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DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributorFaculty of Businessen_US
dc.contributor.advisorXu, Xinpeng (AF)-
dc.creatorWong, Man Hin Raymond-
dc.identifier.urihttps://theses.lib.polyu.edu.hk/handle/200/9634-
dc.languageEnglishen_US
dc.publisherHong Kong Polytechnic University-
dc.rightsAll rights reserveden_US
dc.titleCorporate social responsibility and firm performance : evidence from the Hong Kong stock exchangeen_US
dcterms.abstractIn this research, I investigate the association between socially responsible investment and firm performance. I test this association in a sample of 229 Hong Kong (HK) listed companies by using hand-collected data on corporate social responsibility (CSR) investment and corporate donations in combination with financial data from the CSMAR database. Some of the firms in the sample had been early adopters of ESG reporting over the four-year period from 2013 to 2016. I find a strong negative relationship between CSR investment and firm profitability. I also find that corporate donations are negatively related to profitability, while a firm's slack resources are positively and strongly associated with profitability. Furthermore, I find that the more slack resources a firm has, the better its financial performance, provided that its management makes investments in both CSR and corporate donations. To show that the link is causal, I examine the differential effects of CSR and corporate donations on profitability that arise from the exogenous external finance dependence (RZ index) of different industries. I find that the effects of corporate donations on firm profitability do not vary significantly across industries. However, the effects of CSR on firm profitability differ significantly across industries with varying degrees of external finance dependence. This suggests that the effect of CSR occurs mainly through its role in constraining firm budgets and is influenced by the exogenous external finance dependence of different industries and firms. Finally, I perform a difference-in-differences analysis of the sample and find that the mandatory ESG reporting policy proposed by the HK Stock Exchange and implemented on January 1, 2016 had a positive impact on firm profitability in HK in the year immediately following its enactment.en_US
dcterms.extent90 pages : color illustrationsen_US
dcterms.isPartOfPolyU Electronic Thesesen_US
dcterms.issued2018en_US
dcterms.educationalLevelD.B.A.en_US
dcterms.educationalLevelAll Doctorateen_US
dcterms.LCSHHong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertationsen_US
dcterms.LCSHInvestments -- Moral and ethical aspectsen_US
dcterms.LCSHStock exchanges -- China -- Hong Kongen_US
dcterms.LCSHSocial responsibility of businessen_US
dcterms.accessRightsrestricted accessen_US

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Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://theses.lib.polyu.edu.hk/handle/200/9634