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Which proportion of SR investments is enough? A survey-based approach

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  • Gregor Dorfleitner

    (University of Regensburg)

  • Mai Nguyen

    (University of Regensburg)

Abstract

This article examines the determinants of the optimal percentage that private investors seek to invest in a socially responsible (SR) way when forming their portfolio. By conducting a global online survey in English, German and French, we find indications that it is sufficient for the majority of investors to have a certain amount of their budget invested sustainably. Accordingly, the optimal proportion tends to be lower the higher the available investment volume is. In addition, the non-financial utility derived from SR investments appears to be independent of the form of financing the investor provides. Moreover, the results show that well-educated women and slightly younger persons seek to invest a higher percentage of their portfolio socially responsibly.

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  • Gregor Dorfleitner & Mai Nguyen, 2016. "Which proportion of SR investments is enough? A survey-based approach," Business Research, Springer;German Academic Association for Business Research, vol. 9(1), pages 1-25, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:busres:v:9:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1007_s40685-016-0030-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s40685-016-0030-y
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    Cited by:

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    2. Rossi, Mariacristina & Sansone, Dario & van Soest, Arthur & Torricelli, Costanza, 2019. "Household preferences for socially responsible investments," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 107-120.
    3. Lagerkvist, C.J. & Edenbrandt, A.K. & Tibbelin, I. & Wahlstedt, Y., 2020. "Preferences for sustainable and responsible equity funds - A choice experiment with Swedish private investors," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 28(C).
    4. Agnieszka Majewska & Patrycja Bełtowska, 2023. "Socially responsible investing (SRI) as a factor of competitiveness and sustainable development of organizations in young consumers' opinion," Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, VsI Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Center, vol. 10(4), pages 245-262, June.
    5. Volker Lingnau & Florian Fuchs & Florian Beham, 2022. "The link between corporate sustainability and willingness to invest: new evidence from the field of ethical investments," Journal of Management Control: Zeitschrift für Planung und Unternehmenssteuerung, Springer, vol. 33(3), pages 335-369, September.
    6. Grace Ibe-enwo & Nicholas Igbudu & Zanete Garanti & Temitope Popoola, 2019. "Assessing the Relevance of Green Banking Practice on Bank Loyalty: The Mediating Effect of Green Image and Bank Trust," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(17), pages 1-16, August.
    7. Gregor Dorfleitner & Mai Nguyen, 2017. "A new approach for optimizing responsible investments dependently on the initial wealth," Journal of Asset Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 18(2), pages 81-98, March.
    8. Arnold, Lutz G., 2023. "On the neutrality of socially responsible investing," Theoretical Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 18(1), January.
    9. Maria Cristina Rossi & Dario Sansone & Costanza Torricelli & Arthur van Soest, 2018. "Household Preferences for Socially Responsible Investments," Centro Studi di Banca e Finanza (CEFIN) (Center for Studies in Banking and Finance) 18021, Universita di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Dipartimento di Economia "Marco Biagi".
    10. Gutsche, Gunnar & Nakai, Miwa & Arimura, Toshi H., 2021. "Revisiting the determinants of individual sustainable investment—The case of Japan," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 30(C).
    11. Antonio Chamorro‐Mera & María Manuela Palacios‐González, 2019. "Socially responsible investment: An analysis of the structure of preferences of savers," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(6), pages 1423-1434, November.
    12. Gunnar Gutsche & Bernhard Zwergel, 2020. "Investment Barriers and Labeling Schemes for Socially Responsible Investments," Schmalenbach Business Review, Springer;Schmalenbach-Gesellschaft, vol. 72(2), pages 111-157, April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Socially responsible investing; SRI; Investment decision; Investment choice; Investment behavior; Non-financial utility; Socially responsible investment; Ethical investment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions

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