Unveiling corporate social responsibility awareness and implementation: a study of the Chinese construction firms

This study aims to examine construction firms’ awareness and implementation of various aspects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices and ascertain whether the level of CSR awareness and implementation would vary across firms with different ownership and control. An online questionnaire survey was undertaken across extra-grade construction firms in China. The results show that respondents’ CSR priorities are built around the aspects of quality, safety, and environment. They tend to adopt a more integrated approach to managing the interests of diverse stakeholders. It is notable that there are positive correlations between the firms’ CSR awareness and implementation and that listed firms tend to exhibit a higher level of CSR awareness and implementation than their counterparts. In conclusion, the findings inform policymakers and practitioners of the status quo of CSR, thus enabling them to configure targeted strategies to improve the overall CSR awareness and implementation in China’s construction industry.