 Awe culture and corporate social responsibility: Evidence from ChinaChao Yan, Jiaxin Wang, Zhi Wang and Kam C. Chan Accounting and Finance, 2023, vol. 63, issue 3, 3487-3517 Abstract: By proxying ‘awe culture’ (i.e., reverence for life and ethical behaviour) with regional induced abortion rates, we examine the impact of awe culture on corporate social responsibility (CSR) in a sample of Chinese firms. We find that firms located in areas with higher induced abortion rates spend less funds on CSR activities and obtain lower CSR scores. The findings remain intact after an array of robustness tests. Further analysis shows that the effect of awe culture on CSR is more pronounced in areas with weaker law enforcement and where the local government emphasises economic growth targets. However, the effect becomes insignificant when firms are well‐represented by top executives with overseas experience, foreign directors, and a high proportion of female board members. The significance of the effect also diminishes for non‐state‐owned firms, and firms with higher institutional ownership and higher cash holdings. Moreover, the lack of awe culture attenuates the positive impact of CSR on firm value. Overall, we document that awe culture, as an informal institution, shapes CSR behaviours. Date: 2023 Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bla:acctfi:v:63:y:2023:i:3:p:3487-3517 Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from Access Statistics for this article Accounting and Finance is currently edited by Robert Faff More articles in Accounting and Finance from Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand Contact information at EDIRC. |
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