RT Article
T1 Board Attributes, Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy, and Corporate Environmental and Social Performance
JF Journal of business ethics
VO 135
IS 3
SP 569
OP 585
A1 Shaukat, Amama
A1 Qiu, Yan
A1 Trojanowski, Grzegorz 1952-
A2 Qiu, Yan
A2 Trojanowski, Grzegorz 1952-
LA English
YR 2016
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1785657666
AB In this paper, we draw on insights from theories in the management and corporate governance literature to develop a theoretical model that makes explicit the links between a firm’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) related board attributes, its board CSR strategy, and its environmental and social performance. We then test the model using structural equation modeling approach. We find that the greater the CSR orientation of the board (as measured by the board’s independence, gender diversity, and financial expertise on audit committee), the more proactive and comprehensive the firm’s CSR strategy, and the higher its environmental and social performance. Moreover, we find this link to be endogenous and self-reinforcing, with superior CSR performers tending to further strengthen their board CSR orientation. This result while positive is also suggestive of the widening of the gap between the leads and laggards in CSR. Therefore, the question arises as to how ‘leaders’ are using their superior CSR competencies seen by many scholars as a source of corporate (at times unfair) competitive advantage. Stakeholders of corporations therefore need to be cognizant of this aspect of CSR when evaluating a firm’s CSR activities. Policy makers also need to be cognizant of these concerns when designing regulation in this field.
K1 Structural equation modeling (SEM)
K1 Resource dependence theory (RDT)
K1 Resource based view (RBV)
K1 Corporate social responsibility (CSR)
K1 Corporate Governance
K1 Board of directors
DO 10.1007/s10551-014-2460-9