggested Citation

Muller, Alan R. and Whiteman, Gail, Exploring the Geography of Corporate Philanthropic Disaster Response: A Study of Fortune Global 500 Firms. Journal of Business Ethics, Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1028465

Alan R. Muller (Contact Author)

University of Amsterdam Business School ( email )

Plantage Muidergracht 12
Amsterdam, 1018TV
Netherlands

HOME PAGE: http://www1.fee.uva.nl/pp/amuller

University of Washington - Michael G. Foster School of Business ( email )

Box 353200
Seattle, WA 98195-3200
United States

Gail Whiteman

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) - Department of Business and Society Management ( email )

RSM Erasmus University
3000 DR Rotterdam
Netherlands

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