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Explore the Approaches to Corporate Social Responsibility Implemented by E-Commerce Platforms in China During the Early Stage of COVID-19: A Mixed-Methods Content Analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 November 2021

Yang Zhang Open the ORCID record for Yang Zhang [Opens in a new window] ,
Jingyi Li ,
Yongsen Lei  and
Tengjun Yan
Yang Zhang*
Affiliation:
School of Finance, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China
Jingyi Li
Affiliation:
School of Economics and Management, Jiangxi Vocational College of Industry & Engineering, Pingxiang, China
Yongsen Lei
Affiliation:
School of Finance, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China
Tengjun Yan
Affiliation:
School of Finance, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China
*
Corresponding author: Yang Zhang, Email: fuhanzhang@jxnu.edu.cn.
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Abstract

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to explore (a) the approaches to corporate social responsibility (CSR) implemented by e-commerce platforms in China during the early stage of coronavirus disease 2019 (ESCOVID-19) and (b) the factors associated with the platforms’ choice of these approaches.

Methods:

We collected the CSR data from the Internet during ESCOVID-19. Conventional content analysis was used to develop the targeted approaches. Finally, based on the frequency analysis of each approach, rank-based nonparametric testing was conducted to answer objective (b).

Results:

Three main approaches (ie, donative CSR actions, responsive CSR actions, and strategic CSR actions) and 8 subapproaches were implemented. The strategic approach was the most frequently used approach. The platforms with higher market size implemented more donative and strategic CSR actions than did the platforms with lower market size. Donative CSR actions were significantly implemented in the earlier period, while strategic CSR actions were significantly implemented in the later period.

Conclusions:

Our research highlights the importance of e-commerce platforms to help the public survive and identifies that market size and time were associated with the platforms’ CSR choice. The design of prevention and control policies should incorporate and support e-commerce platforms and evaluate the factors when confronting future public health crises.

Keywords

corporate social responsibilitye-commerce platformsCOVID-19content analysisChina
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 17 , 2023 , e76
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.

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