IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/mgtdec/v44y2023i8p4466-4481.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Invisible governance: Cognitive ability and corporate social responsibility

Author

Listed:
  • Xudong Zhuang
  • Xi Lin

Abstract

Our research examines the effect of cognitive ability on corporate social responsibility (CSR) based on the data of listed companies in China's A‐share market. As an informal system, cognitive ability plays an important governance role in CSR performance. The channel analysis shows that cognitive ability stimulates CSR through three mechanisms: improving external supervision, strengthening internal control, and promoting external supervision to boost internal control. In addition, the effect of cognitive ability on CSR performance is heterogeneous according to the different ownership of enterprises. Furthermore, we find that cognitive ability has an important supervisory effect on the CSR of state‐owned enterprises (SOEs) with greater financing constraints. Mitigating the financing constraints and the operating risks of non‐SOEs can better improve governance effect of cognitive ability on them, reducing their practices of CSR motivated by rent‐seeking.

Suggested Citation

  • Xudong Zhuang & Xi Lin, 2023. "Invisible governance: Cognitive ability and corporate social responsibility," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(8), pages 4466-4481, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:mgtdec:v:44:y:2023:i:8:p:4466-4481
    DOI: 10.1002/mde.3961
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/mde.3961
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/mde.3961?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. Hao Liang & Luc Renneboog, 2017. "On the Foundations of Corporate Social Responsibility," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 72(2), pages 853-910, April.
    2. Wenjing Li & Ran Zhang, 2010. "Corporate Social Responsibility, Ownership Structure, and Political Interference: Evidence from China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 96(4), pages 631-645, November.
    3. Kun Su, 2019. "Does religion benefit corporate social responsibility (CSR)? Evidence from China," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(6), pages 1206-1221, November.
    4. Ucar, Erdem & Staer, Arsenio, 2020. "Local corruption and corporate social responsibility," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 266-282.
    5. Alexander Dyck & Natalya Volchkova & Luigi Zingales, 2008. "The Corporate Governance Role of the Media: Evidence from Russia," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 63(3), pages 1093-1135, June.
    6. Bardos, Katsiaryna Salavei & Ertugrul, Mine & Gao, Lucia Silva, 2020. "Corporate social responsibility, product market perception, and firm value," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    7. Sun, Fangcheng & Dutta, Shantanu & Huang, Hui & Zhu, Pengcheng, 2021. "News media and insider trading profitability: An emerging country perspective," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    8. Fanny Magnoni & Pierre Valette-Florence & Virginie de Barnier, 2021. "Modeling the effects of place heritage and place experience on residents’ behavioral intentions toward a city: A mediation analysis," Post-Print hal-03591700, HAL.
    9. Nader Asgary & Gang Li, 2016. "Corporate Social Responsibility: Its Economic Impact and Link to the Bullwhip Effect," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 135(4), pages 665-681, June.
    10. F. Magnoni & P. Valette Florence & Virginie de Barnier, 2021. "Modeling the effects of place heritage and place experience on residents’ behavioral intentions toward a city: A mediation analysis," Post-Print hal-03323697, HAL.
    11. Shou, Yongyi & Shao, Jinan & Wang, Weijiao & Lai, Kee-hung, 2020. "The impact of corporate social responsibility on trade credit: Evidence from Chinese small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 230(C).
    12. Tan, Chunzhi & He, Chengying & Shi, Zhanzhong & Mo, Guoli & Geng, Xiaoxu, 2022. "How does CEO demission threat affect corporate risk-taking?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 935-944.
    13. Frank Li & Tao Li & Dylan Minor, 2016. "CEO power, corporate social responsibility, and firm value: a test of agency theory," International Journal of Managerial Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 12(5), pages 611-628, October.
    14. Youngran Shin & Vinh V. Thai, 2015. "The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on Customer Satisfaction, Relationship Maintenance and Loyalty in the Shipping Industry," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 22(6), pages 381-392, November.
    15. Brian J. Bushee & John E. Core & Wayne Guay & Sophia J.W. Hamm, 2010. "The Role of the Business Press as an Information Intermediary," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(1), pages 1-19, March.
    16. Wen, Wen & Ke, Yun & Liu, Xuejiao, 2021. "Customer concentration and corporate social responsibility performance: Evidence from China," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(C).
    17. Xingqiang Du & Yingjie Du & Quan Zeng & Hongmei Pei & Yingying Chang, 2016. "Religious atmosphere, law enforcement, and corporate social responsibility: Evidence from China," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 33(1), pages 229-265, March.
    18. Frank Li & Tao Li & Dylan Minor, 2016. "CEO power, corporate social responsibility, and firm value: a test of agency theory," International Journal of Managerial Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 12(5), pages 611-628, October.
    19. Bird, Allan & Stevens, Michael J., 2003. "Toward an emergent global culture and the effects of globalization on obsolescing national cultures," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 9(4), pages 395-407.
    20. Xudong Zhuang & Junshan Duan, 2023. "Under rising environmental uncertainty Chinese enterprises pursue fame or profits? Evidence from corporate social responsibility and financial investment," International Journal of Emerging Markets, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 20(3), pages 1190-1213, June.
    21. D'Mello, Ranjan & Toscano, Francesca, 2020. "Economic policy uncertainty and short-term financing: The case of trade credit," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    22. Buchanan, Bonnie & Cao, Cathy Xuying & Chen, Chongyang, 2018. "Corporate social responsibility, firm value, and influential institutional ownership," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 73-95.
    23. Wang, Li & Dai, Yunhao & Kong, Dongmin, 2021. "Air pollution and employee treatment," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    24. Magnoni, Fanny & Valette-Florence, Pierre & De Barnier, Virginie, 2021. "Modeling the effects of place heritage and place experience on residents’ behavioral intentions toward a city: A mediation analysis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 428-442.
    25. Sadok El Ghoul & Omrane Guedhami & Robert Nash & Ajay Patel, 2019. "New Evidence on the Role of the Media in Corporate Social Responsibility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 154(4), pages 1051-1079, February.
    26. Di Giuli, Alberta & Kostovetsky, Leonard, 2014. "Are red or blue companies more likely to go green? Politics and corporate social responsibility," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(1), pages 158-180.
    27. Liangrong Zu & Lina Song, 2009. "Determinants of Managerial Values on Corporate Social Responsibility: Evidence from China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 88(1), pages 105-117, April.
    28. Zhang, Min & Tong, Lijing & Su, Jun & Cui, Zhipeng, 2015. "Analyst coverage and corporate social performance: Evidence from China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 76-94.
    29. Ho, Simon S.M. & Li, Annie Yuansha & Tam, Kinsun & Tong, Jamie Y., 2016. "Ethical image, corporate social responsibility, and R&D valuation," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 40(PB), pages 335-348.
    30. Broadstock, David C. & Matousek, Roman & Meyer, Martin & Tzeremes, Nickolaos G., 2020. "Does corporate social responsibility impact firms' innovation capacity? The indirect link between environmental & social governance implementation and innovation performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 99-110.
    31. Firth, Michael & Lin, Chen & Liu, Ping & Wong, Sonia M.L., 2009. "Inside the black box: Bank credit allocation in China's private sector," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 1144-1155, June.
    32. Xin Chang & Sudipto Dasgupta & Gilles Hilary, 2006. "Analyst Coverage and Financing Decisions," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 61(6), pages 3009-3048, December.
    33. Saeidi, Sayedeh Parastoo & Sofian, Saudah & Saeidi, Parvaneh & Saeidi, Sayyedeh Parisa & Saaeidi, Seyyed Alireza, 2015. "How does corporate social responsibility contribute to firm financial performance? The mediating role of competitive advantage, reputation, and customer satisfaction," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(2), pages 341-350.
    34. Guangming Gong & Si Xu & Xun Gong, 2018. "On the Value of Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure: An Empirical Investigation of Corporate Bond Issues in China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 150(1), pages 227-258, June.
    35. An, Yunbi & Jin, Han & Liu, Qingfu & Zheng, Kaixin, 2022. "Media attention and agency costs: Evidence from listed companies in China," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    36. Toni M. Whited & Guojun Wu, 2006. "Financial Constraints Risk," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 19(2), pages 531-559.
    37. Nick Lin-Hi & Igor Blumberg, 2018. "The Link Between (Not) Practicing CSR and Corporate Reputation: Psychological Foundations and Managerial Implications," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 150(1), pages 185-198, June.
    38. Chen, Charlie L. & Liu, Qian & Li, Jie & Wang, Leonard F.S., 2016. "Corporate social responsibility and downstream price competition with retailer's effort," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 36-54.
    39. Fanny Magnoni & Pierre Valette-Florence & Virginie de Barnier, 2021. "Modeling the effects of place heritage and place experience on residents’ behavioral intentions toward a city: A mediation analysis," Post-Print hal-03513348, HAL.
    40. Frank Li & Tao Li & Dylan Minor, 2016. "CEO power, corporate social responsibility, and firm value: a test of agency theory," International Journal of Managerial Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 12(5), pages 611-628, October.
    41. Lin, Karen Jingrong & Tan, Jinsong & Zhao, Liming & Karim, Khondkar, 2015. "In the name of charity: Political connections and strategic corporate social responsibility in a transition economy," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 327-346.
    42. ChungMing Lau & Yuan Lu & Qiang Liang, 2016. "Corporate Social Responsibility in China: A Corporate Governance Approach," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 136(1), pages 73-87, June.
    43. Xu, Lina & Roy, Abhijit, 2022. "Cashback as cash forward: The serial mediating effect of time/effort and money savings," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 30-37.
    44. Dane M. Christensen & Keith L. Jones & David G. Kenchington, 2018. "Gambling Attitudes and Financial Misreporting," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 35(3), pages 1229-1261, September.
    45. Dudley, Evan & Zhang, Ning, 2016. "Trust and corporate cash holdings," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 363-387.
    46. Song, Ciji & Nahm, Abraham Y. & Song, Zengji, 2021. "Entrepreneurs' hobbies and corporate risk taking: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    47. Ioannis Ioannou & George Serafeim, 2015. "The impact of corporate social responsibility on investment recommendations: Analysts' perceptions and shifting institutional logics," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(7), pages 1053-1081, July.
    48. Mikko Manner, 2010. "The Impact of CEO Characteristics on Corporate Social Performance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 93(1), pages 53-72, June.
    49. Castro, Fernanda & Kalatzis, Aquiles E.G. & Martins-Filho, Carlos, 2015. "Financing in an emerging economy: Does financial development or financial structure matter?," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 96-123.
    50. Yu, Fang (Frank), 2008. "Analyst coverage and earnings management," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(2), pages 245-271, May.
    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. Zhe Li & Ping Wang, 2023. "Cross‐border mergers and acquisitions and corporate social responsibility: Evidence from Chinese listed firms," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(1-2), pages 335-376, January.
    2. Kong, Dongmin & Shu, Yijia & Wang, Yanan, 2021. "Corruption and corporate social responsibility: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China⋆," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    3. Ying Zhang & Yuting Guo & Aiman Nurdazym, 2023. "How do female CEOs affect corporate environmental policies?," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(1), pages 459-472, January.
    4. Xu, Shen & Yin, Bichao & Lou, Chunjie, 2022. "Minority shareholder activism and corporate social responsibility," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    5. Ruixi Long & Shuyang Jia, 2023. "Foreground or background my social responsibility: impact of the trade war on the readability of corporate social responsibility disclosures," Information Technology and Management, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 79-97, March.
    6. Lin Liao & Yukun Pan & Daifei (Troy) Yao, 2023. "Capital market liberalisation and voluntary corporate social responsibility disclosure: Evidence from a quasi‐natural experiment in China," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(2), pages 2677-2715, June.
    7. Zhe Ji & Radouane Abdoune, 2023. "Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure and Performance in China: Does the Background of Foreign Women Directors Matter?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-23, June.
    8. McGuinness, Paul B. & Vieito, João Paulo & Wang, Mingzhu, 2017. "The role of board gender and foreign ownership in the CSR performance of Chinese listed firms," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 75-99.
    9. Yang Liu & Weiqi Dai & Mingqing Liao & Jiang Wei, 2021. "Social Status and Corporate Social Responsibility: Evidence from Chinese Privately Owned Firms," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 169(4), pages 651-672, April.
    10. Hossain, Ashrafee Tanvir & Kryzanowski, Lawrence, 2021. "Political corruption and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 31(C).
    11. Hans B. Christensen & Luzi Hail & Christian Leuz, 2021. "Mandatory CSR and sustainability reporting: economic analysis and literature review," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 26(3), pages 1176-1248, September.
    12. Chai Bin‐Feng & Sultan Sikandar Mirza & Tanveer Ahsan & Ammar Ali Gull & Bakr Al‐Gamrh, 2022. "Institutional environment, the ultimate controller's characteristics and CSR disclosure in China," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(5), pages 1515-1527, July.
    13. Bai, Min & Shen, Luxi & Li, Yue & Yu, Chia-Feng (Jeffrey), 2024. "Does legal justice promote stakeholder justice? Evidence from a judicial reform in China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    14. Yu, Yin & Chi, Jing, 2021. "Political embeddedness, media positioning and corporate social responsibility: Evidence from China," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    15. Zhu, Minghao & Yeung, Andy C.L. & Zhou, Honggeng, 2021. "Diversify or concentrate: The impact of customer concentration on corporate social responsibility," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 240(C).
    16. Thomas J. Chemmanur & Dimitrios Gounopoulos & Panagiotis Koutroumpis & Yu Zhang, 2022. "CSR and Firm Survival: Evidence from the Climate and Pandemic Crises," Working Papers 935, Queen Mary University of London, School of Economics and Finance.
    17. Muhammad Kaleem Khan & R. M. Ammar Zahid & Adil Saleem & Judit Sági, 2021. "Board Composition and Social & Environmental Accountability: A Dynamic Model Analysis of Chinese Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-18, September.
    18. Kong, Dongmin & Cheng, Xu & Jiang, Xiandeng, 2021. "Effects of political promotion on local firms’ social responsibility in China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 418-429.
    19. Xiao, Tian & Chan, Hing Kai & Ni, Wenbin & Tan, Kim Hua, 2024. "Answer to whom? A comparative empirical study on institutional drivers for firms’ CSR reporting in China and the United States," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    20. Farman Ullah Khan & Vanina Adoriana Trifan & Mioara Florina Pantea & Junrui Zhang & Muhammad Nouman, 2022. "Internal Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility: Evidence from Chinese Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-20, February.

    More about this item

    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:wly:mgtdec:v:44:y:2023:i:8:p:4466-4481. 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: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/jhome/7976 .

    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.