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Trust and corporate social responsibility: International evidence

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  • Chkir, Imed
  • Rjiba, Hatem
  • Mrad, Fatma
  • Khalil, Afef

Abstract

This letter investigates the association between social trust and corporate social responsibility. Using a sample comprising firms operating in 32 countries during the period from 2004 to 2019, we provide evidence highlighting social trust as a factor that can explain cross-country variations in corporate social responsibility activities. Our results extend the research examining the determinants of CSR by showing that informal institutions such as trust play a crucial role in shaping corporate CSR practices. Our findings are robust to controlling for a set of firm-level and country-level control variables, to employing alternative econometric methodologies, and to using various CSR proxies.

Suggested Citation

  • Chkir, Imed & Rjiba, Hatem & Mrad, Fatma & Khalil, Afef, 2023. "Trust and corporate social responsibility: International evidence," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PA).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:58:y:2023:i:pa:s1544612323004154
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2023.104043
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    References listed on IDEAS

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