Profitability, state ownership, tax reporting and corporate social responsibility: evidence from Chinese listed firms

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bixia Xu ◽  
Tao Zeng

Purpose – This paper aims to examine corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the context of listed Chinese firms. In particular, it examines the relationships between CSR and profitability, state ownership and tax reporting behavior. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is an empirical study using CSR reports published by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and financial data collected from the China Stock Market Financial Statement Database (CSMAR). Findings – The paper finds that state ownership is positively associated with CSR and its three components including the governance, social and environmental scores; firm profitability is positively associated with CSR and its market score; and tax reporting behavior is negatively associated with the environmental score. But the result is weak. Research limitations/implications – The results in this study should be treated with some caution as the sample size of 85 observations represents only a small fraction of China’s listed firms. A larger sample size is desirable and may affect our results. Social implications – This paper is of interest to policy-makers, corporate management and academics who wish to explore the relationship between CSR and other firm characteristics. Originality/value – This paper is the first study which provides a comprehensive examination of CSR and its four components in connection with Chinese firms. In particular, it examines the relationship between CSR and profitability and state ownership.

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 270-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Afzalur Rashid

Purpose – This study aims to examine whether lenders’ power and other attributes influence corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting in Bangladesh. Design/methodology/approach – This study uses content analysis to examine specific CSR-related attributes from 115 publicly listed firms in Bangladesh. By using various attributes of social and environmental reporting a disclosure index is also constructed. This study uses an Ordinary Lease Square Regression analysis to examine the relationship between stakeholders’ power and CSR reporting. Findings – The finding is that lenders’ power, or the extent of borrowing, does not influence CSR exposure. However, lenders’ cost of monitoring and ability to monitor significantly and positively influence CSR exposure. Research limitations/implications – This study is subject to some limitations, such as the subjectivity or judgement associated in the coding process. Practical implications – The implication of this study is that, when multiple borrowing creates “claim-dilution” problems, lenders are found to influence CSR activity. Originality/value – This study also supports the stakeholder theory and contributes to the literature on the practices of CSR reporting in the context of developing countries.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Hassan Shakil ◽  
Nor Shaipah Abdul Wahab

Purpose This study aims to examine the effects of top management team (TMT) heterogeneity and corporate social responsibility (CSR) on the firm risk of Bursa Malaysia listed firms. Also, this study examines the moderating effect of CSR between TMT heterogeneity and firm risk. Design/methodology/approach This study uses panel regression models to test the hypotheses. The sample of this study is Bursa Malaysia non-financial listed firms from 2013 to 2017 with 3,055 observations. Findings This study finds significant effects of TMT age and tenure heterogeneities on total risk. Effects on idiosyncratic risk are evident only within age heterogeneity. Further, this study finds negative effects of CSR on total and idiosyncratic risks. CSR significantly moderates the relationship between total TMT heterogeneity and firm systematic risk. Practical implications This study reduces the literature gap by providing useful insights on the effects of CSR activities and TMT heterogeneity on firm risk. The findings can also provide hints to investors to assist them in assessing firm risk based on TMT heterogeneity and firms’ CSR. This study can also benefit shareholders in their attempts to mitigate the risk of their portfolio by investing in firms that are socially responsible as firms with high CSR suffer lower total and idiosyncratic risks. Originality/value Previous studies have emphasised on the influence of TMT characteristics and CSR on firm performance. However, studies that investigate the effects of TMT heterogeneity and CSR on firm risk are limited in the context of Malaysia.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahnoor Zahid ◽  
Hina Naeem ◽  
Iqra Aftab ◽  
Sajawal Ali Mughal

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.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Siyu Hou ◽  
Zhaoyang Guo ◽  
Chuangneng Cai ◽  
Xiaobo Jiao

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of firm performance on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and its possible moderating effect. Despite the significance of CSR, there remains an extensive debate about how it is affected by firm performance. Design/methodology/approach The conceptual model is mainly built on goal-setting theory. Based on archival data from multiple data sets on 1,650 companies, collected from 2010 to 2017, the hypotheses are tested using the two-stage instrumental variable regression method. Findings There is an inverted U-shaped relationship between firm performance and CSR that first increases and then decreases. In addition, considering the boundary conditions, state ownership makes the inverted U-shaped curve steeper, while high executive wage concentration makes the inverted U-shaped curve flatter. Research limitations/implications This study harmonizes the traditional contradictory findings of the influence of firm performance on CSR, that is, it supports a positive, negative or neutral relationship between the two. Originality/value This research provides a necessary structure for the CSR literature. By delving deeply into the relationship between firm performance and CSR, it enables scholars to better address the critical management question of whether earning more will lead to doing good.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasmine Alam ◽  
Mustapha Ibn Boamah ◽  
Yuheng Liu

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.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 244-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Zeng

Purpose This paper aims to examine the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and tax avoidance as well as how CSR and country-level governance interplay in affecting tax avoidance in an international setting. Design/methodology/approach This paper is an empirical work using listed companies from 35 countries and relying on several proxies for corporate tax avoidance activities including the difference between the statutory tax rate and the annual effective tax rate, the book-tax difference and the residual book-tax difference. Findings This study finds strong evidence that CSR is positively related to tax avoidance. It also finds that in countries with weak country-level governance, firms with higher CSR scores engage in less tax avoidance, implying that CSR and country-level governance are substitutes. Originality/value This paper is the first study that examines the relationship between CSR and tax avoidance in an international setting with different legal and institutional environment.


2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (11) ◽  
pp. 26-28

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings That whilst there are similarities between Strategic Quality Management (SQM) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), one is not dependent on the other. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 158-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Afzalur Rashid

Purpose This study aims to examine whether corporate social responsibility (CSR) and relevant reporting enhances firms’ economic performance among the listed firms in Bangladesh. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a content analysis to examine specific CSR-related attributes from 115 non-financial publicly listed firms in Bangladesh. Firm CSR reporting is evaluated against accounting and market performance measures, with a simultaneous equation approach used to control the potential endogeneity problem. Findings This study finds that CSR reporting significantly influences firm performance under both performance measures, although a firm’s economic performance does not influence CSR reporting. Research limitations/implications This study is subject to some limitations, such as the subjectivity or judgement associated in the coding process. Practical implications The findings imply that although CSR reporting by firms in Bangladesh is discretionary in nature, the ones that report add value to their firm. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature on the practices of CSR reporting in the context of the developing countries.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Haruna Babatunde Jaiyeoba ◽  
Shahoriyer Hossain ◽  
Hamzah Mohd Salleh ◽  
Amal A.M. Elgharbawy

Purpose This paper aims to intend to ascertain whether corporate social responsibility (CSR) can serve as an effective promotional tool for the Malaysian halal certified companies in the era of Covid-19 pandemic. Starting from being nice to do, the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic has brought CSR to the forefront of businesses, forcing them to rapidly shift from profit maximisation to business preservation. Thus, it is practically crucial to ascertain whether CSR could be effectively used to promote halal brands in this era. Design/methodology/approach To achieve the stated aim, a survey questionnaire was developed and used to collect data from 295 participants who are familiar with the concepts of CSR and halal in Malaysia. The data collected were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings The findings reveal that the commitment to halal best practices, zakat and charitable donations, environmental responsibility, employee welfare and responsible dealings with clients are the most important CSR activities that can promote halal certified companies in the era of Covid-19. Whilst there is a positive relationship between halal economic responsibility and CSR as a promotional tool, such relationship is not significant. Nevertheless, the relationship between legal responsibility and CSR as a promotional tool is negative and insignificant. Research limitations/implications Limitations are inevitable in any study where a convenient sampling technique is used. Respondents from Klang Valley in Malaysia make up a large proportion of the study’s sample. This may consequently limit the generalisability of the findings of this study. Hence, future research should adequately collect data from other cities in Malaysia. Moreover, this paper does not differentiate between perceptions of Muslims and non-Muslims or between male and female; this might have an effect, as Muslims are likely to favour most of the items in the questionnaire used to collect data for this study. Thus, future research may collect sufficient data to shed more light on this issue. Originality/value The researchers have revealed that CSR is an effective promotional tool for the Malaysian halal certified companies in the era of Covid-19 pandemic. Study of this nature is rare in academic literature.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Waqas Bin Khidmat ◽  
Muhammad Danish Habib ◽  
Sadia Awan ◽  
Kashif Raza

Purpose This study aims to examine the determinants of the female representations on Chinese listed firm’s boards. This study also investigates the effect of gender diversity on corporate social responsibility activities. Design/methodology/approach The Tobit regression model is used because the data is censored and using ordinary least square regression can give spurious results. For robust check, the authors also used Heckman’s (1979) two-stage self-selection model to remove the sample self-selection bias. Findings The authors find that the female representations on the corporate board are positively associated with firm age, firm performance, corporate governance, family ownership, institutional ownership and managerial ownership while negatively related to firm size and state ownership. This study also incorporates predictors of the critical mass of women on the Chinese listed firm’s board. The study also tests the female-led hypothesis and concludes that the female representation increases in firms with female chief executive officer (CEO) or female chairpersons. The Chinese listed firms with gender-diverse board are socially responsible. Research limitations/implications The importance of diversity in corporate boards has been demonstrated in light of the agency theory and the resource dependence framework. The results contribute to the previous literature by documenting the determinants of female representations on board, robust by alternative measures of gender diversity, firm size, corporate governance and estimation techniques. Practical implications The economic significance of gender diversity stirred the firms to increase female representation. The policymakers can understand the reasons for female underrepresentation in Chinese boards and can reform the regulation to enhance governance quality, non-state ownership and risk aversion among the listed firms. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence on the key predictor of the world’s largest emerging economy, specifically the study focuses on the firm specific determinants, different governance attributes, ownership structure and firm risk measures. This study also seeks to answer if the presence of a female in the Chairperson or CEO position encourages the firms to hire more female directors or not?


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