CSR Research: The Value of Corporate Citizenship

RESEARCH BRIEF - Quotas increase gender representation on boards, however, companies that are already gender-diverse are more likely to see an increased diversity among managers and commonly only at top levels of leadership

RESEARCH BRIEF - The more generous a person considers themselves to be—i.e., the degree to which they are willing to give personal resources to others—the more likely they are to express intent to purchase cause-related products.

RESEARCH BRIEF - CSR investment can lead to a reduction in firm’s systematic risk if the investment is meaningful. The impact of CSR on firm risk is also affected by country-level factors, including national CSR and the legal environment.

RESEARCH BRIEF - Firms that are more socially responsible are more likely to demand high-quality audits.

Positive external ESG ratings and corporate citizenship program assessments correlate to improved financial performance for companies in emerging economies.

Following a corporate social or environmental controversy, consumers who are less accepting of inequality are more inclined to perceive a company negatively and not purchase its products—however, issuing both an apology and a plan to remedy the situation can mitigate these negative perceptions.

Product appeals linked to CSR commitments can lead to higher levels of trust and increased intention to purchase. This is especially true when such appeals are targeted toward consumers who see themselves as having high levels of integrity (in terms of ethics).

RESEARCH BRIEF - Companies that perform better than average financially AND in terms of corporate citizenship tend to be larger and have large boards, a higher percentage of women on boards, and lower leverage.

RESEARCH BRIEF - Firms located in countries with established rules regarding CSR tend to perform better on corporate citizenship dimensions in an economic crisis, while firms located in more voluntary CSR contexts tend to perform worse.

RESEARCH BRIEF - Companies that care about long-term profitability and customer satisfaction should reduce wage inequality.

RESEARCH BRIEF - There is a positive relationship between environmental and firm performance in countries with this in common...

RESEARCH BRIEF - The links between corporate citizenship performance, financial performance, and firm risk.