Exploring the Bi-directional relationship between corporate social responsibility and financial performance in Indian context

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shafat Maqbool ◽  
Shabir Ahmad Hurrah
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Corporate Strategy ◽  
Random Effect ◽  
Social Dimension ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Indian Context ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This study aims to investigate the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and financial performance from the bi-directional perspective. Design/methodology/approach The final sample for this study are 79 companies listed in the national stock exchange for a period of eight-years (2008–2015). Random effect panel regression was performed to examine the possible link. Findings The result shows that CSR has a positive impact on the contemporaneous and future financial performance of the selected companies. Further, the study shows that only social dimension has a positive and significant impact on concurrent and future financial performance. The results further validate slack resource theory as lagged financial performance has a positive and significant impact on CSR. Practical implications The strategic value of CSR indicates that it should be seen as a value-enhancing strategy, and therefore, incorporated with the broader corporate strategy of the company. Companies should not trade-off between CSR and financial performance, rather a strategic synchronization of CSR with corporate functioning is essential. This will pave a way to build a stakeholder-sense in the corporate entities. Originality/value The study comprehensively examines the relationship between CSR and financial performance from both “prospective” and “retrospective” framework. This bi-directional approach has received minimal attention in the Indian context.

Institutional pressures for corporate social responsibility implementation: a study of Indian executives

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 555-577
Author(s):  
Aruna Jha ◽  
Vijita Singh Aggrawal
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Middle Level ◽  
Institutional Pressures ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Indian Context ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose India has recently entered mandatory corporate social responsibility (CSR) spend era. It is important to unravel the pressures of CSR implementation in the Indian context to understand how a better fit between business strategy and CSR spend can be achieved. This study aims to validate a model that integrates pressures, CSR implementation and financial performance through reputation within the institutional theory framework. Design/methodology/approach It is based on a questionnaire survey of 162 top-level and middle-level CSR managers in India and semi-structured interviews with eight top-level executives. Findings The study concludes that local community, government, peers and media are important institutional pressures of CSR implementation in India. Reputation partially mediates the relationship between CSR implementation and financial performance. Practical implications The study findings can help managers to know which stakeholders (government, media, peers and local community) are exerting statistically significant institutional pressures and how CSR initiatives be designed to cater to their requirements. Though CSR spend is mandatory in India, a strategic orientation towards it would enable the firms to derive value for the stakeholders associated with the business. Originality/value Relationship between pressures of CSR and CSR implementation has not yet been explored in the Indian context. Such a relationship tells us why is CSR taken up and influence of which of the pressure groups is considered important while implementing CSR. The study will help to understand the relationship between CSR–reputation–financial performance as perceived by Indian managers and to assess whether they perceive corporate reputation building as one of the most important outcomes of CSR.

From corporate social responsibility activities to financial performance: role of innovation and competitive advantage

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahnoor Zahid ◽  
Hina Naeem ◽  
Iqra Aftab ◽  
Sajawal Ali Mughal
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this study is to scrutinize the effect of corporate social responsibility activities (CSRA) of the firm on its financial performance (FP) and analyze the mediating role of innovation and competitive advantage (CA) in the relationship between CSRA and FP in the manufacturing sector of an emerging country, i.e. Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach Data has been collected through an electronic structured questionnaire from 300 middle-level and top-level managers by surveying different manufacturing firms of Gujranwala, Pakistan. The study’s hypotheses have been checked by analyzing the reliability and validity of data and applying confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling through statistical package for the social sciences and analysis of moment structures. Findings Outcomes of this study supported the hypothesized model. It has been found that the CSRA plays a significant positive role in determining the FP of the firm. Furthermore, the CA and innovation have been proved as significant mediators between CSRA and FP. Originality/value The first time examining the intermediation of innovation and CA in the relationship between CSRA and FP is the primary input of this study to the literature. Practically, this study’s findings will help strategy makers of manufacturing firms in emerging countries develop better strategies for implementing CSRA, enhancing innovation, seeking CA and improving FP.

Micro-loans and financial performance: a case of a Chinese commercial bank

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasmine Alam ◽  
Mustapha Ibn Boamah ◽  
Yuheng Liu
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Overall Performance ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility Reports ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This study aims to investigate the relationship between a commercial bank’s micro-loaning activity and overall performance over a 10-year period. Design/methodology/approach Quarterly data was obtained from the Wind Database, China Minsheng Banks’s official annual reports and annual corporate social responsibility reports from 2009 to 2019, to test the linear relationship between micro-loan activities and the overall financial performance of the bank. Findings The results of this study empirically demonstrate that there is a positive relationship between increases in micro-loaning activity and the overall performance of the bank. Some key recommendations for the sector are shared in the conclusion of this paper. Originality/value In the financial sector, some corporate social responsibility activities focus on the issuance of micro-loans. It is unclear, however, if this has also served as a means to increase profitability and overall performance for such institutions.

Corporate social responsibility and institutional investors: the intervening effect of financial performance

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shafat Maqbool ◽  
Nasir Zamir
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Institutional Investors ◽  
Decision Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe research on the role of corporate social responsibility in investors' decision process has proliferated over the past few decades. This paper aims to explore the mediating role of financial performance in the relationship between corporate social responsibility and institutional investors.Design/methodology/approachPanel regression was performed on a sample of 29 commercial banks nine years from 2009 to 2017.FindingsThe initial findings of the study show that that corporate social responsibility has a positive and significant impact on institutional investors. However, when the interaction term (financial performance) was incorporated, the relationship between CSR and institutional turns out to be neutral. The study concludes that financial performance plays a pivotal role in the selection of investment avenues.Originality/valueIn Indian context, there is a dearth of research work which studies the impact of sustainable practices on investors' decision process. This topic has received wider attention but lacks insights from developing countries, like India. This article presents a new approach to verify the relationship through the mediating variable (financial performance).

How does corporate social responsibility influence firm financial performance?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sourour Ben Saad ◽  
Lotfi Belkacem
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Capital Structure ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Firm Financial Performance ◽  
Structure Channel ◽  
Csr Disclosure ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This paper has three main purposes. First, this paper aims to study the effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on firm financial performance. Second, this study aims to examine how mandatory CSR disclosure impacts financial performance. Further, this paper aims to investigate the intervening role of capital structure decisions on the relationship between CSR and financial performance. Design/methodology/approach Based on a sample of French non-financial listed companies over the period 2006–2017, this study uses structural equations modeling and a difference-in-differences approach to highlight these effects. Findings This paper finds that CSR has a significant positive association with financial performance. In addition, although the mandate does not require firms to spend on CSR, the socially responsible firms experience an increase in profitability subsequent to the mandate. Finally, this study argues and finds evidence that the relationship between CSR and financial performance is mediated through the capital structure channel. Originality/value This paper contributes to the literature in several ways. First, the study provides a new research stream by examining the effect of mandatory CSR disclosure on firm financial performance. Second, is to knowledge the first to examine whether and how CSR affects financial performance through the capital structure channel.

Corporate social responsibility and future financial performance

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 351-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahdi Salehi ◽  
Mahmoud Lari DashtBayaz ◽  
Sohila Khorashadizadeh
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Return On Assets ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Firm Financial Performance ◽  
The Future ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) expenditures and firm financial performance in an emerging market. Design/methodology/approach The authors examine the hypotheses by performing panel data analysis on a sample of 159 companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange during 2010–2015. Findings The findings suggest that the investment in CSR initiatives is significantly and positively associated with firm financial performance as proxied by changes in return on assets. Moreover, the findings confirm a positive and significant association between CSR expenditures and firm financial performance as proxied by both the future changes in return on assets and the future changes in operating cash flows scaled by total assets. Originality/value The present study has examined the relationship between CSR and firm financial performance in a country where, to the authors’ knowledge as in most other developing markets, such a relationship has not been a subject of empirical research. Besides, the use of a three-dimensional measure of financial performance, primarily considering research undertaken in an emerging market, as a valuable contribution may be observed.

Corporate social responsibility, firm value and financial performance in Brazil

2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 295-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vicente Lima Crisóstomo ◽  
Fátima de Souza Freire ◽  
Felipe Cortes de Vasconcellos
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Firm Value ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Financial Accounting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Accounting Performance ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to examine the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and firm performance, taking into account firm value and financial accounting performance, in an emerging market – Brazil.Design/methodology/approachContent analysis was conducted to extract data from two different sources, one relative to CSR data and another that provided financial data. CSR indexes and financial performance measures were calculated to allow the estimation of regression analysis conducted to examine the relationship between CSR and performance.FindingsThe results indicate that CSR is value destroying in Brazil since a significant negative correlation between CSR and firm value was found. Additionally, a neutral relationship characterises the mutual effect between CSR and financial accounting performance.Originality/valueThe study has examined the relationship between CSR and firm performance in a country where, as in most other non‐developed markets, such a relationship has not been an object of research. Besides, the use of a three dimensional measure of CSR, mainly considering research undertaken in an emerging market, as a valuable contribution may be observed.

Analyzing the impact of corporate social responsibility on corporate financial performance: evidence from top Indian firms

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amritjot Kaur Sekhon ◽  
Lalit Mohan Kathuria
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Instrument ◽  
Indian Context ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Despite continuous research efforts, the literature is still inconclusive about the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and financial performance. With an aim to address this problem, this study aims to analyze the impact of CSR on financial performance in the Indian context. Design/methodology/approach Using a panel of top 137 companies from CNX-500 for 10 years (2008-2017), the impact of CSR on three indicators of financial performance, namely, Return on Assets (ROA), Return on Equity (ROE) and Net Profit Margin (NPM), is evaluated using the panel data regression analysis. The technique of content analysis is used to collect data on CSR from the annual reports of selected companies. Findings The study finds that the impact of CSR on financial performance may be neutral (with ROA and NPM) or negative (with ROE). The negative influence of CSR on ROE of firms supports the theory by Friedman (1970) that the only responsibility of business is to maximize profits and returns for its shareholders. Originality/value After amendments in Companies Act, 2013, there is limited literature addressing this scientific inquiry in the Indian context. The study period (2008-2017) includes CSR disclosures from both periods, before reforms and after reforms, which adds to the uniqueness of this research study. In addition, this study uses a research instrument consisting of a total of 178 CSR activities divided across 46 themes for collecting data from annual reports of the companies. The utilization of such a comprehensive research instrument, for the study, also adds to its peculiarity.

The impact of ownership structure on corporate social responsibility: the moderating role of financial performance

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anissa Dakhli
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Ownership Structure ◽  
Managerial Ownership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Csr Engagement

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between ownership structure and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Specifically, this paper examines the impact of financial performance on the relationship between ownership structure and CSR. Design/methodology/approach This study uses panel data set of 200 French firms listed during 2007–2018 period. The direct and moderating effects were tested by using multiple regression technique. Findings The results indicate that investors have different attitudes toward CSR engagement. While institutional ownership affects positively CSR engagement, managerial ownership shows a negative effect. Findings also show that financial performance accentuates these effects. Research limitations/implications The findings have practical implications that may be useful to regulators and managers interested in enhancing CSR. For regulators, the results advise policymakers to restrict managerial ownership and promote institutional investments to improve CSR. For managers, the results suggest developing more sophisticated intervention mechanisms to deal with conflicting voices that could result from different owners’ attitudes toward CSR. As an extension to this research, further study can examine the impact of audit quality on CSR. Originality/value This study proposes the establishment of dynamic links between ownership structure and CSR around firm financial performance. In addition, it investigates not only the overall CSR ratings but also each of CSR pillars, namely, environmental, social and governance.

Corporate social responsibility and firm performance of Ghanaian SMEs

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Otuo Serebour Agyemang ◽  
Abraham Ansong
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Firm Reputation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to examine the influence of corporate social responsibility on financial performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana by using access to capital and firm reputation as mediating variables. Design/methodology/approach The authors collected primary data from 423 SMEs within the Accra Metropolis. Partial least squares estimation technique was used to analyze the data. Findings The authors documented evidence for a mechanism through which corporate social responsibility results in financial performance of firms: SMEs with improved corporate social responsibility practices are better positioned to achieve enhanced reputation, which translates into improved financial performance. Even though this study did not document a significant relationship between corporate social responsibility and access to finance by Ghanaian SMEs, the authors contend that looking at the positive relationship between them, SMEs can minimize their capital constraints by embarking on CSR practices, which can eventually translate into financial performance. Practical implications The authors recommend that for SMEs to enhance their reputation and increase their access to capital, which will eventually result in enhanced financial performance, corporate social responsibility practices should be a major part of their operations. Originality/value It contributes to our knowledge on how CSR practices lead to financial performance of SMEs in developing countries. In addition, this is the first of its kind to establish the relationship between CSR practices and financial performance of SMEs in Ghana by using access to capital and firm reputation as mediating factors.

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