IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i13p10694-d1188558.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Corporate Economic Influence and Corporate Social Responsibility: Evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Lan Guo

    (Institute of Banking and Money, Nanjing Audit University, Nanjing 211815, China)

  • Ling Yang

    (School of Economics and Management, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China)

Abstract

This paper uses a panel threshold model to examine the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR, hereafter) and enterprises’ economic influence on regional gross domestic product (GDP, hereafter) and employment. We find that there is a threshold effect between CSR and enterprises’ economic influence on regional GDP and employment in different regimes of local GDP and unemployment rates. When local GDP is low, the relationship between CSR and enterprises’ economic influence on regional GDP is significantly negative; however, when local GDP is high, the relationship between the two factors is significantly positive. Meanwhile, firms employing more staff do less CSR when the local unemployment rate is higher. Furthermore, in terms of different government types, the relationship between CSR and corporate influence on regional GDP is negative in predatory and collusive governments, but not in market-leading governments, and the relationship between CSR and corporate influence on regional employment seems insignificant. The findings imply that local leading enterprises exert influence on the social responsibility rules stipulated by local governments by decreasing or increasing regional GDP and regional employment.

Suggested Citation

  • Lan Guo & Ling Yang, 2023. "The Corporate Economic Influence and Corporate Social Responsibility: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-22, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:13:p:10694-:d:1188558
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/13/10694/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/13/10694/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kais Bouslah & Abdelmajid Hmaittane & Lawrence Kryzanowski & Bouchra M’Zali, 2023. "CSR Structures: Evidence, Drivers, and Firm Value Implications," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 185(1), pages 115-145, June.
    2. Ucar, Erdem & Staer, Arsenio, 2020. "Local corruption and corporate social responsibility," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 266-282.
    3. Long, Xianling & Ji, Xi, 2019. "Economic Growth Quality, Environmental Sustainability, and Social Welfare in China - Provincial Assessment Based on Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI)," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 157-176.
    4. Petra Persson & Ekaterina Zhuravskaya, 2016. "The Limits of Career Concerns in Federalism: Evidence from China," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 14(2), pages 338-374.
    5. Xiuli Sun & Cui Zhou & Zhuojiong Gan, 2023. "Green Finance Policy and ESG Performance: Evidence from Chinese Manufacturing Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-27, April.
    6. Sun, Xian & Gunia, Brian C., 2018. "Economic resources and corporate social responsibility," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 332-351.
    7. David Detomasi, 2008. "The Political Roots of Corporate Social Responsibility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 82(4), pages 807-819, November.
    8. Li, Hongbin & Zhou, Li-An, 2005. "Political turnover and economic performance: the incentive role of personnel control in China," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(9-10), pages 1743-1762, September.
    9. Hongbin Cai & Daniel Treisman, 2005. "Does Competition for Capital Discipline Governments? Decentralization, Globalization, and Public Policy," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 95(3), pages 817-830, June.
    10. Wiseman, Joanne, 1982. "An evaluation of environmental disclosures made in corporate annual reports," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 7(1), pages 53-63, January.
    11. Jayanthakumaran, Kankesu & Liu, Ying, 2012. "Openness and the Environmental Kuznets Curve: Evidence from China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 29(3), pages 566-576.
    12. Cao, Shaopeng & Yao, Hongjiang & Zhang, Min, 2023. "CSR gap and firm performance: An organizational justice perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    13. Hansen, Bruce E., 1999. "Threshold effects in non-dynamic panels: Estimation, testing, and inference," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 93(2), pages 345-368, December.
    14. Huang, Xiao & Huang, Shoujun & Shui, Ailun, 2021. "Government spending and intergenerational income mobility: Evidence from China," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 191(C), pages 387-414.
    15. Qian, Yingyi & Roland, Gerard, 1998. "Federalism and the Soft Budget Constraint," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 88(5), pages 1143-1162, December.
    16. Greaker, Mads, 2003. "Strategic environmental policy when the governments are threatened by relocation," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 25(2), pages 141-154, May.
    17. Mehul Raithatha & Tara Shankar Shaw, 2022. "Firm's tax aggressiveness under mandatory CSR regime: Evidence after mandatory CSR regulation of India," International Review of Finance, International Review of Finance Ltd., vol. 22(1), pages 286-294, March.
    18. Nguyen, Phuong-Anh & Kecskés, Ambrus & Mansi, Sattar, 2020. "Does corporate social responsibility create shareholder value? The importance of long-term investors," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    19. ChungMing Lau & Yuan Lu & Qiang Liang, 2016. "Corporate Social Responsibility in China: A Corporate Governance Approach," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 136(1), pages 73-87, June.
    20. Hu, Feng & Xi, Xun & Zhang, Yueyue, 2021. "Influencing mechanism of reverse knowledge spillover on investment enterprises’ technological progress: An empirical examination of Chinese firms," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    21. Maretno Harjoto & Hoje Jo, 2011. "Corporate Governance and CSR Nexus," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 100(1), pages 45-67, April.
    22. van der Kamp, Denise & Lorentzen, Peter & Mattingly, Daniel, 2017. "Racing to the Bottom or to the Top? Decentralization, Revenue Pressures, and Governance Reform in China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 164-176.
    23. Larsen, Erik R. & van Ackere, Ann & Osorio, Sebastian, 2018. "Can electricity companies be too big to fail?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 696-703.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tang, Peng & Feng, Yue & Li, Min & Zhang, Yanyan, 2021. "Can the performance evaluation change from central government suppress illegal land use in local governments? A new interpretation of Chinese decentralisation," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    2. Qichun He & Meng Sun, 2018. "Does Fiscal Decentralization Increase the Investment Rate? Evidence from Chinese Panel Data," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 19(1), pages 75-101, May.
    3. Lu Ming & Zhao Chen & Yongqin Wang & Yan Zhang & Yuan Zhang & Changyuan Luo, 2013. "China’s Economic Development," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 14502.
    4. He, Zhongda & Guo, Biao & Shi, Yukun & Zhao, Yang, 2022. "Natural disasters and CSR: Evidence from China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    5. Liu, Qijun & Song, Lijie, 2022. "Do intergovernmental transfers boost intergenerational income mobility? Evidence from China," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 293-309.
    6. Youlang Zhang & Hongshan Yang, 2023. "Bureaucratic politics, innovation compatibility, and the dynamic diffusion of subnational decentralization reforms in China," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 40(4), pages 553-572, July.
    7. Jin, Gang & Shen, Kunrong & Li, Jian, 2020. "Interjurisdiction political competition and green total factor productivity in China: An inverted-U relationship," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    8. Zhang, Xiaobo, 2006. "Fiscal decentralization and political centralization in China: Implications for growth and inequality," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 713-726, December.
    9. Ning, Shuying & Zhang, Qi, 2022. "Hometown favoritism: Effect of environmental governance of politicians returning home," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    10. Chen, Shawn Xiaoguang & Liu, Yong & Xu, Xianxiang, 2020. "Dynamics of Local Cadre Appointment in China11We are grateful to the editor Cheryl Long, and three referees for their valuable comments. Shawn Xiaoguang Chen thanks the support of Beijing Municipal Ed," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    11. Alice Y. Ouyang & Rui Li, 2021. "Fiscal decentralization and the default risk of Chinese local government debts," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 39(3), pages 641-667, July.
    12. Dai, Darong & Tian, Guoqiang, 2021. "Toward longer investment: Is an inclusive regime always better than an authoritarian one?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 41-68.
    13. Yang, Xiaohui & Yan, Ji & Tian, Kun & Yu, Zihao & Yu Li, Rebecca & Xia, Senmao, 2021. "Centralization or decentralization? the impact of different distributions of authority on China's environmental regulation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    14. Qichun He & Meng Sun & Heng-fu Zou, 2013. "Does Fiscal Decentralization Increase the Investment Rate? Evidence from Chinese Dynamic Panel Data," CEMA Working Papers 592, China Economics and Management Academy, Central University of Finance and Economics.
    15. Weiteng Shen & Qiuguang Hu & Xuan Yu & Bernadette Tadala Imwa, 2020. "Does Coastal Local Government Competition Increase Coastal Water Pollution? Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-18, September.
    16. Wang, Li & Menkhoff, Lukas & Schröder, Michael & Xu, Xian, 2019. "Politicians’ promotion incentives and bank risk exposure in China," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 63-94.
    17. Emmanuel Anyigbah & Yusheng Kong & Bless Kofi Edziah & Ahotovi Thomas Ahoto & Wilhelmina Seyome Ahiaku, 2023. "Board Characteristics and Corporate Sustainability Reporting: Evidence from Chinese Listed Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-26, February.
    18. He, Zhenyu & Tang, Yuwei, 2023. "Local environmental constraints and firms’ export product quality: Evidence from China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    19. Zhang, Cui, 2017. "Political connections and corporate environmental responsibility: Adopting or escaping?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 539-547.
    20. Ren Wang & Yuxiang Bian & Han Gao & Jie Hou, 2023. "Optimal Environmental Policy for Heterogeneous Governments in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-12, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:13:p:10694-:d:1188558. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.