What relation exists between CSR and longevity of firms?

Jean-Michel Sahut (1) , Sandrine Boulerne (2) , Medhi Mili , Frédéric Teulon (3)

1 CEREGE [Poitiers] - Centre de recherche en gestion [EA 1722]
2 VALLOREM - Val de Loire Recherche en Management
3 IPAG - Institut de Préparation à l'Administration et à la Gestion

The relation between company longevity and its performance is undeniable; however the relationship between sustainability and performance remains the subject of multiple studies which seem to confirm a positive link. But what type of relationship exists between a firm's longevity and sustainability management? In this paper, we demonstrate that the adoption of corporate social responsibility (CSR) principles explains this link. Therefore, sustainable development policies can create a rampart wall which protects firms against crisis through its three pillars (environmental, social and economic) and thus limit the number of enterprises which go bankrupt. This rampart wall would be even more effective if the principles of sustainable development which companies adopt were guided by a suitable mix of soft law and hard law.

Mots clés: longevity; CSR; crisis; performance; sustainable development

Domaines: Gestion et management

Jean-Michel Sahut, Sandrine Boulerne, Medhi Mili, Frédéric Teulon. What relation exists between CSR and longevity of firms?. International Journal of Business, 2012, 17. ⟨halshs-02099280⟩