How does entrepreneurial orientation and SDG orientation of CEOs evolve before and during a pandemic

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Aligning business innovation with the sustainable development goals (SDGs) creates immense opportunities to solve societal challenges along with business growth and productivity. This study aims to understand the evolution of Fortune firms' strategic addressing of SDG on social media as a step towards post-pandemic recovery. Using attribution theory as a theoretical lens, the authors try to investigate how entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and SDG orientation evolve with the crisis and affect the appreciation and advocacy of the SDG-related posts. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed methodology of machine learning and Social media analytics such as content analysis, sentiment analysis and space–time analysis have been used, followed by multivariate analysis to validate the findings. Findings: An evolution in CEOs’ strategic focus surrounding SDG dimensions was found, from economic in pre-pandemic phase to social and environment during the pandemic. The SDG disclosure on social media by the Fortune CEOs seems to have an influence on their social media reputation, whereas EO has no impact on social media reputation. Research limitations/implications Wise practice of EO in information diffusion by CEOs on social media may lead to a healthy relationship with the stakeholders and better firm performance. The SDG adoption at organisation level contributes towards a sustainable society and helps tackling the challenges faced during the pandemic. Originality/value This study analyses the contribution of the Fortune firms to achieve a sustainable society in a pandemic environment by strategic adoption of SDGs and effective use of digital platforms. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.