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Effects of Foreign Directors’ Nationalities and Director Types on Corporate Philanthropic Behavior: Evidence from Korean Firms

Author

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  • Yeong Seon Kang

    (Department of Business Administration, University of Seoul, 163 Seoulsiripdae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02504, Korea)

  • Eunji Huh

    (College of Business, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 85 Hoegi-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02455, Korea)

  • Mi-Hee Lim

    (Department of International Business and Trade, Myongji University, 34 Geobukgol-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03674, Korea)

Abstract

Addressing the fact that there are few studies exploring the relationship between board characteristics and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in non-Western contexts, this study examines the relationship in South Korean corporate contexts. We concentrate on foreign directors as a board attribute, which is reported as a remarkable change in Korean corporate boards, and propose that foreign directors have different impacts on CSR investment depending on their nationality (Anglo-Americans vs. non-Anglo-Americans) and director types (insiders vs. outsiders). In detail, the presence of directors from Anglo-American countries (e.g., the United States, the United Kingdom) decreases firms’ CSR involvement, whereas the presence of directors from non-Anglo-American countries (e.g., France, Germany) increases firms’ CSR involvement. Moreover, the effects of Anglo-Americans on CSR are strengthened when they are inside (rather than outside) directors. Empirical analyses using a sample of 1828 Korean firms from 2002 to 2015 provide evidence to support the predictions. This study theoretically contributes to CSR and corporate governance literature in that it sheds light on the CSR in non-Western companies and reveals varied effects of foreign directors contingent upon their individual attributes. It also has practical implications for policymakers and corporate managers by providing insights of the changes generated by foreign members in a boardroom.

Suggested Citation

  • Yeong Seon Kang & Eunji Huh & Mi-Hee Lim, 2019. "Effects of Foreign Directors’ Nationalities and Director Types on Corporate Philanthropic Behavior: Evidence from Korean Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-18, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:11:p:3132-:d:236902
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Mingyuan Guo & Chendi Zheng, 2021. "Foreign Ownership and Corporate Social Responsibility: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-22, January.
    2. Mustafa K. Yilmaz & Umit Hacioglu & Ekrem Tatoglu & Mine Aksoy & Selman Duran, 2023. "Measuring the impact of board gender and cultural diversity on corporate governance and social performance: evidence from emerging markets," Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(2), pages 2106503-210, December.
    3. Anthony Goerzen & Michael Sartor & Kristin Brandl & Stacey Fitzsimmons, 2023. "Widening the lens: Multilevel drivers of firm corporate social performance," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 54(1), pages 42-60, February.
    4. Ajab Khan & H. Kent Baker, 2022. "How board diversity and ownership structure shape sustainable corporate performance," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(8), pages 3751-3770, December.
    5. Finja Lena Kind & Jennifer Zeppenfeld & Rainer Lueg, 2023. "The impact of chief executive officer narcissism on environmental, social, and governance reporting," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(7), pages 4448-4466, November.
    6. Rekha Handa, 2021. "Does Presence of Foreign Directors Make a Difference? A Case of Indian IPOs," Business Perspectives and Research, , vol. 9(1), pages 111-127, January.

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