This research note analyzes the relationship between indicators of corporate social and financial performance within a comprehensive theoretical framework. The results, based on data for 67 large U.S. corporations for 1982-1992, reveal no significant negative social-financial performance relationships and strong positive correlations in both contemporaneous and lead-lag formulations.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Aldag, Raymond
, and Kathryn Bartol. 1978. "Empirical Studies of Corporate Social Perfor-mance and Policy: A Survey of Problems and Results."Research in Corporate Perfor-mance and Policy1: 165-199.
2.
Alkhafaji, Abbass F.1989. A Stakeholder Approach to Corporate Governance: Managing in a Dynamic Environment. New York: Quorum.
3.
Arlow, Peter
, & Martin J. Gannon. 1982. "Social Responsiveness, Corporate Structure, and Economic Performance."Academy of Management Review7:235-241.
4.
Aupperle, Kenneth
, Archie Carroll, and John D. Hatfield. 1985. "An Empirical Examination of the Relationship Between Corporate Social Responsibility and Profitability."Academy of Management Journal28:446-463.
5.
Aupperle, Kenneth
, and Dean Van Pham. 1989. "An Expanded Investigation in the Relation-ship of Corporate Social Responsibility and Financial Performance."Employee Respon-sibilities and Rights Journal2:263-274.
6.
Cochran, Phillip
, and Robert A. Wood. 1984. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Financial Performance."Academy of Management Journal27:42-56.
7.
Cornell, Bradford
, and Alan C. Shapiro. 1987. "Corporate Stakeholders and Corporate Finance."Financial Management16:5-14.
8.
Cottrill, Melville T.
1992. "The Fortune Date on Corporate Social Responsibility: The Issue of Reputation One More Time." Paper presented at Eastern Academy of Management, Baltimore, March.
9.
Dodd, Merrick E.1932. "For Whom Are Corporate Managers Trustees?"Harvard Law Review45:1145-1163.
10.
Freeman, R. Edward
. 1984. Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach. Boston: Pitman.
11.
Friedman, Milton
. 1970. "The Social Responsibility Is To Increase Its Profits."The New York Times Magazine (September 13): 32-33.
12.
Kraft, Kenneth
, and Jerald Hage. 1990. "Strategy, Social Responsibility and Implementa-tion."Journal of Business Ethics9:11-19.
13.
McGuire, Jean B.
, Alison Sundgren, and Thomas Schneeweis. 1988. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Firm Financial Performance."Academy of Management Journal31:854-872.
14.
Posner, Barry
, and Warren Schmidt. 1992. "Values and the American Manager: An Update Updated."California Management Review25(2): 80-94.
15.
Preston, Lee
, Harry Sapienza, and Robert Miller. 1991. "Stakeholders, Shareholders, Man-agers: Who Gains What From Corporate Performance?" in Amatai Etzioni and Paul Lawrence (eds.), Socio-Economics: Toward a New Synthesis. Armonk: M. E. Sharpe.
16.
Spencer, Barbara A.
, and G. Stephen Taylor. 1987. "A Within and Between Analysis of the Relationship Between Corporate Social Responsibility and Financial Performance. Akron Business and Economic Review18:7-18.
17.
Ullman, Arieh
. 1985. "Data Is Search of a Theory: A Critical Examination of the Relation-ships Among Social Performance, Social Disclosure, and Economic Performance."Academy of Management Review10:540-577.
18.
Vance, Stanley
. 1975. "Are Socially Responsible Firms Good Investment Risks?"Manage-ment Review64:18-24.
19.
Weidenbaum, Murray
, and Sheldon Vogt. 1987. "Takeovers and Stockholders: Winners and Losers."California Management Review29 (4): 57-168.
20.
Williamson, Oliver E.1967. The Economics of Discretionary Behavior: Managerial Objec-tives in a Theory of the Firm. Chicago: Markham.
21.
Williamson, Oliver E.1985. The Economic Institutions of Capitalism. New York: Free Press.