Diffusion of Corporate Philanthropy in Social and Political Network Environments: Evidence from China

Wenqing Wu, Kexin Yu, Chien-Chi Chu, Jie Zhou, Hong Xu and Sang-Bing Tsai
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Wenqing Wu: College of Management and Economics, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Kexin Yu: College of Management and Economics, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Chien-Chi Chu: Department of Finance, Business School, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China
Jie Zhou: College of Tourism and Service Management, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
Hong Xu: College of Tourism and Service Management, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
Sang-Bing Tsai: Zhongshan Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Guangzhou 528400, China

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 6, 1-17

Abstract: Based on the strong influence social networks have on managerial decision-making, as an important aspect of the strategic decision of the company, it is necessary to study how corporate social responsibility (CSR) actions could be affected by social networks. An analysis of 1725 Chinese listed firms and 40,484 executives from 2010 to 2014 showed that corporate philanthropy behavior will diffuse in social networks; more concretely, the higher the degree of social network centrality, the higher the enterprise’s donation level. Furthermore, the results also show that the role of social network centrality on corporate donation levels can be moderated by political connections. This study offers empirical evidence for developing a theoretical framework of CSR interaction and communication relevant to social networks, and offers insights into corporate philanthropy behavior based on social networks.

Keywords: corporate philanthropy; information transfer; political connections; social capital; social network; social network centrality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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