IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/corsem/v28y2021i1p352-365.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Impact of family involvement on internal and external corporate social responsibilities: Evidence from Chinese publicly listed firms

Author

Listed:
  • Yan Ye
  • Kongyue Li

Abstract

This study differentiates between internal corporate social responsibility (CSR) and external CSR to investigate the impact of family involvement on different dimensions of CSR. Using a sample of 2,114 Chinese listed firms, we show that family involvement is positively related to the level of firms' participation in external CSR but negatively related to the level of firms' participation in internal CSR. We further explore the roles of internal ownership structure and external institutional environment in influencing the incentives of family firms to invest in internal and external CSR. Results show that high levels of ownership balance and regional institutional development attenuate the negative effect of family involvement on internal CSR while a high level of regional institutional development strengthens the positive effect of family involvement on external CSR. These findings contribute to our understanding on the internal and external CSR strategies in family firms in emerging markets.

Suggested Citation

  • Yan Ye & Kongyue Li, 2021. "Impact of family involvement on internal and external corporate social responsibilities: Evidence from Chinese publicly listed firms," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(1), pages 352-365, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:corsem:v:28:y:2021:i:1:p:352-365
    DOI: 10.1002/csr.2053
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.2053
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/csr.2053?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yuan Lu & Kevin Au & Mike Peng & Erming Xu, 2013. "Strategic management in private and family businesses," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 30(3), pages 633-639, September.
    2. Won‐Moo Hur & Tae‐Won Moon & Wook‐Hee Choi, 2019. "When are internal and external corporate social responsibility initiatives amplified? Employee engagement in corporate social responsibility initiatives on prosocial and proactive behaviors," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(4), pages 849-858, July.
    3. Cisheng Wu & Hui Guang & Jing Xu & Sijia Wang, 2019. "The effects of female executives on corporate philanthropy in China," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(3), pages 628-643, May.
    4. Laura Broccardo & Elisa Truant & Adrian Zicari, 2019. "Internal corporate sustainability drivers: What evidence from family firms? A literature review and research agenda," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(1), pages 1-18, January.
    5. Carney, Richard W. & Child, Travers Barclay, 2013. "Changes to the ownership and control of East Asian corporations between 1996 and 2008: The primacy of politics," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(2), pages 494-513.
    6. Heli Wang & Jaepil Choi & Jiatao Li, 2008. "Too Little or Too Much? Untangling the Relationship Between Corporate Philanthropy and Firm Financial Performance," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 19(1), pages 143-159, February.
    7. Li, Weiwen & Au, Kevin Yuk-fai & He, Ai & Song, Lihong, 2015. "Why Do Family-controlled Firms Donate to Charity? The Role of Intrafamily Succession Intention, Social Status, and Religiosity," Management and Organization Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 11(4), pages 621-644, December.
    8. Xingqiang Du & Yingying Chang & Quan Zeng & Yingjie Du & Hongmei Pei, 2016. "Corporate environmental responsibility (CER) weakness, media coverage, and corporate philanthropy: Evidence from China," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 33(2), pages 551-581, June.
    9. Francesco Calza & Giorgia Profumo & Ilaria Tutore, 2016. "Corporate Ownership and Environmental Proactivity," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(6), pages 369-389, September.
    10. Abagail McWilliams & Donald S. Siegel & Patrick M. Wright, 2006. "Corporate Social Responsibility: Strategic Implications," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(1), pages 1-18, January.
    11. Li, Hongbin & Meng, Lingsheng & Wang, Qian & Zhou, Li-An, 2008. "Political connections, financing and firm performance: Evidence from Chinese private firms," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(2), pages 283-299, October.
    12. Tim Barnett & Franz W. Kellermanns, 2006. "Are We Family and Are We Treated as Family? Nonfamily Employees’ Perceptions of Justice in the Family Firm," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 30(6), pages 837-854, November.
    13. Gregory Jackson & Richard Deeg, 2008. "Comparing capitalisms: understanding institutional diversity and its implications for international business," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 39(4), pages 540-561, June.
    14. Cristina Cruz & Martin Larraza–Kintana & Lucía Garcés–Galdeano & Pascual Berrone, 2014. "Are Family Firms Really More Socially Responsible?," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 38(6), pages 1295-1316, November.
    15. Lijing Tong & Ningyue Liu & Min Zhang & Liming Wang, 2018. "Employee Protection and Corporate Innovation: Empirical Evidence from China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 153(2), pages 569-589, December.
    16. Yuri Mishina & Emily S. Block & Michael J. Mannor, 2012. "The path dependence of organizational reputation: how social judgment influences assessments of capability and character," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(5), pages 459-477, May.
    17. Al-Shammari, Marwan & Rasheed, Abdul & Al-Shammari, Hussam A., 2019. "CEO narcissism and corporate social responsibility: Does CEO narcissism affect CSR focus?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 106-117.
    18. Block, Joern & Wagner, Marcus, 2014. "Ownership versus management effects on corporate social responsibility concerns in large family and founder firms," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 5(4), pages 339-346.
    19. El Ghoul, Sadok & Guedhami, Omrane & Wang, He & Kwok, Chuck C.Y., 2016. "Family control and corporate social responsibility," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 131-146.
    20. Jin-hui Luo & Yuangao Xiang & Ruichao Zhu, 2017. "Military top executives and corporate philanthropy: Evidence from China," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 34(3), pages 725-755, September.
    21. W. Gibb Dyer Jr. & David A. Whetten, 2006. "Family Firms and Social Responsibility: Preliminary Evidence from the S&P 500," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 30(6), pages 785-802, November.
    22. Paul C. Godfrey & Craig B. Merrill & Jared M. Hansen, 2009. "The relationship between corporate social responsibility and shareholder value: an empirical test of the risk management hypothesis," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(4), pages 425-445, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Minghui Yang & Yan Wang & Lu Bai & Petra Maresova, 2023. "Corporate social responsibility, family involvement, and stock price crash risk," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(3), pages 1204-1225, May.
    2. Benjiang Ma & Yanlin Wang & Zhifang Zhou & Yu Lai & Zhongmin Zhou & Muhammad Farhan Bashir, 2022. "Can controlling family involvement promote firms to fulfill environmental responsibilities?—Evidence from China," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(2), pages 569-592, March.
    3. James J. Cordeiro & Ambra Galeazzo & Tara Shankar Shaw, 2023. "The CSR–CFP relationship in the presence of institutional voids and the moderating role of family ownership," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(1), pages 137-163, February.
    4. Stefania Veltri & Romilda Mazzotta & Franco Ernesto Rubino, 2021. "Board diversity and corporate social performance: Does the family firm status matter?," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(6), pages 1664-1679, November.
    5. Giovanna Gavana & Pietro Gottardo & Anna Maria Moisello, 2023. "Board diversity and corporate social performance in family firms. The moderating effect of the institutional and business environment," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(5), pages 2194-2218, September.
    6. M. Isabel Sánchez-Hernández & Jose Luis Vázquez-Burguete & Maria P. García-Miguélez & Ana Lanero-Carrizo, 2021. "Internal Corporate Social Responsibility for Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-14, July.
    7. Kaiyang Sun & Rumintha Wickramasekera & Alvin Tan, 2022. "Exploring the Relationship Between Family Involvement and Innovative Capability in Chinese Family SMEs: The Role of HR Redundancy," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(2), pages 21582440221, May.
    8. Sabeen Hussain Bhatti & Kamran Iqbal & Gabriele Santoro & Fabio Rizzato, 2022. "The impact of corporate social responsibility directed toward employees on contextual performance in the banking sector: A serial model of perceived organizational support and affective organizational," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(6), pages 1980-1994, November.
    9. Leonidou, Leonidas C. & Eteokleous, Pantelitsa P. & Christodoulides, Paul & Strømfeldt Eduardsen, Jonas, 2023. "A dynamic capabilities perspective to socially responsible family business: Implications on social-based advantage and market performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 155(PA).
    10. Saier Su & Fei Zhu & Haibo Zhou, 2022. "A Systematic Literature Review on Ownership and Corporate Social Responsibility in Family Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-25, June.
    11. Peggy M. L. Ng & Tai Ming Wut & Kam Kong Lit & Cherry T. Y. Cheung, 2022. "Drivers of corporate social responsibility and firm performance for sustainable development—An institutional theory approach," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(4), pages 871-886, July.
    12. Ying Zhang & Yuting Guo & Aiman Nurdazym, 2023. "How do female CEOs affect corporate environmental policies?," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(1), pages 459-472, January.
    13. Nick Lin-Hi & Xiaohan Gao-Urhahn & Torsten Biemann & Irmela F. Koch-Bayram, 2023. "Internal CSR and blue-collar workers’ attitudes and behaviors in China: a combination of a cross-sectional study and a field experiment," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(3), pages 1185-1213, July.
    14. Zhong, Xi & Ren, Ge, 2023. "Independent and joint effects of CSR and CSI on the effectiveness of digital transformation for transition economy firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    15. Lozano, M. Belén & Martínez-Ferrero, Jennifer, 2022. "Do emerging and developed countries differ in terms of sustainable performance? Analysis of board, ownership and country-level factors," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).

    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. Minghui Yang & Yan Wang & Lu Bai & Petra Maresova, 2023. "Corporate social responsibility, family involvement, and stock price crash risk," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(3), pages 1204-1225, May.
    2. Rehman, Atiqa & Gonenc, Halit & Hermes, Niels, 2023. "Corporate social performance of family firms and shareholder protection: An international analysis," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 14(2).
    3. Ernst, Robin-Alexander & Gerken, Maike & Hack, Andreas & Hülsbeck, Marcel, 2022. "Family firms as agents of sustainable development: A normative perspective," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    4. Shankar Shaw, Tara & Raithatha, Mehul & Krishnan, Gopal V. & Cordeiro, James J., 2021. "Did mandatory CSR compliance impact accounting Conservatism? Evidence from the Indian Companies Act 2013," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(3).
    5. Leonidou, Leonidas C. & Eteokleous, Pantelitsa P. & Christodoulides, Paul & Strømfeldt Eduardsen, Jonas, 2023. "A dynamic capabilities perspective to socially responsible family business: Implications on social-based advantage and market performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 155(PA).
    6. Meier, Olivier & Schier, Guillaume, 2022. "Lone founders, family founders, and corporate social responsibility," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 149-160.
    7. James J. Cordeiro & Giorgia Profumo & Ilaria Tutore, 2021. "Family ownership and stockholder reactions to environmental performance disclosure: A test of secondary agency relationships," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(4), pages 2091-2107, May.
    8. Wu, Bao & Jin, Chenfei & Monfort, Abel & Hua, Danni, 2021. "Generous charity to preserve green image? Exploring linkage between strategic donations and environmental misconduct," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 839-850.
    9. Saier Su & Fei Zhu & Haibo Zhou, 2022. "A Systematic Literature Review on Ownership and Corporate Social Responsibility in Family Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-25, June.
    10. Madden, Laura & McMillan, Amy & Harris, Oneil, 2020. "Drivers of selectivity in family firms: Understanding the impact of age and ownership on CSR," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 11(2).
    11. Xi Zhong & Ge Ren & XiaoJie Wu, 2022. "Not all stakeholders are created equal: executive vertical pay disparity and firms’ choice of internal and external CSR," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 16(8), pages 2495-2525, November.
    12. Leon Zolotoy & Don O’Sullivan & Keke Song, 2021. "The Role of Ethical Standards in the Relationship Between Religious Social Norms and M&A Announcement Returns," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 170(4), pages 721-742, May.
    13. Francesco Aiello & Paola Cardamone & Lidia Mannarino & Valeria Pupo, 2021. "Green patenting and corporate social responsibility: Does family involvement in business matter?," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(4), pages 1386-1396, July.
    14. James J. Cordeiro & Giorgia Profumo & Ilaria Tutore, 2020. "Board gender diversity and corporate environmental performance: The moderating role of family and dual‐class majority ownership structures," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(3), pages 1127-1144, March.
    15. Zhi Li & Jiuchang Wei & Yue Gurt Ge, 2023. "Local Support for the Corporate New Investment Project: The Roles of Corporate Reputation, Project’s CSR Behavior and Residential Income Level," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 40(1), pages 59-85, March.
    16. Alexandra Bertschi-Michel & Philipp Sieger & Thomas Wittig & Andreas Hack, 2023. "Sacrifice, Protect, and Hope for the Best: Family Ownership, Turnaround Moves, and Crisis Survival," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 47(4), pages 1132-1168, July.
    17. Li, Xinlan & Li, Changhong & Guo, Xiaoli, 2023. "Environmental practices, family control, and corporate performance: Evidence from Chinese family firms," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    18. Kihun Kim & Zulfiquer Ali Haider & Zhenyu Wu & Junsheng Dou, 2020. "Corporate Social Performance of Family Firms: A Place-Based Perspective in the Context of Layoffs," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 167(2), pages 235-252, November.
    19. Naima Lassoued & Imen Khanchel, 2023. "Voluntary CSR disclosure and CEO narcissism: the moderating role of CEO duality and board gender diversity," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 1075-1123, April.
    20. Li, Xinlan & Li, Changhong & Wang, Zhan & Jiao, Wenting & Pang, Yiwen, 2021. "The effect of corporate philanthropy on corporate performance of Chinese family firms: The moderating role of religious atmosphere," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:wly:corsem:v:28:y:2021:i:1:p:352-365. 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: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://doi.org/10.1002/(ISSN)1535-3966 .

    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.