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CSR Performance, Financial Reporting, and Investors’ Perception on Financial Reporting

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  • Lukas Timbate

    (Department of Business Administration at Ajou University, Suwon 16499, Korea)

  • Cheong Kyu Park

    (Department of Business Administration at Ajou University, Suwon 16499, Korea)

Abstract

This study examines whether socially responsible firms behave differently from other firms in their financial reporting. Specifically, we question whether firms that are better in their corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance also behave in a responsible manner to maintain their financial reporting quality and whether the market rewards such responsible behaviors. Using data from S&P 500 US companies, we find that socially responsible firms are less likely to manage their earnings. However, we fail to find significant relationships between CSR and investors’ perceptions on earnings, measured by stock returns and earnings response coefficient. We interpret the results as investors not fully reflecting the benefits from CSR performance. Our findings are consistent with the notion that CSR activities are motivated by managers’ ethical incentives to serve the interests of stakeholders.

Suggested Citation

  • Lukas Timbate & Cheong Kyu Park, 2018. "CSR Performance, Financial Reporting, and Investors’ Perception on Financial Reporting," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-16, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:2:p:522-:d:132020
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    2. Wafa Ghardallou, 2022. "Corporate Sustainability and Firm Performance: The Moderating Role of CEO Education and Tenure," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-16, March.
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    5. Jun Hyeok Choi & Saerona Kim & Dong-Hoon Yang & Kwanghee Cho, 2021. "Can Corporate Social Responsibility Decrease the Negative Influence of Financial Distress on Accounting Quality?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-19, October.
    6. Ionica Oncioiu & Delia-Mioara Popescu & Elena Anghel & Anca-Gabriela Petrescu & Florentina-Raluca Bîlcan & Marius Petrescu, 2020. "Online Company Reputation—A Thorny Problem for Optimizing Corporate Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-13, July.
    7. Shaker Dahan AL-Duais & Ameen Qasem & Wan Nordin Wan-Hussin & Hasan Mohamad Bamahros & Murad Thomran & Abdulsalam Alquhaif, 2021. "CEO Characteristics, Family Ownership and Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting: The Case of Saudi Arabia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-21, November.
    8. Liu, Chengyun & Su, Kun & Zhang, Miaomiao, 2021. "Water disclosure and financial reporting quality for social changes: Empirical evidence from China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    9. Ashfaque Banbhan & Xinsheng Cheng & Nizam Ud Din, 2018. "Financially Qualified Members in an Upper Echelon and Their Relationship with Corporate Sustainability: Evidence from an Emerging Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-19, December.
    10. Jun Hyeok Choi & Saerona Kim & Ayoung Lee, 2019. "CEO Tenure, Corporate Social Performance, and Corporate Governance: A Korean Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-17, December.
    11. Salvatore Loprevite & Bruno Ricca & Daniela Rupo, 2018. "Performance Sustainability and Integrated Reporting: Empirical Evidence from Mandatory and Voluntary Adoption Contexts," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-15, April.
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