IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/finana/v70y2020ics1057521920301484.html

Corporate social responsibility, corporate financial performance and the confounding effects of economic fluctuations: A meta-analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Huang, Kaixing
  • Sim, Nicholas
  • Zhao, Hong

Abstract

Due to public concerns and regulatory forces, managers are paying increasingly more attention to corporate social responsibility (CSR). Efforts to improve CSR are widely believed to be beneficial for increasing a firm's value; yet, evidence on how CSR affects corporate financial performance (CFP) has been mixed. To understand why the literature has been divided on the impact of CSR on CFP, we carry out a meta-analysis based on 437 primary studies. We discover that among various factors, much of the disagreement in the literature can be traced to the confounding influence of macro-level economic fluctuations, which were often overlooked by CSR-CFP studies. We show that if the primary studies are either unconfounded by economic fluctuations, or have addressed them econometrically, the non-consensus in the literature can be reconciled and the true positive effect of CSR on CFP can be observed.

Suggested Citation

  • Huang, Kaixing & Sim, Nicholas & Zhao, Hong, 2020. "Corporate social responsibility, corporate financial performance and the confounding effects of economic fluctuations: A meta-analysis," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finana:v:70:y:2020:i:c:s1057521920301484
    DOI: 10.1016/j.irfa.2020.101504
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1057521920301484
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.irfa.2020.101504?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sandra A. Waddock & Samuel B. Graves, 1997. "The Corporate Social Performance–Financial Performance Link," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(4), pages 303-319, April.
    2. Otgontsetseg Erhemjamts & Qian Li & Anand Venkateswaran, 2013. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Its Impact on Firms’ Investment Policy, Organizational Structure, and Performance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 118(2), pages 395-412, December.
    3. Iftekhar Hasan & Nada Kobeissi & Liuling Liu & Haizhi Wang, 2018. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Firm Financial Performance: The Mediating Role of Productivity," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 149(3), pages 671-688, May.
    4. T.D. Stanley & Hristos Doucouliagos & Margaret Giles & Jost Heckemeyer & Robert Johnston & Patrice Laroche & Jon Nelson & Martin Paldam & Jacques Poot & Geoff Pugh & Randall Rosenberger & Katja Rost, 2013. "Meta-analysis of economics research reporting guidelines," Post-Print hal-02137661, HAL.
    5. Timothy J. Feddersen & Thomas W. Gilligan, 2001. "Saints and Markets: Activists and the Supply of Credence Goods," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 10(1), pages 149-171, March.
    6. Henri Servaes & Ane Tamayo, 2013. "The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on Firm Value: The Role of Customer Awareness," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 59(5), pages 1045-1061, May.
    7. Card, David & Krueger, Alan B, 1995. "Time-Series Minimum-Wage Studies: A Meta-analysis," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 85(2), pages 238-243, May.
    8. Hristos Doucouliagos & Mehmet Ali Ulubaşoğlu, 2008. "Democracy and Economic Growth: A Meta‐Analysis," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 52(1), pages 61-83, January.
    9. Werther, William Jr. & Chandler, David, 2005. "Strategic corporate social responsibility as global brand insurance," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 48(4), pages 317-324.
    10. Cavlovic, Therese A. & Baker, Kenneth H. & Berrens, Robert P. & Gawande, Kishore, 2000. "A Meta-Analysis of Environmental Kuznets Curve Studies," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 29(1), pages 32-42, April.
    11. Chris (hristos) Doucouliagos & Patrice Laroche, 2009. "Unions and Profits: A Meta-Regression Analysis," Post-Print hal-02138153, HAL.
    12. Jon Nelson & Peter Kennedy, 2009. "The Use (and Abuse) of Meta-Analysis in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics: An Assessment," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 42(3), pages 345-377, March.
    13. Salama, Aly, 2005. "A note on the impact of environmental performance on financial performance," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 413-421, September.
    14. T. D. Stanley & Hristos Doucouliagos & Piers Steel, 2018. "Does Ict Generate Economic Growth? A Meta†Regression Analysis," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(3), pages 705-726, July.
    15. Abagail McWilliams & Donald Siegel, 2000. "Corporate social responsibility and financial performance: correlation or misspecification?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(5), pages 603-609, May.
    16. T. D. Stanley, 2008. "Meta‐Regression Methods for Detecting and Estimating Empirical Effects in the Presence of Publication Selection," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 70(1), pages 103-127, February.
    17. Vincenzo Verardi & Christophe Croux, 2009. "Robust regression in Stata," Stata Journal, StataCorp LLC, vol. 9(3), pages 439-453, September.
    18. T. D. Stanley, 2005. "Beyond Publication Bias," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(3), pages 309-345, July.
    19. T.D. Stanley & Hristos Doucouliagos & Margaret Giles & Jost H. Heckemeyer & Robert J. Johnston & Patrice Laroche & Jon P. Nelson & Martin Paldam & Jacques Poot & Geoff Pugh & Randall S. Rosenberger & , 2013. "Meta-Analysis Of Economics Research Reporting Guidelines," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(2), pages 390-394, April.
    20. Constantin Belu & Cristiana Manescu, 2013. "Strategic corporate social responsibility and economic performance," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(19), pages 2751-2764, July.
    21. Elsayed, Khaled & Paton, David, 2005. "The impact of environmental performance on firm performance: static and dynamic panel data evidence," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 395-412, September.
    22. T. D. Stanley, 2001. "Wheat from Chaff: Meta-analysis as Quantitative Literature Review," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 15(3), pages 131-150, Summer.
    23. 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.
    24. Hristos Doucouliagos & Patrice Laroche, 2009. "Unions and Profits: A meta-regression Analysis," Post-Print hal-00648569, HAL.
    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. Markus Hang & Jerome Geyer‐Klingeberg & Andreas Rathgeber & Stefan Stöckl, 2018. "Economic Development Matters: A Meta‐Regression Analysis on the Relation between Environmental Management and Financial Performance," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 22(4), pages 720-744, August.
    2. Hang, Markus & Geyer-Klingeberg, Jerome & Rathgeber, Andreas W. & Stöckl, Stefan, 2018. "Measurement matters—A meta-study of the determinants of corporate capital structure," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 211-225.
    3. Huang, Kaixing & Yan, Wenshou & Sim, Nicholas & Guo, Yuqing & Xie, Fang, 2022. "Can trade explain the rising trends in income inequality? Insights from 40 years of empirical studies," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    4. Alfred Tunyire Apio & Djiby Racine Thiam & Ariel Dinar, 2025. "A Meta-Analysis of Water Institutions and Their Performance: Implications for Water Resource Management," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 39(2), pages 907-938, January.
    5. Sebri, Maamar & Dachraoui, Hajer, 2021. "Natural resources and income inequality: A meta-analytic review," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    6. Stefan Stöckl, 2017. "Measurement matters - A meta-Study of the determinants of corporate capital structure," Post-Print hal-01772346, HAL.
    7. Mattia Filomena & Matteo Picchio, 2023. "Retirement and health outcomes in a meta‐analytical framework," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(4), pages 1120-1155, September.
    8. Stefan Hirsch, 2018. "Successful In The Long Run: A Meta†Regression Analysis Of Persistent Firm Profits," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(1), pages 23-49, February.
    9. Iamsiraroj, Sasi & Doucouliagos, Hristos, 2015. "Does growth attract FDI?," Economics Discussion Papers 2015-18, Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
    10. Kaixing Huang & Nicholas Sim & Hong Zhao, 2020. "Does Fdi Actually Affect Income Inequality? Insights From 25 Years Of Research," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(3), pages 630-659, July.
    11. Binyam A. Demena & Peter A. G. van Bergeijk, 2017. "A Meta-Analysis Of Fdi And Productivity Spillovers In Developing Countries," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(2), pages 546-571, April.
    12. Demena, Binyam Afewerk & Afesorgbor, Sylvanus Kwaku, 2020. "The effect of FDI on environmental emissions: Evidence from a meta-analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    13. Celbis, Mehmet Güney & Nijkamp, Peter & Poot, Jacques, 2013. "How big is the impact of infrastructure on trade? Evidence from meta-analysis," MERIT Working Papers 2013-032, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    14. Fernau, Erik & Hirsch, Stefan, 2019. "What drives dividend smoothing? A meta regression analysis of the Lintner model," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 255-273.
    15. Klomp, Jeroen, 2023. "Political budget cycles in military expenditures: A meta-analysis," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 1083-1102.
    16. Neves, Pedro Cunha & Afonso, Oscar & Silva, Diana & Sochirca, Elena, 2021. "The link between intellectual property rights, innovation, and growth: A meta-analysis," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 196-209.
    17. Jan Babecky & Tomas Havranek, 2014. "Structural reforms and growth in transition," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 22(1), pages 13-42, January.
    18. Balima, Hippolyte W. & Kilama, Eric G. & Tapsoba, René, 2020. "Inflation targeting: Genuine effects or publication selection bias?," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    19. Polák, Petr, 2017. "The productivity paradox: A meta-analysis," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 38-54.
    20. repec:cfe:wpcefa:2017_03 is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Matteo Picchio & Michele Ubaldi, 2024. "Unemployment and health: A meta‐analysis," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(4), pages 1437-1472, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    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:finana:v:70:y:2020:i:c:s1057521920301484. 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: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/620166 .

    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.