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Board interlocks and the diffusion of CSR reporting practices: The role of market development

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  • Weizhang Sun
  • Xuan Li
  • Yanli Geng
  • Jinfeng Yang
  • Yifei Zhang

Abstract

Although traditional studies concerning the diffusion effect of board interlocks stress the influence of mimetic pressures, extant studies increasingly emphasize board interlocks' communication role. From the perspective of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting, this paper seeks to investigate the validity of the two views by introducing market development as a moderating variable. Based on samples of Chinese listed companies between 2008 and 2015, we find that board interlocks positively affect firms' CSR reporting. Consistent with the communication mechanism view, the impact of board interlocks on CSR reporting is relatively weak in developed regions. With this study, we contribute to the literature concerning the diffusion effect of board interlocks and the institutional literature related to CSR reporting.

Suggested Citation

  • Weizhang Sun & Xuan Li & Yanli Geng & Jinfeng Yang & Yifei Zhang, 2020. "Board interlocks and the diffusion of CSR reporting practices: The role of market development," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(3), pages 1333-1343, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:corsem:v:27:y:2020:i:3:p:1333-1343
    DOI: 10.1002/csr.1887
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    4. Jing Lu & Fereshteh Mahmoudian & Dongning Yu & Jamal A. Nazari & Irene M. Herremans, 2021. "Board interlocks, absorptive capacity, and environmental performance," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(8), pages 3425-3443, December.
    5. Jing Lu & Dongning Yu & Fereshteh Mahmoudian & Jamal A. Nazari & Irene M. Herremans, 2024. "The influence of board interlocks and sustainability experience on transparent sustainability disclosure," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(5), pages 3769-3793, July.
    6. Jing Lu & Dongning Yu & Fereshteh Mahmoudian & Jamal A. Nazari & Irene M. Herremans, 2021. "Board interlocks and greenhouse gas emissions," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(1), pages 92-108, January.
    7. Xuan Li & Chi Zhang & Wenliang Gao & Yanli Geng & Weizhang Sun, 2024. "Foreign ownership, passive‐learning knowledge spillovers, and corporate social responsibility reporting in China," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(1), pages 133-152, January.
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