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Corporate investment in social responsibility versus dividends?

Author

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  • Michel T.J. Rakotomavo

Abstract

Purpose - The paper aims to examine whether corporate investment in social responsibility takes away from expected dividends. Design/methodology/approach - The article builds two hypotheses that are tested empirically through the analysis of 17,670 US firm‐year observations covering the period 1991‐2007. The tests are conducted in both univariate and multivariate settings. Findings - The evidence supports the hypothesis that mature firms tend to invest more in corporate social responsibility (CSR). Specifically, firms investing highly in CSR tend to be larger, more profitable, and with greater earned (rather than contributed) equity. The evidence also supports the hypothesis that CSR investment does not subtract from dividends. Instead, CSR effort and dividend tend to increase together. Thus, CSR investment tends to be effected by companies who can afford it, and it does not lower value by lowering investors' expected payout. Practical implications - These results imply that spending resources on CSR does not lower the cash flows paid out to investors. When combined with the finding that CSR lowers the cost of equity, they also mean that CSR increases the value of a company's stock. Originality/value - This is the first study that explicitly links CSR to the dividend flow.

Suggested Citation

  • Michel T.J. Rakotomavo, 2012. "Corporate investment in social responsibility versus dividends?," Social Responsibility Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 8(2), pages 199-207, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:srjpps:v:8:y:2012:i:2:p:199-207
    DOI: 10.1108/17471111211234833
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Charmaine Glegg & Oneil Harris & Thanh Ngo, 2018. "Corporate social responsibility and the wealth gains from dividend increases," Review of Financial Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 36(2), pages 149-166, April.
    2. Hyunmin Oh & Sambock Park, 2021. "Corporate Sustainable Management, Dividend Policy and Chaebol," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-19, July.
    3. Cheung, Adrian (Wai Kong), 2016. "Corporate social responsibility and corporate cash holdings," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 412-430.
    4. Pedro Verga Matos & Victor Barros & Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, 2020. "Does ESG Affect the Stability of Dividend Policies in Europe?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-15, October.
    5. Wenbin Sun & Rahul Govind, 2022. "A New Understanding of Marketing and “Doing Good”: Marketing’s Power in the TMT and Corporate Social Responsibility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 176(1), pages 89-109, February.
    6. Adrian (Waikong) Cheung & May Hu & Jörg Schwiebert, 2018. "Corporate social responsibility and dividend policy," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 58(3), pages 787-816, September.

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