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CEO characteristics and corporate philanthropic giving in an emerging market: The case of China

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  • Wei, Jiuchang
  • Ouyang, Zhe
  • Chen, Haipeng (Allan)

Abstract

The upper echelons theory proposes that organizational actions may reflect the values, experiences, and personalities of powerful actors within an organization. Drawing upon this theory, this research investigates how the characteristics of chief executive officers (CEOs) affect corporate philanthropic giving (CPG) strategies in an emerging market. Using a unique data set consisting of CPG activities of publicly listed Chinese firms in response to the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, this study uncovers relationships between CEOs' acquired characteristics (e.g., tenure, education, political connectedness, celebrity status) and different aspects of firm CPG strategies, including donation amount, timeliness and disclosure. We discuss the unique insights we gain by studying the upper echelons theory and corporate philanthropic giving in an emerging market context.

Suggested Citation

  • Wei, Jiuchang & Ouyang, Zhe & Chen, Haipeng (Allan), 2018. "CEO characteristics and corporate philanthropic giving in an emerging market: The case of China," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 1-11.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:87:y:2018:i:c:p:1-11
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.02.018
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