Exploring the Role of Education and Professional Development in Implementing Corporate Social Responsibility Policies in the Banking Sector

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

On the one hand, I consider the title of the manuscript to be too long, but on the other hand, I do not consider it appropriate to put abbreviations (CSR) in the title or in the abstract that are not generally known, such as EU, UK, USA. I recommend - but I do not insist that the name be shortened and without abbreviations.

In the introduction, it is adequate in scope, but it is necessary to establish more clearly the reasons and needs of the scientific study. Clearly define the main objective and sub-objectives. In my opinion, the research questions should be established in the introduction and, given the scope of the data used, also the hypotheses that you would answer in the discussion or in the conclusion.

Even the basic scientific research methods used, such as analysis, synthesis, description, comparison, deserve to be described in chapter 3 starting from page 5 and partly characterized. He addresses this question very well:

Khorsand, Phuong Ngoc Nguyen-Hadi, and Tomáš Peráček. 2023. "Implementation of a Working Time Recording System as a Digital Management Tool in Public Administration" Administrative Sciences 13, no. 12: 253. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci13120253

The total number of references is insufficient due to the scope of the scientific study, I recommend expanding them for the purpose of increasing the scientific value of the study and strengthening the second part in particular with works such as:

Funta, R., Buttler, D. 2023. THE DIGITAL ECONOMY AND LEGAL CHALLENGES. InterEULawEast, 10(1), pp. 145–160, doi: 10.22598/iele.2023.10.1.8

The protection of employee rights in the context of the digital economy are all areas that are strictly regulated by the legal order of each state. This protection will become more and more strict due to the use of artificial intelligence. For this reason, I consider it necessary to process the legal side of the matter as well, and for this purpose the authors should also use the 4 new up-to-date resources suggested by me. In addition to them, it is necessary for the authors to verify the claimed facts with the currently valid laws.

At the end, improve clear answers to established research questions and hypotheses (rejection or confirmation). In the last chapter, you appropriately paid attention to future research, but also emphasize the limits of this study.

I also recommend explaining the data collection. In the tables, indicate whether it is your own data or taken over, or whether it is self-processing ....

However, the unnecessary breaking up of the manuscript into 8 chapters bothers me. I recommend merging chapters 4,5,6 into chapter 4. Results. Chapters 7 and 8 should be merged into one chapter, namely 6. Conclusion. Add the manuscript limits to this final chapter.

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

The article, “Exploring the Role of High School Education and Values Developed at the Workplace in Implementing CSR Policies in the Banking Sector: A Multivariate Hierarchical Regression Analysis,” examines the relationship between education, job satisfaction, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices in the banking industry. CSR means a company's commitment to act responsibly towards society. The study involved 139 banking professionals in Romania to assess their involvement in CSR initiatives. The study used a hierarchical regression model, which showed that both job satisfaction and investment in employee training contribute to greater emphasis on CSR practices in the banking sector. This suggests, that a satisfied and well-trained workforce may be more likely to promote social responsibility, potentially leading to positive social outcomes.

However, the authors recognize the limitations in definitively establishing a causal relationship between CSR, job satisfaction, and company performance. Further research is needed to fully understand these complex relationships. Overall, the study highlights the importance of education and job satisfaction in shaping individuals' CSR engagement. By creating a positive work environment and investing in employee development, banks can develop staff committed to responsible and sustainable business practices.

The results of the study were presented in a consistent manner, supplemented with tables to illustrate the analyzed data. The conclusions result from the conducted analysis, they are complete. The conclusions are clear, pointing to specific solutions. The type and scope of source materials is adequate to the analyzed problem. The article has the correct structure. Summing up, it should be stated that the article is coherent and logical. In my opinion, the purpose of the article should be more precisely defined.

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

1. The abstract does not yet describe the resume of this research, so it needs to be improved, especially regarding the research output which has an influence on managerial implications

2. The introduction section is very short. It is necessary to provide a sharper explanation regarding the urgency and novelty of this research. References used in each introduction need to be added, especially from reputable publications.

3. In the research methodology section, a detailed explanation must be given regarding how the research process and procedures were carried out to achieve the research objectives

4. In data processing, an explanation regarding comprehensive interpretation of the data and the results of data processing should be added.

5. How do you explain the managerial and theoretical implications of this research? This needs to be explained in detail and specifically.

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Author Response

Below please see how we addressed every comment you made.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Dear authors,

based on the changes and additions made, I agree to the publication of the manuscript.

Rewiever

Author Response

Thank you very much for taking the time to review this manuscript and for your appreciation. 

Reviewer 3 Report

Improvements have not been made according to my comments especially for:

1. The revised abstract still does not meet the concise and clear elements of the research process carried out.

2. Improvements to the introduction still need to be made, namely explaining the urgency and novelty of this research. The addition of references that have been made does not fulfill the novelty element of this research. So further exploration still needs to be done.

3. In the methodology section, it is stated that the necessary adjustments have not been made according to the opinions expressed, so the process carried out in this research is not yet clear.

4. Data processing must be displayed, and explanations applied for both theoretical and managerial implications.

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Author Response

We are grateful for the suggested improvements and are doing our best to incorporate your recommendations.

1. The revised abstract still does not meet the concise and clear elements of the research process carried out.

Following your suggestion, we have revised the abstract.

2. Improvements to the introduction still need to be made, namely explaining the urgency and novelty of this research. The addition of references that have been made does not fulfill the novelty element of this research. So further exploration still needs to be done.

We improved the introduction according to your suggestion. Please see lines 97-110.

3. In the methodology section, it is stated that the necessary adjustments have not been made according to the opinions expressed, so the process carried out in this research is not yet clear: “In the research methodology section, a detailed explanation must be given regarding how the research process and procedures were carried out to achieve the research objectives.”

Thank you for these observations. We have introduced detailed explanations, please see lines 318-322 and 362-374.

4. Data processing must be displayed, and explanations applied for both theoretical and managerial implications.

Thank you again for these observations. We have introduced detailed explanations. Please see lines 590-609.