IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/beexfi/v46y2025ics2214635025000425.html

CEO’s early-life war-experience and corporate philanthropic donation: Evidence from the Korean War

Author

Listed:
  • Choi, Sanghak
  • Chun, Hongmin

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of CEOs' early-life exposure to war on corporate philanthropic donations, focusing on the Korean War as a unique historical context. The findings reveal a significant positive relationship between CEOs' early-life war experiences and the magnitude of corporate donations, particularly among those aged six to 15 during the war and from regions with higher war severity. Robustness checks, including propensity score matching and regression discontinuity design, confirm the validity of these results. The research contributes to upper echelons and imprinting theories by demonstrating how formative traumatic experiences shape altruistic decision-making and corporate policies. Moreover, it identifies moderating factors such as financial constraints, Chaebol affiliation, and foreign ownership weaken this relationship by limiting CEOs' decision-making autonomy or resources.

Suggested Citation

  • Choi, Sanghak & Chun, Hongmin, 2025. "CEO’s early-life war-experience and corporate philanthropic donation: Evidence from the Korean War," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 46(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:beexfi:v:46:y:2025:i:c:s2214635025000425
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbef.2025.101061
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214635025000425
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jbef.2025.101061?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. Koo, KwangJoo (KJ) & Kim, Jae B., 2025. "Managerial pessimism and investment in corporate social responsibility," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    2. Navarro, Peter, 1988. "Why Do Corporations Give to Charity?," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 61(1), pages 65-93, January.
    3. Yuan, Rongli & Wen, Wen, 2018. "Managerial foreign experience and corporate innovation," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 752-770.
    4. 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.
    5. Byungki Kim & Jinhan Pae & Choong-Yuel Yoo, 2019. "Business Groups and Tunneling: Evidence from Corporate Charitable Contributions by Korean Companies," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 154(3), pages 643-666, February.
    6. Chan, Chia-Ying & Chou, De-Wai & Lo, Huai-Chun, 2017. "Do financial constraints matter when firms engage in CSR?," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 241-259.
    7. Justin Tan & Yuejun Tang, 2016. "Donate Money, but Whose? An Empirical Study of Ultimate Control Rights, Agency Problems, and Corporate Philanthropy in China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 134(4), pages 593-610, April.
    8. Xingqiang Du, 2015. "Is Corporate Philanthropy Used as Environmental Misconduct Dressing? Evidence from Chinese Family-Owned Firms," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 129(2), pages 341-361, June.
    9. Collins, Marylyn, 1994. "Global corporate philanthropy and relationship marketing," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 12(2), pages 226-233, June.
    10. Othar Kordsachia, 2021. "A risk management perspective on CSR and the marginal cost of debt: empirical evidence from Europe," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(6), pages 1611-1643, August.
    11. Arthur Gautier & Anne-Claire Pache, 2015. "Research on Corporate Philanthropy: A Review and Assessment," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 126(3), pages 343-369, February.
    12. Hongmin Chun & Maretno Harjoto & Hakjoon Song, 2023. "Economic policy uncertainty and corporate donation: evidence from private firms in Korea," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 909-939, April.
    13. Jean-Pierre Neveu & Stevan E. Hobfoll & Jonathon Halbesleben & M Westman, 2018. "Conservation of resources in the organizational context : the reality of resources and their consequences," Post-Print hal-02472360, HAL.
    14. Holtz-Eakin, Douglas & Joulfaian, David & Rosen, Harvey S, 1994. "Sticking It Out: Entrepreneurial Survival and Liquidity Constraints," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 102(1), pages 53-75, February.
    15. Sihai Li & Xianzhong Song & Huiying Wu, 2015. "Political Connection, Ownership Structure, and Corporate Philanthropy in China: A Strategic-Political Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 129(2), pages 399-411, June.
    16. Liuyang Ren & Xi Zhong & Liangyong Wan, 2022. "Defending the shell: differential effects of delisting pressure on R&D intensity and bribery expenditure," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 16(5), pages 1437-1470, July.
    17. Hu, Jun & Li, Antai & Luo, Yonggen, 2019. "CEO early life experiences and cash holding: Evidence from China's great famine," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    18. Antoinette Schoar & Luo Zuo, 2017. "Shaped by Booms and Busts: How the Economy Impacts CEO Careers and Management Styles," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 30(5), pages 1425-1456.
    19. repec:plo:pone00:0145736 is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Ronald W. Masulis & Syed Walid Reza, 2015. "Agency Problems of Corporate Philanthropy," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 28(2), pages 592-636.
    21. Kim, Young-Il & Lee, Jungmin, 2014. "The long-run impact of a traumatic experience on risk aversion," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 174-186.
    22. Sunder, Jayanthi & Sunder, Shyam V. & Zhang, Jingjing, 2017. "Pilot CEOs and corporate innovation," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 123(1), pages 209-224.
    23. Paul Brockman & John L. Campbell & Hye Seung (Grace) Lee & Jesus M. Salas, 2019. "CEO internal experience and voluntary disclosure quality: Evidence from management forecasts," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(3-4), pages 420-456, March.
    24. Sihai Li & Huiying Wu & Xianzhong Song, 2017. "Principal–Principal Conflicts and Corporate Philanthropy: Evidence from Chinese Private Firms," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 141(3), pages 605-620, March.
    25. McCrary, Justin, 2008. "Manipulation of the running variable in the regression discontinuity design: A density test," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 142(2), pages 698-714, February.
    26. Guy L. F. Holburn & Bennet A. Zelner, 2010. "Political capabilities, policy risk, and international investment strategy: evidence from the global electric power generation industry," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(12), pages 1290-1315, December.
    27. Min Maung & Danny Miller & Zhenyang Tang & Xiaowei Xu, 2020. "Value-Enhancing Social Responsibility: Market Reaction to Donations by Family vs. Non-family Firms with Religious CEOs," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 163(4), pages 745-758, May.
    28. Choi, Sanghak & Jung, Hail & Kim, Daejin, 2021. "War-experienced CEOs and corporate policies: Evidence from the Korean war," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    29. Shan Xu & Panyi Ma, 2022. "CEOs’ Poverty Experience and Corporate Social Responsibility: Are CEOs Who Have Experienced Poverty More Generous?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(2), pages 747-776, October.
    30. Zhiming Ma & Kirill E. Novoselov & Kaitang Zhou & Yi Zhou, 2019. "Managerial academic experience, external monitoring and financial reporting quality," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(7-8), pages 843-878, July.
    31. Hoje Jo & Haejung Na, 2012. "Does CSR Reduce Firm Risk? Evidence from Controversial Industry Sectors," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 110(4), pages 441-456, November.
    32. Shinwoo Kang & E Han Kim & Yao Lu, 2018. "Does Independent Directors’ CEO Experience Matter?," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 22(3), pages 905-949.
    33. Won-Yong Oh & Young Kyun Chang & Gyeonghwan Lee & Jeongil Seo, 2018. "Intragroup Transactions, Corporate Governance, and Corporate Philanthropy in Korean Business Groups," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 153(4), pages 1031-1049, December.
    34. Cho, Meeok & Kim, Hui Dong & Kim, Yewon, 2023. "Audit committee accounting financial expertise and stock price crash risk," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    35. R. A. Schwartz, 1968. "Corporate Philanthropic Contributions," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 23(3), pages 479-497, June.
    36. Garner, Jacqueline L. & Kim, Won Yong, 2013. "Are foreign investors really beneficial? Evidence from South Korea," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 62-84.
    37. Scott R. Baker & Nicholas Bloom & Steven J. Davis, 2016. "Measuring Economic Policy Uncertainty," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 131(4), pages 1593-1636.
    38. 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.
    39. Han, Yu & Chi, Wei & Zhou, Jinyi, 2022. "Prosocial imprint: CEO childhood famine experience and corporate philanthropic donation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 1604-1618.
    40. Mike Adams & Philip Hardwick, 1998. "An Analysis of Corporate Donations: United Kingdom Evidence," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(5), pages 641-654, September.
    41. Lee, Eugenia Y. & Ha, Wonsuk, 2023. "Electronic voting in shareholder meetings and the market value of cash holdings," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    42. Marianne Bertrand & Antoinette Schoar, 2003. "Managing with Style: The Effect of Managers on Firm Policies," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 118(4), pages 1169-1208.
    43. Gennaro Bernile & Vineet Bhagwat & P. Raghavendra Rau, 2017. "What Doesn't Kill You Will Only Make You More Risk-Loving: Early-Life Disasters and CEO Behavior," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 72(1), pages 167-206, February.
    44. Lee, Gun & Chun, Hongmin, 2025. "North Korea threat risk, Korean business groups and corporate tax avoidance," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    45. Aggarwal, Reena & Erel, Isil & Ferreira, Miguel & Matos, Pedro, 2011. "Does governance travel around the world? Evidence from institutional investors," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(1), pages 154-181, April.
    46. Baruch Lev & Christine Petrovits & Suresh Radhakrishnan, 2010. "Is doing good good for you? how corporate charitable contributions enhance revenue growth," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(2), pages 182-200, February.
    47. 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.
    48. Kim, Jeong-Bon & Zhang, Eliza Xia & Zhong, Kai, 2021. "Does unionization affect the manager–shareholder conflict? Evidence from firm-specific stock price crash risk," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    49. Brown, William O. & Helland, Eric & Smith, Janet Kiholm, 2006. "Corporate philanthropic practices," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 12(5), pages 855-877, December.
    50. Guido Imbens & Karthik Kalyanaraman, 2012. "Optimal Bandwidth Choice for the Regression Discontinuity Estimator," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 79(3), pages 933-959.
    51. Kim, Karam & Ryu, Doojin & Yang, Heejin, 2021. "Information uncertainty, investor sentiment, and analyst reports," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    52. Jaepil Choi & Heli Wang, 2007. "The Promise of a Managerial Values Approach to Corporate Philanthropy," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 75(4), pages 345-359, November.
    53. Chong Chen & Yongsi He & Kai Wang & Shuo Yan, 2022. "The Impact of early-life Natural Disaster Experiences on the Corporate Innovation by CEOs," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 58(14), pages 3953-3975, November.
    54. Choi, Sanghak & Jung, Hail, 2021. "Does early-life war exposure of a CEO enhance corporate information transparency?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 198-208.
    55. Ulrike Malmendier & Geoffrey Tate & Jon Yan, 2011. "Overconfidence and Early‐Life Experiences: The Effect of Managerial Traits on Corporate Financial Policies," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 66(5), pages 1687-1733, October.
    56. Feng Cao & Jian Sun & Rongli Yuan, 2019. "Board directors with foreign experience and stock price crash risk: Evidence from China," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(9-10), pages 1144-1170, October.
    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. Cho, Seunghyun & Pae, Jinhan & Yoo, Choong-Yuel, 2025. "Post-traumatic growth of CEOs and corporate giving: Evidence from the Korean War," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    2. Hongmin Chun & Maretno Harjoto & Hakjoon Song, 2023. "Economic policy uncertainty and corporate donation: evidence from private firms in Korea," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 909-939, April.
    3. Hanwen Chen & Siyi Liu & Xin Liu & Daoguang Yang, 2022. "Adversity Tries Friends: A Multilevel Analysis of Corporate Philanthropic Response to the Local Spread of COVID-19 in China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 177(3), pages 585-612, May.
    4. Zhihui Sun & Dejun Wu & Min Zhang, 2021. "Better late than never? Corporate social responsibility engagement after product-harm crises," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 38(4), pages 1209-1259, December.
    5. Byungki Kim & Jinhan Pae & Choong-Yuel Yoo, 2019. "Business Groups and Tunneling: Evidence from Corporate Charitable Contributions by Korean Companies," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 154(3), pages 643-666, February.
    6. Cho, Seunghyun & Pae, Jinhan & Yoo, Choong-Yuel, 2025. "CEO war trauma and corporate tax avoidance," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 104(PA).
    7. 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.
    8. Daewoung Choi & Hyunju Shin & Kyoungmi Kim, 2023. "CEO’s Childhood Experience of Natural Disaster and CSR Activities," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 188(2), pages 281-306, November.
    9. Choi, Sanghak & Jung, Hail & Kim, Daejin, 2021. "War-experienced CEOs and corporate policies: Evidence from the Korean war," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    10. Koo, KwangJoo (KJ) & Kim, Jae B., 2025. "Managerial pessimism and investment in corporate social responsibility," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    11. Jyun‐Ying Fu, 2023. "Customer concentration and corporate charitable donations: Evidence from China," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(1), pages 545-561, January.
    12. Liu, Yaosong & Zhang, Min & Ye, Tingting & Zhang, Yue, 2019. "Does giving always lead to getting? Evidence from the collapse of charity credibility in China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    13. Xu, Si & He, Xiaoyi & Xiong, Feng & Chen, Peiyao, 2024. "CEOs’ early-life famine experience and corporate donations: Evidence from the great Chinese famine," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    14. Liwei Shan & Albert Tsang & Xiaoxue Zhang, 2024. "Transporting Audit Quality Across Countries: Returnee CEOs and Audit Fees," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 192(4), pages 845-874, July.
    15. Frederik Plewnia & Edeltraud Guenther, 2017. "The benefits of doing good: a meta-analysis of corporate philanthropy business outcomes and its implications for management control," Journal of Management Control: Zeitschrift für Planung und Unternehmenssteuerung, Springer, vol. 28(3), pages 347-376, October.
    16. Xue, Fei & Wang, Xin & Xie, Yan & Zhang, Weihua, 2022. "Does CEO's early life experience affect corporate bond yield spread? Evidence from China's great famine," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 1012-1024.
    17. Heli Wang & Ming Jia & Zhe Zhang, 2021. "Good Deeds Done in Silence: Stakeholder Management and Quiet Giving by Chinese Firms," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 32(3), pages 649-674, May.
    18. Pham, Man Duy (Marty) & Nguyen, Thu Ha, 2024. "When a gift resembles a trojan horse: CEO stock gift and stock price crash risk," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(4).
    19. Su, Zhong-qin & Xu, Yuyang & Xiao, Zuoping & Fung, Hung-Gay, 2020. "Directors’ prior life experience and corporate donations: Evidence from China," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    20. Mike Adams & Wei Jiang & Siqi Liu, 2025. "Does risk management moderate the relationship between CEO power and corporate philanthropy?," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 64(1), pages 53-87, January.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • D64 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General

    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:eee:beexfi:v:46:y:2025:i:c:s2214635025000425. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-behavioral-and-experimental-finance .

    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.