Clustering of banks by the level of digitalization in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has a significant influence on businesses and marketing strategies across the globe, including Starbucks Coffee. The COVID-19 pandemic has been completely novel in its unprecedented impact on the modern globalized economy. This in-depth analysis of this coffeehouse provides recommendations that were carefully considered within the context of the current public health crisis. The objective of this study was to systematically analyze the strategic marketing approach of Starbucks Coffee to generate recommendations that can not only be applied to Starbucks but marketing endeavors more broadly. A comprehensive review approach was adopted beginning with a thorough situational analysis. Problems and opportunities related to the marketing of Starbucks Coffee were investigated and recommendations were generated. All stages of the study were robustly supported with relevant citations. Starbucks has matrixed a complex corporate structure that supports not only its survival but its continued development even in an increasingly dense and competitive marketplace. While Starbucks must continue to intermittently reevaluate its key problems and key opportunities, especially in the approaching few financial years, the company is operating with impressive effectiveness through the adversities of 2020 thus far. After a careful analysis, Starbucks Coffee should increase the distribution of products that are more likely to succeed during the COVID-19 pandemic, expand pick-up and delivery services, implement additional store locations in underdeveloped geographic market segments, and utilize its vast array of promotional mediums to optimize brand positioning as they approach a reopening world.

This study examines the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and earnings management after controlling for endogeneity of CSR. Using a sample of non-financial firms listed on Korean Securities Market between 2002 and 2010, this study finds that ignoring endogeneity biases the estimated relation between CSR and earnings management. Specifically, the results show that the negative and significant relation between CSR commitment and discretionary accruals reported in the previous studies becomes insignificant. However, the negative and significant relation between CSR commitment and real activities manipulation remains significant even when the endogeneity of CSR commitment is taken into account. Therefore, this study provides evidence that proactive CSR engagement significantly affects firm’s practice of real activities manipulation, while it does not affect its practice of discretionary accruals. These results indicate that CSR commitment leads managers to be more responsible in management of operational activities than in accruals management.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting plays a key role in management control, particularly in light of the increased demand for non-financial reporting after the financial crisis of 2008–2009. This literature review evaluates 47 empirical studies that concentrate on the influence of several board composition variables on the quantity and quality of CSR reporting. The author briefly introduces the research framework that underpins current empirical studies in this field. This is followed by a discussion of the main variables of board composition: (1) committees (audit and CSR committees), (2) board independence, (3) board expertise, (4) CEO duality, (5) board diversity (gender and foreign diversity), (6) board activity, and (7) board size. The author, then, summarizes the key findings, discusses the limitations of the existing research and offers useful recommendations for researchers, firm practice and regulators.