Factors Affecting COVID 19 - related CSR Activities of Slovak Companies

Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Faculty of Economics and Management, Department of Management, Trieda A. Hlinku 2, 949 76 Nitra, Slovakia

^* Corresponding author: jana.kozakova@uniag.sk

Abstract

Research background: The socio-economic consequences of Covid-19 pandemic are visible through changes in the business sector. Companies took various steps to their elimination primarily by protection of employees which went beyond the ordinary legal norms. Therefore, these activities can be described as socially responsible. In Slovakia, CSR is the domain of multinational companies which transfer modern managerial tools to their foreign branches as it is in case of pandemic-related activities.

Purpose of the article: Study examined 191 Slovak subsidiaries of foreign multinationals with the purpose to describe factors (legal form, residence in Slovakia, year of establishment, share of foreign ownership, woman in the board) which affecting their COVID-19 related CSR activities (cleanliness, protective equipment, social distancing, prevention, local community, extra benefits).

Methods: Procedure based on the Shapiro Wilk test of normality which verify a normal distribution of sample. Next the Durbin–Watson test confirmed no autocorrelation between set variables. After the Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric test was applied with the assumption of statistically significant differences between variables and subsequent Bonferroni post hoc test found relationship between them.

Findings & Value added: Study shows the level of emphasis companies place on CSR activities related to COVID-19. Analysis enlightens the differences in this emphasis in case of providing protective equipment between companies of various capital structure. Also, there were differences in prevention between companies of various legal form and predominant gender in the board. Lastly the difference was found in providing extra benefits in companies of differ year of establishment.