The relationship between poor CSR performance and hard, negative CSR information disclosures

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maher Jeriji ◽  
Waël Louhichi
Keyword(s):  
Information Disclosure ◽  
Corporate Social Performance ◽  
Social Performance ◽  
Panel Data Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Csr Reporting ◽  
Opportunistic Behaviour ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between hard, negative corporate social responsibility (CSR) information disclosure and corporate social performance. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a generalised least squares panel data analysis based on a sample of firms ranked in the Fortune Global 500 for the period 2013–2016. Robustness check tests were conducted to limit endogeneity concerns. Findings The results show that in line with strategic legitimacy theory, agency theory and organisational stigma theory, poor sustainability performers disclose a low quality of hard, negative CSR information. Practical implications This paper provides guidance for stakeholders to identify good and poor CSR performers by better understanding whether corporate CSR reports are more likely to be symbolic or substantive when considering the amount of hard, negative content in their CSR stand-alone reports. Social implications The research highlights the opportunistic behaviour of CSR reporting, which is used more as a legitimation device than as an accountability mechanism. Thi Originality/value Although numerous studies have investigated the association between the level of corporate social disclosure (CSD) and corporate social performance, no research has focussed on hard, negative CSD. Also, an index that captures the disclosure quality rather than the quantity of negative CSR information was constructed.

Towards a more ethical market: the impact of ESG rating on corporate financial performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Landi ◽  
Mauro Sciarelli
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Corporate Social Performance ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Social Performance ◽  
Panel Data Analysis ◽  
Abnormal Returns ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper fits in a research field dealing with the impact of Corporate Ethics Assessment on Financial Performance. The authors argue how environmental, social and governance (ESG) paradigm, meant to measure corporate social performance by rating issuance, can impact on abnormal returns of Italian firms listed on Financial Times Stock Exchange Milano Indice di Borsa (FTSE MIB) Index, developing a panel data analysis which runs from 2007 to 2015. Design/methodology/approach This study aims at exploring whether socially responsible investors outperform an excess market return on Italian Stock Exchange because of their investment behavior, testing statistically the relationship between the yearly ESG assessment issued by Standard Ethics Agency on FTSE MIB’s companies and their abnormal returns. To verify the impact of an ESG Rating on a company’s abnormal return, the authors developed a panel data analysis through a Fixed Effects Model. They measured abnormal returns via Fama–French approach, running a yearly Jensen’s Performance Index for each company under investigation. Findings The empirical results denote in Italy both a growing interest to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability by managers over the past decade, as well as an improving quality in ESG assessments because of a reliable corporate disclosure. Thus, despite investors have been applying ESG criteria in their stock – picking operations, the authors found a not positive and statistically significant impact in terms of market premium, when they have been undertaking a socially responsible investment (SRI). Practical implications The findings described above show that ethics is not yet a reliable fundraising tool for Italian-listed companies, despite SRIs having a positive growth rate over past decade. Investors seem to be not pricing CSR on Stock Exchange Market; therefore, listed companies cannot be rewarded with a premium price because of their highly stakeholder oriented behavior. Originality/value This paper explores, for the first time in Italy, when market extra-returns (if any) are related to corporate social performance and how managers leverage ethics to build capital added value.

Board nationality and educational background diversity and corporate social performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maretno Agus Harjoto ◽  
Indrarini Laksmana ◽  
Ya wen Yang
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Performance ◽  
Social Performance ◽  
Educational Background ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
National Citizenship ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Nationality Diversity

Purpose This paper aims to examine the relationship between the nationality and educational background diversity of directors serving on corporate boards and the firms’ corporate social performance (CSP). Design/methodology/approach This study measures nationality diversity by directors’ national citizenship and measures educational background diversity by countries from which they earned their undergraduate and post undergraduate degrees. It measures firms’ CSP using the MSCI ESG ratings. The study uses both univariate and multivariate analyses to empirically test the hypotheses. Findings Using a sample of US firms, the authors find that board nationality diversity and educational background diversity are positively associated with CSP. The findings suggest that improving director nationality diversity and educational background diversity could improve firms’ social performance. Originality/value This study shows that the increasing trend of foreign nationals in the US boards could shift the focus of US corporations to be more stakeholder-oriented.

Stakeholder power and corporate social performance

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 363-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Béchir Ben Lahouel ◽  
Jean-Marie Peretti ◽  
David Autissier
Keyword(s):  
Stakeholder Theory ◽  
Corporate Social Performance ◽  
Social Performance ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Dimensional Model ◽  
Three Dimensional Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Posture ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the power of one of the primary organizational stakeholders (shareholders) in the development of a corporate social performance (CSP) score. Few research works in the CSP empirical literature have studied the relationship between stakeholder power and CSP. Design/methodology/approach – Stakeholder theory is used as a theoretical framework to explain how shareholder voting power can influence the CSP level of French publicly listed companies. Stakeholder theory is tested through the operationalization of Ullmann’s (1985) three-dimensional model. Hypotheses related to shareholder voting power, strategic posture and financial performance are formulated through a literature review. A Data Envelopment Analysis approach was presented as a strong tool to measure CSP level. Multiple linear regressions were undertaken to test the hypotheses in a sample of 129 French companies between 2006 and 2007. Findings – The results indicate that companies with dispersed ownership and high proportion of institutional shareholders record a high score of CSP. Strategic posture measured by the implementation of environmental certification standard was positively and significantly related to CSP. Financial performance does not affect significantly the level of CSP. Originality/value – This paper is the first to empirically analyse the relationship between Ullmann’s three-dimensional model and CSP level in the French context. It offers to managers a better understanding of the power that certain stakeholders can use to acquire satisfaction.

Nature and relationship between corporate social performance and firm size: a cross-national study

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 258-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Foo Nin Ho ◽  
Hui-Ming Deanna Wang ◽  
Nga Ho-Dac ◽  
Scott J. Vitell
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Research ◽  
Firm Size ◽  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
Corporate Social Performance ◽  
Social Performance ◽  
The Body ◽  
National Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose Firm size has been identified as one of the most important correlates with corporate social performance (CSP). Both conceptual and empirical research has been done to try to explicate and determine this relationship; however, the results from both theoretical and empirical research have indicated a mixed and sometimes inconsistent relationship because of endogeneity between firm size and CSP. This paper aims to add to the body of knowledge by identifying and addressing some of the limitations in determining the relationship between firm size and CSP. Design/methodology/approach Using the Arellano–Bond method to control for the endogeneity, this study tests the relationship between CSP and firm size using a panel of 380 public companies of various sizes; in various industry types; and across 19 countries in North America, Europe and Asia over a six-year period. Findings The results of the study show that firm size positively influences CSP and its subcomponents when endogeneity has been controlled for. Research limitations/implications This study lends support for the theory of the firm framework that CSP attributes are embedded in the production process that leads to higher economies of scale, and the resource-based view of firms where firms that possess valuable and inimitable resources in CSR can lead to a sustainable competitive advantage over competitors. This suggests that as firms grow in size, they can leverage their resources to achieve greater economies of scale that will lead to better CSP over time. Originality/value This study addresses the potential endogeneity problem between firm size and CSP and offers a broader testing context.

Women in the boardroom and corporate social performance: negotiating the double bind

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (9) ◽  
pp. 2201-2222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Whitney Douglas Fernandez ◽  
Meredith F. Burnett ◽  
Carolina B. Gomez
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Performance ◽  
Social Performance ◽  
Women Directors ◽  
Role Congruity Theory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Role Congruity ◽  
Representation Of Women ◽  
Women On Boards ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to use insights from role congruity theory to explore how organizational context moderates the relationship between the representation of women on boards and corporate social performance (CSP). Design/methodology/approach The hypotheses are tested using a panel of S&P 500 firms observed from 2001 to 2011. The authors utilize the generalized estimating equations technique with Heckman’s two-stage approach to correct for endogeneity. Findings The findings reveal that four firm-level variables – voluntary initiative membership, deviation from prior financial performance, internationalization and product diversification – moderate the relationship between the representation of women on boards and CSP. These findings suggest that women directors have the ability to prioritize and advocate for social issues in the boardroom to a greater extent when firms provide a context that values their communal orientation. In contrast, the relationship between women directors and CSP weakens when the context encourages a focus on the bottom line. Originality/value This study reconciles mixed findings from previous research and contributes to a better understanding of the relationship between women directors and social performance by providing a theory-driven perspective of the circumstances under which women directors have a stronger or weaker impact on CSP. The authors extend role congruity theory by integrating contextual factors that may either diminish or amplify the effects of the expected directors’ gender roles on their behavior and decision making.

Corporate social performance in family firms: a meta-analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 235-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergio Canavati
Keyword(s):  
Family Firms ◽  
Corporate Social Performance ◽  
Social Performance ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Family ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose Empirical studies provide conflicting conclusions regarding the corporate social performance (CSP) of family firms. The purpose of this paper is to synthesize the existing empirical evidence and examine the potential role of research design and contextual factors. Design/methodology/approach A meta-analysis of existing empirical studies was performed to examine the role of sampling, measurement and contextual factors in explaining the different and often conflicting results of empirical studies in the family business literature. Findings The overall relationship between family firms and CSP is positive. The relationship between family firms and CSP is positive for private family firms but is negative for public family firms. The relationship between family firms and CSP is positive when family involvement includes both family ownership and management as opposed to only family ownership or family management. Private family firms care more and public family firms care less about the community, environment, and employees than private and public nonfamily firms. The relationship between family firms and CSP is stronger in institutional environments with weak labor and corporate governance regulatory frameworks. Research limitations/implications The operationalization of both the family firm and CSP constructs significantly predicts the magnitude and direction of the relationship between family firms and CSP. Practical implications Family firms should become more skilled at measuring and disseminating information about the firm’s CSP. Family firms should work to improve public perceptions about the CSP of family firms. Social implications Policy should encourage family firms to remain privately owned by the family. Policy should also incentivize the involvement of family owners in the management of family firms. Originality/value Although several literature reviews address the relationship between family firms and CSP, this is the first review to use the meta-analysis method. The authors contribute to the family business literature by analyzing how differences in study-, firm- and country-level factors can explain some of the variance in the results of the studies in the literature.

Investigating the relationship between director’s profile, board interlocks and corporate social responsibility

2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 553-570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hazar Ben Barka ◽  
Ali Dardour
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Board Of Directors ◽  
Corporate Social Performance ◽  
Social Performance ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Board Interlocks ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss a research model that presents three metrics of corporate social performance (CSP): board interlocks, director’s profile and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Design/methodology/approach – Based on social network theories, the authors argue the possible relationships between the three variables. The authors conduct the study on 255 directorships in the boards of 20 listed companies in France, which participate in Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) for 2010. Findings – The results show that director’s background and nationality diversity in the board are the most relevant attributes to discerning firms with high CSR scores. However, the relationship between board interlocks and CSR is not consistent. Some explanations are reported and discussed. Research limitations/implications – The research contributes to recognize the most influential variables in board composition for firms with high CSR scores, although it is based on a conceptual development and an explorative analysis. It could constitute the basis for future research which integrates modeling and multivariate analysis. Practical implications – Diversity in the board could be an effective tool to guide management for more CSR decisions. Social implications – The paper highlights the importance of diversifying the recruitment base when integrating new board members. This implies opening board networks to new profiles, in order to better meet stakeholders’ expectations regarding CSR. Originality/value – The paper contributes to board literature by highlighting the importance of combining individual attributes (director) with corporate ones (board of directors) to better assess the role of board of directors in the adoption of CSR’ practices.

Regulatory pressure, blockholders and corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosures in China

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 226-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Zheng ◽  
Nauzer Balsara ◽  
Haiyu Huang
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Ownership Structure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
Csr Reporting ◽  
Regulatory Pressure ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the relationship between external regulation pressure and corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting decision and comprehensiveness and the relationship between block ownership and CSR in China. Design/methodology/approach – This paper provides descriptive statistics of the current state of CSR reporting in China. In addition, regression models are utilized to analyze the behavior of CSR reporting of a sample of 5,334 listed firms in China. Findings – Our paper records a significant increase of CSR reporting in the period of 2008-2010. Using a sample of 5,334 listed firms in China, we find a positive yet weak association between centrally controlled state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and CSR reports. Moreover, we find that firms with more concentrated block ownership are less likely to issue CSR reports. Research limitations/implications – Taken as a whole, our analyses suggest that the entrenchment effect from blockholders seems to dominate the incentive effect and this depresses the quality of CSR reports. Practical implications – Despite the well-known effect of economic factors on CSR decision, corporate governance such as ownership structure could complicate the final results. Furthermore, the institutional background of the country and its implications for corporate governance should be considered jointly and concurrently. Social implications – The positive effect from regulatory pressure on centrally owned SOEs suggests that regulation remains an effective tool to encourage CSR reporting in emerging markets. Originality/value – First, our study confirms prior research that CSR disclosure decision is primarily driven by economic and strategic considerations. Moreover, our results suggest that a country’s institutional background, in addition to economic and strategic considerations, influences the decision and quality of CSR disclosures. Second, we extend the literature on ownership structure, particularly with respect to blockholders. Third, our research design addresses a weakness in earlier studies which are biased exclusively on state ownership to the exclusion of all other blockholders.

The illusion of CSR: drawing the line between core and supplementary CSR

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo Gomez-Carrasco ◽  
Encarna Guillamon-Saorin ◽  
Beatriz Garcia Osma
Keyword(s):  
Financial Performance ◽  
Corporate Social Performance ◽  
Social Performance ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Savings Banks ◽  
Strategic Csr ◽  
Key Aspects ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the development of the theoretical framework for corporate social responsibility (CSR) and to provide a number of conceptual considerations which can be considered in the design of measures for corporate social performance (CSP). Design/methodology/approach – This study develops a theoretical framework of CSR and provides conceptual considerations to improve the measurement of CSP. The example of Spanish savings banks is used to illustrate the complexity of the concept of CSR, which includes different dimensions and relationships. Findings – CSP evaluation can be affected by the illusion of CSR, which may result in invalid conclusions on the relationship with financial performance. This risk mainly affects those studies whose CSP measure is based on charity or philanthropic activities, as most of the time they are disconnected from core business. These activities enjoy great visibility and, in some cases, such as Spanish savings banks, they become a thick veil that can be used to hide serious deficiencies in other key aspects of CSP. Research limitations/implications – This study has implications for the literature on the conceptual and theoretical framework of CSR and the research on the link between CSP and financial performance. This paper highlights the importance of seeking comprehensive measures that cannot be misleading because of the relationships between the components of CSR. Originality/value – The paper provides a novel conceptual framework for CSR, which connects the conceptual debate around “Strategic CSR” with the theoretical framework designed by Carroll’s (1991) Pyramid of CSR and emphasizes the importance of a meticulous examination of the CSP construct before studying its relationship with financial performance.

“Being true to oneself”: the interplay of responsible leadership and authenticity on multi-level outcomes

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muzhar Javed ◽  
Muhammad Waheed Akhtar ◽  
Khalid Hussain ◽  
Muhammad Junaid ◽  
Fauzia Syed
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Corporate Social Performance ◽  
Social Performance ◽  
Responsible Leadership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multi Level ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeDrawing on stakeholder theory, this study examines the relationship between responsible leadership and its macro-, meso- and micro-level outcomes. Further, this study investigates the moderating role of authenticity on the relationship between responsible leadership and its multi-level effects, i.e. relational social capital, corporate social performance and community citizenship behaviour among employees.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted four field studies using the quantitative methodology to test the hypotheses. In study 1 (N = 236), by adopting a multi-wave and multi-source research design, the authors examine the relationship between responsible leadership, authenticity and relational social capital. In study 2 (N = 203), by adopting a multi-wave research design, the authors examine the relationship between responsible leadership, authenticity and corporate social performance. In study 3 (N = 203), by adopting a multi-wave and multi-source research design, the authors examine the relationship between responsible leadership, authenticity and employees' community citizenship behaviour. In study 4 (N = 257), by adopting a multi-wave and multi-source research design, the authors capture the impact of responsible leadership on outcomes (social capital, corporate social performance and community citizenship behaviour) with a boundary condition of authenticity.FindingsThe authors find that responsible leadership enhances relational social capital, improves a firm's social performance and develops community citizenship behaviour among employees. Further, the study finds that authenticity positively moderates the relationship between responsible leadership and its multi-level outcomes.Originality/valueFirst, it is a maiden study to investigate the multi-level outcomes of RL in a series of three empirical studies. Second, it contributes to RL literature by testing a unique moderating role of authenticity between RL and its multi-level outcomes of relational social capital, corporate social performance and employees' community citizenship behaviour. This study also provides empirical evidence for the multi-level implications of stakeholder theory.

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