Sustainable development through corporate social responsibility adoption and its drivers: evidence from corporate industrial sector

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a vital strategy for promoting firms’ sustainable development goals, encompassing social, environmental, and economic factors. In emerging economies, manufacturing firms face mounting challenges in ensuring their sustainability. This study aims to identify the key drivers of CSR and examine their impact on CSR adoption in the manufacturing industry of Pakistan. The study employs the survey method to collect data, utilizing a one-to-one interview approach with a matrix-style questionnaire administered to a panel of experts selected through purposive sampling technique. Interpretive structural modeling (ISM) combined with Matrices’ Impacts Cruise’s Multiplication Appliquée a UN Classement (MICMAC) and structural equation model (SEM) are used for data assessment, modeling, and analysis. The findings indicate that compliance with government regulations and stakeholders’ pressure are the essential drivers of CSR adoption and positively influence CSR adoption. Consequently, firms should consider adopting CSR strategies to enhance their sustainability based on the outcomes of this analysis.