Publications

Authors:

Podrecca, Matteo; Cantele, Silvia; Orzes, Guido

Title:

The Role of B Corp Certification in Uncertain Times: An Empirical Investigation

Year:

2025

Type of item:

Articolo in Rivista

Tipologia ANVUR:

Articolo su rivista

Language:

Inglese

Format:

Elettronico

Referee:

Sì

Name of journal:

BUSINESS ETHICS, THE ENVIRONMENT & RESPONSIBILITY

ISSN of journal:

2694-6416

Page numbers:

1-17

Keyword:

B Corp; B Lab; COVID-19; event study; financial performance; secondary data

Short description of contents:

This paper aims to examine whether B Corp certification enhances firms' ability to navigate uncertain times and how contingent factors affect its effectiveness. Building on Stakeholder Theory and the Resource-Based View, we formulated a set of research hypotheses and tested them with a long-term event study and an ordinary least squares regression performed on a sample of Italian B Corps during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results show that certified firms exhibit higher financial performance than their non-certified counterparts. Moreover, Born Bs and firms with prior certification experience obtain greater benefits from their status. The study deepens our understanding of the performance effects of B Corp certification and contributes to the broader debate on the role of standards during crises. Specifically, it enriches existing knowledge by demonstrating that investing in structured sustainability practices enhances firms' resilience to disruptions. From a practical point of view, the findings provide managers with valuable insights into how B Corp certification can help companies navigate shocks and volatility more effectively. Moreover, for policymakers and the certification body responsible for B Corp, the study presents compelling arguments to foster the diffusion of the standard.

Web page:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/beer.70019

Product ID:

148636

Handle IRIS:

11562/1176327

Last Modified:

November 30, 2025

Bibliographic citation:

Podrecca, Matteo; Cantele, Silvia; Orzes, Guido, The Role of B Corp Certification in Uncertain Times: An Empirical Investigation «BUSINESS ETHICS, THE ENVIRONMENT & RESPONSIBILITY» , 2025 , pp. 1-17

Consulta la scheda completa presente nel repository istituzionale della Ricerca di Ateneo