No abstract

Incorporating instrumental and political views of corporate social responsibility (CSR), this study examines the relationship between CSR and corporate financial performance in China's unique institutional context, which is featured by the coexistence of a strong government and a transitional market economy. Our results show that (a) CSR positively affects financial performance, (b) state ownership weakens the relationship between CSR and financial performance, and (c) industry competition strengthens the relationship between CSR and financial performance for both state‐owned and non‐state‐owned firms. This study reveals that, although both an instrumental view and a political view of CSR are applicable in China, the motivation to create economic benefits for firms dominates, and market competition increases the strategic use of CSR.

No abstract

No abstract

In this experimental study, we examine whether corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports affect the investment decisions of non-professional investors in China depending on whether they are assured, the nature of CSR disclosures (positive versus negative disclosures), and the type of assurance provider (professional accountants versus industry experts). The results indicate that CSR assurance increases investor willingness to invest and that the credibility of CSR information partially mediates the relationship between assurance and investment decisions.We also note that the effect of CSR assurance on investment decisions is greater when CSR disclosures are positive than when they are negative. However, the type of assurance provider does not significantly influence the effect of CSR assurance on investor decision making. China's institutional setting features novice investors, government-affiliated industry expert assurers, and government-driven CSR assurance. As a pioneering study on the effects of CSR assurance in China, our work is a valuable supplement to previous studies, which have largely focused on developed economies with considerably different institutional settings.