“A decade on from Ioannou and Serafeim (2012)’s stellar contribution to CSR research in IB, technologies and business organizations never ceased to evolve, posing new questions for the scope and determinants of social performance. Many say that this is the era of ecosystems, particularly with huge multinational platforms creating splendid value (and valuation!) by orchestrating a myriad of complementors (i.e., small businesses and gig workers) and curating a gigantic user base. Yet since the Facebook scandal was unearthed in 2021, platforms have become a poster child for how much social harm large multinational businesses may be able to bring about. This paper conjoins the literature on platforms and on social responsibility in proposing the unique idea of ‘ecosystem social responsibility’, which accounts for the three categories of complex social issues multinational platforms face. We then demonstrate how social challenges for multi-domestic platforms vs global platforms may vary, pointing to important differences between platforms. To stimulate future research that could make as substantive an impact as Ioannou and Serafeim (2012), we put forth a set of critical questions to be addressed, and offer specific inspirations for theoretical development and empirical research design.”
Yi, J., Li, J. & Chen, L. Ecosystem social responsibility in international digital commerce. J Int Bus Stud 54, 24–41 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-022-00561-3