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Do CEO incentives and characteristics influence corporate social responsibility (CSR) and vice versa? A literature review

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  • Patrick Velte

Abstract

Purpose - This paper aims to analyze whether chief executive officer (CEO) incentives and characteristics (e.g. CEO power, CEO tenure) are linked with corporate social responsibility (CSR) and vice versa. Design/methodology/approach - Based on upper echelons theory, the author conducts a structured literature review and evaluates 84 empirical-quantitative studies on CEO and CSR variables. Findings - While the majority of the included studies analyzed the CEO-CSR link, there are indicators for a bidirectional relationship. Moreover, prior research has focused on CEO incentives, especially compensation contracts, and on the US capital market. A major research gap relates to CEO characteristics, e.g. CEO values, education and experience. Research limitations/implications - Heterogeneous CEO and CSR variables and endogeneity concerns lower the validity of recent studies. Future research is encouraged to implement dynamic regression models, increase CSR and CEO proxies and focus on international samples with country-specific effects. Practical implications - As CEO activities can have a major impact on CSR activities, the author recommends firms to search for opportunities to make their CSR strategy more comprehensive by their stakeholder communication, thus providing deeper insights into their CSR performance in line with stakeholders’ interests. Originality/value - The paper is the first literature review on the interaction between CEO and CSR so far. The author explains the main CEO and CSR variables that have been included in research, stresses the limitations of the studies and gives useful recommendations for future research, practice and regulators.

Suggested Citation

  • Patrick Velte, 2019. "Do CEO incentives and characteristics influence corporate social responsibility (CSR) and vice versa? A literature review," Social Responsibility Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 16(8), pages 1293-1323, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:srjpps:srj-04-2019-0145
    DOI: 10.1108/SRJ-04-2019-0145
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Patrick Velte & Martin Stawinoga, 2020. "Do chief sustainability officers and CSR committees influence CSR-related outcomes? A structured literature review based on empirical-quantitative research findings," Journal of Management Control: Zeitschrift für Planung und Unternehmenssteuerung, Springer, vol. 31(4), pages 333-377, December.
    2. Camélia Radu & Nadia Smaili, 2022. "Alignment Versus Monitoring: An Examination of the Effect of the CSR Committee and CSR-Linked Executive Compensation on CSR Performance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(1), pages 145-163, September.
    3. Andrea Venturelli & Simone Pizzi & Fabio Caputo & Salvatore Principale, 2020. "The revision of nonfinancial reporting directive: A critical lens on the comparability principle," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(8), pages 3584-3597, December.
    4. María Consuelo Pucheta-Martínez & Isabel Gallego-Álvarez, 2021. "The Role of CEO Power on CSR Reporting: The Moderating Effect of Linking CEO Compensation to Shareholder Return," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-19, March.
    5. Nhat Minh Tran, 2022. "CEO and Chairperson Characteristics and Corporate Environmental Performance: A Study of Cooperatives in Vietnam," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(4), pages 21582440221, October.
    6. Jin Yan & Talat Mehmood Khan & Naiping Zhu & Muhammad Awais Khan & Hazrat Hassan, 2024. "Does CEO’s initial tenure enhance CSR practices? Evaluating the consequences of CEO’s initial tenure CSR engagement in China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(9), pages 22839-22862, September.
    7. Asif Saeed & Umara Noreen & Akbar Azam & Muhammad Sohail Tahir, 2021. "Does CSR Governance Improve Social Sustainability and Reduce the Carbon Footprint: International Evidence from the Energy Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-16, March.
    8. Changrong Wang & Lufeng Gou & Xuemei Li, 2022. "Is Education Beneficial to Environmentally Friendly Behaviors? Evidence from CEOs," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-21, September.
    9. Vicky Ching Gu, 2023. "How independent should a board be? Examine the corporate social responsibility performance in the US healthcare sector," Service Business, Springer;Pan-Pacific Business Association, vol. 17(3), pages 695-721, September.
    10. Agustina, Lidya, 2021. "Does financial performance moderate the effect of CEO characteristics and stakeholder influence on corporate social responsibility in Indonesia?," Technium Business and Management, Technium Science, vol. 2(1), pages 13-29.
    11. Murtaza Haider & Randall Shannon & George P. Moschis, 2022. "Sustainable Consumption Research and the Role of Marketing: A Review of the Literature (1976–2021)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-36, March.
    12. Agnes Aurora Ngelo & Yani Permatasari & Siti Zaleha Abdul Rasid & Iman Harymawan & Wulandari Fitri Ekasari, 2022. "Ex-Auditor CEOs and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Disclosure: Evidence from a Voluntary Period of Sustainability Report in Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-23, September.
    13. Michael Greiner & Jing Sun, 2021. "How corporate social responsibility can incentivize top managers: A commitment to sustainability as an agency intervention," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(4), pages 1360-1375, July.
    14. Waris Ali & Jeffrey Wilson & Muhammad Husnain, 2022. "Determinants/Motivations of Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure in Developing Economies: A Survey of the Extant Literature," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-26, March.
    15. Ya-Hui Chen & Kung-Jeng Wang & Shih-Hsun Liu, 2023. "How Personality Traits and Professional Skepticism Affect Auditor Quality? A Quantitative Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-15, January.

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