Do firms release boilerplate CSR reports to meet legitimacy requirements?

Qian Sun, Qi Zhang, Qi Wang, Anni Wu and Di Wu

Applied Economics Letters, 2025, vol. 32, issue 6, 856-862

Abstract: Based on Chinese unique corporate ownership structure, we document that local government-owned firms are more inclined to disclose boilerplate CSR reports with little firm-specific information to circumvent substantive disclosure, although they do release CSR reports to convey that they are acting in the broader interests of society. Both economic and environmental pressures from the local government enhance firms’ adherence to boilerplate. Firms mandated to release CSR reports are more likely to follow boilerplate due to the ‘minimum-requirement’ orientation.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/13504851.2023.2290579

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