The Impact of Public Scrutiny on Corporate Philanthropy

This paper proposes that a corporation’s vulnerability to public scrutiny drives its corporate giving. The hypothesis that companies donate for strategic motives is tested against the alternative that they do so for altruistic reasons. Court cases and news articles were selected as proxies for public scrutiny. Macroeconomic variables were used to gauge the level of public charitable need and test for altruism. Through examining the philanthropic behavior of 40 Fortune 500 companies over 7 years, this paper finds that companies are strategic and altruistic in their giving.Ailian Gan is a graduate of Duke University. She is an Associate at the Monetary Authority of Singapore. The views expressed in this paper are the author's own and not those of the Authority.     

Comparing Big Givers and Small Givers: Financial Correlates of Corporate Philanthropy

In a departure from the traditional studies of corporate philanthropy that focus on board composition, advertising, and social networks, the authors investigate the financial correlates of corporate philanthropy. The research design controls for firm size and industry while observing firms from a variety of industries. The sample contains matched pairs of generous and less generous corporate givers. The authors find, as hypothesized, a positive relationship between a firm's cash resources available and cash donations, but no significant relationship between corporate philanthropy and firm financial performance, regardless of whether corporate philanthropy is measured as cash payouts or the aggregate contributions that charities actually receive, and regardless of whether financial performance is gauged using accounting measures or market measures. Whereas the link between available resources and corporate philanthropy is well accepted in the literature on corporate social responsibility, it has been rarely tested and never so definitively found as in this research.     

Corporate Reputation and Philanthropy: An Empirical Analysis

This paper analyzes the determinants of corporate reputation within a sample of large UK companies drawn from a diverse range of industries. We pay particular attention to the role that philanthropic expenditures and policies may play in shaping the perceptions of companies among their stakeholders. Our findings highlight that companies which make higher levels of philanthropic expenditures have better reputations and that this effect varies significantly across industries. Given that reputational indices tend to reflect the financial performance of organizations above other factors (Fryxell, G. E. and J. Wang: 1994, Journal of Management 20, 1–14) and that elements of the literature emphasise that discretionary aspects of social responsibility, including corporate donations, may not be in the financial interests of organizations (e.g. Friedman, M.: 1970, “The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase its Profits”, New York Times Magazine, September 13), this is a significant finding. It suggests that philanthropic expenditures may play a significant role in stakeholder management and may, in particular, lead to stakeholders holding more positive impressions of philanthropic corporations.     

管理防御视域下的管理者特征与公司业绩研究

在信息不对称和契约不完备的情况下,自利管理者与股东之间的利益冲突,引发管理者固守职位并最大化自身效用的管理防御行为。通过选择管理者年龄、管理者任期、管理者学历、管理者持股比例和管理者薪酬等特征变量,选取2003-2008年间6年连续上市的A股上市公司面板数据,从管理防御视角考察管理者特征与公司业绩的相关性。研究表明管理者年龄、管理者学历和管理者薪酬与公司业绩显著正相关,管理者任期与业绩显著负相关,管理者持股对业绩有负面影响。     

基于生产要素密集度的高管人员报酬激励与公司绩效研究

本文研究了不同要素密集产业上市公司高管报酬激励与公司绩效的关系。实证结果表明,在不同的要素密集产业类型中,高管报酬激励对公司绩效影响不同。在劳动密集型公司中,高管持股比例和高管年度收入与公司绩效呈显著正相关关系。而在技术密集型公司和资本密集型公司中,高管报酬激励变量与公司绩效不存在显著相关关系。另外,研究还发现国有终极产权不利于公司绩效的改善,对公司绩效有负面影响。     

慈善捐赠行为对企业品牌资产影响的实验研究

慈善捐赠行为对企业品牌资产的影响机理是一个理论难题,也是实务界关心的现实问题。本文采用实验研究方法,基于顾客的品牌资产理论认知,以大学生和高校后勤职工为对象,考察了不同类型慈善捐赠行为对企业品牌资产的影响,并分析了感知风险的调节作用。实验研究表明,“反应性-一般群体”类和“先行性-特定群体”类慈善捐赠行为能够提升品牌忠诚;四类慈善捐赠行为均对品牌知晓和品牌形象产生了正面影响;感知风险在慈善捐赠行为和企业品牌资产之间具有调节作用。     

管理者过度自信,融资偏好与公司投资

通过公司投资与现金流之间的敏感度具体考察管理者的过度自信行为对我国上市公司内部或者外部融资偏好行为的影响,结果表明:总经理的年龄越大,任职时间越长,学历越高,以及当总经理拥有理工类教育背景时,总经理的过度自信行为越弱,因此,总经理更多地利用外部融资而不是内部融资,从而公司投资与现金流之间的敏感度越弱;而当总经理拥有经管类教育背景时,总经理的过度自信行为越强,因此,总经理更少地利用外部融资,从而公司投资与现金流之间的敏感度越强。     

Women on Corporate Boards of Directors and their Influence on Corporate Philanthropy

This study examined the relationship between the proportion of women serving on firms' boards of directors and the extent to which these same firms engaged in charitable giving activities. Using a sample of 185 Fortune500 firms for the 1991–1994 time period, the results provide strong support for the notion that firms having a higher proportion of women serving on their boards do engage in charitable giving to a greater extent than firms having a lower proportion of women serving on their boards. Further, the results suggest a link between the percentage of women on boards and firm philanthropy in the areas of community service and the arts, but found no link between women boardmembers and firm giving to support education or public policy issues. The implications of the findings and some areas for future research are discussed.     

制度环境、产权性质与公司慈善捐赠--来自沪深A股上市公司的经验证据

公司慈善捐赠驱动因素的研究已有很多成果,但从制度环境和产权性质角度进行研究的很少。本文以沪深A股上市公司为样本,系统考察了制度环境、产权性质对公司慈善捐赠的影响。研究证实,中国各地区制度环境差异显著影响公司慈善捐赠,制度环境的改善促进了企业捐赠水平的提高,且这种正向影响在非国有控股企业表现更为明显。非国有控股企业捐赠水平高于国有控股企业,且在国有控股企业中,地方政府控股国有企业捐赠水平高于中央政府控股企业。这些结论对理解制度环境在促进企业捐赠中的作用,认识中国不同产权性质企业慈善行动的深层含义具有一定的启示意义。     

The CEO's Influence on Corporate Foundation Giving

Some scholars have argued that CEOs may have excessive influence on their foundation's trustees to give away a portion of company profits to charitable causes in order to gain access to elite circles or support the CEO's personal causes. This may result in charitable contributions that ultimately serve the personal interests of the CEOs without regard to corporate interests or social needs. We examine the extent that CEOs appear to direct charitable giving to be compatible with their own personal interests, and if CEO participation on the foundation board affects the relationship between CEO personal interests and charitable giving. Using a sample of 160 corporate foundations, our results showed that CEOs' interests, as measured by membership in different non-profit organizations, was associated with foundation charitable giving. This association decreased, but was not eliminated, when CEOs were absent from the foundation board. Implications of these findings for researchers and managers are discussed in regards to both agency theory and stewardship theory.     

The Mediating Effects of Managerial Skills on the Relationship Between Managerial Values,Ethical Leadership,and Organizational Reputation

Drawing on the upper echelons theory, this study examines the mediating effects of managerial skills on the relationship between managerial values, ethical leadership, and organizational reputation. Data were obtained from 209 manufacturing companies in the People’s Republic of China. Regression results reveal that (1) managerial values positively affect ethical leadership and organizational reputation and (2) managerial skills mediate the effects of managerial values on ethical leadership, and on organizational reputation. The study sheds light on the mechanisms through which managerial self-transcendence values but not self-enhancement values affect ethical leadership and organizational reputation.     

The Ethics of Marketing Good Corporate Conduct

Companies that contribute to charitable organizations rightly hope that their philanthropic work will also be good for the bottom line. Marketers of good corporate conduct must be especially careful, however, to market such conduct in a morally acceptable fashion. Although marketers typically engage in mild deception or take artistic license when marketing goods and services, these sorts of practices are far more morally troublesome when used to market good corporate conduct. I argue that although mild deception is not substantially worrisome with respect to the marketing of most goods and services, it is a far greater moral blunder to use such methods in the marketing of good corporate character. These erode trust and demonstrate alack of adequate respect for the moral good. In light of these concerns, I suggest that such practices must be re-examined when applied to the marketing of corporate character and good conduct. Finally, I develop a revised set of ethical guidelines that are needed in order to address the problems peculiar to the marketing of morally praiseworthy behavior.     

对企业财务管理的伦理思考

不仅企业理财行为屡屡与社会整体利益相悖,经典的财务管理理论也在方法论、理论假设、理论立场等方面忽视伦理道德。然而,企业理财行为要接受社会制度的约束,本质上与伦理道德客观相容。企业在理财中必须充分考虑利益相关者的要求,对利益相关者负起道德责任。     

Measuring Corporate Performance by Building on the Stakeholders Model of Business Ethics

The main thesis guiding the conceptual development of our corporate performance measurement model is that business success – defined as long-term survival and growth – is determined by relationship quality (1) among the various organizational departments (internal stakeholders), (2) between internal and external stakeholders, and (3) between internal and distal stakeholders. Relationship quality among internal stakeholders is conceptualized and operationalized in terms of internal service quality. Relationship quality between internal and external stakeholders is conceptualized and operationalized in terms of external service quality. Relationship quality between internal and distal stakeholders is conceptualized and operationalized in terms of company goodwill. Thus, corporate performance of manufacturing firms can be measured by a survey of representatives of internal, external, and distal stakeholders. Corporate strategies can be developed as a direct function of strengths and weaknesses uncovered by corporate performance measurement.     

Social Responsiveness,Profitability and Catastrophic Events: Evidence on the Corporate Philanthropic Response to 9/11

In this study we seek to determine whether catastrophic events lead to corporate charitable giving unrelated to levels of firm profitability. We examine the issue relative to the corporate philanthropic response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks of 2001. Based on a sample of 489 Fortune 500 companies, we find that differences in the extent of corporate contributions following 9/11 are positively and significantly associated with differences in firms' profitability. Further, while the degree of connection to the catastrophic event led to higher levels of giving in comparison to the contributions of less connected firms, differences in the extent of philanthropy are still␣related to short-term profitability for the more connected firms. The study thus provides evidence suggesting that even in the wake of catastrophic events, corporate philanthropic giving is constrained by economic concerns.     

Information Technology Professionals’ Perceived Organizational Values and Managerial Ethics: An Empirical Study

This paper summarizes the results of an analysis of empirical data on ethical attitudes of professionals and managers in relation to organizational core values in the Information Technology (IT) industry. This study investigates the association between key organizational values as independent variables and the ethical attitudes of IT managers as dependent variables. The study also delves into differences among IT non-managerial professionals, mid-level managers, and upper-level managers in their ethical attitudes and perceptions. Research results indicated that IT professionals from mechanistic organizations were much more likely to report – compared to those from organic organizations – that managers in their corporate environment engage in behaviors considered unethical and that successful managers were more unethical relative to unsuccessful managers. There were significant differences between the upper-level managers and the mid-level managers and between the mid-level managers and the IT non-managerial professionals on certain key ethical issues. This paper discusses the conceptual framework, hypotheses, research methodology, data analysis, implications of the findings, and suggested areas of further research. K. Gregory Jin, D.B.A, is Professor of the MIS Department, Ancell School of Business, Western, Connecticut State University. He has published numerous conference papers, chapters, and articles in such areas as MIS professional ideology and ethics, communication and control, behavioral issues in information systems development, role of IT and human factors in business process reengineering, service learning in database design, systems theory, MIS participant action research strategy, and political factors in IT management. He has more than twenty years of MIS administrative and professional experiences. He holds a D.B.A. in Information Technology Management from George Washington University. He is a member of the Association of Information Technology Professionals and a former member of DSI. Ronald G. Drozdenko, Ph.D., is Professor and Chair of the Marketing Department, Ancell School of Business, Western Connecticut State University. He is also the founding Director of the Center for Business Research at the Ancell School. Dr. Drozdenko has co-directed more than 100 proprietary research projects since 1978 for the marketing and research and development departments of several corporations, including major multinationals. These projects were in the areas of strategic planning, marketing research, product development, direct marketing, and marketing database analysis. Dr. Drozdenko co-authored Optimal Database Marketing: Strategy, Development and Data Mining and also has published professional and academic articles and book chapters. He holds a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from the University of Missouri and is a member of the American Marketing Association, the Society for Consumer Psychology, and the Academy of Marketing Sciences. Richard A. Bassett, D.P.S, is an Associate Professor of Management Information Systems at Western Connecticut State University. He was founder and CEO of Bassett Computer Systems, Inc. for 17 years where he was involved with the design and implementation of information systems for hundreds for small and midsized businesses. He has authored several papers and articles in such areas as web-design as a web-master, web-based course design, the security threats and concerns faced by telecommuters, minimal steps required to secure a Local Area Network and the technology decision challenges which growing companies face. He is actively involved with technology endeavors of numerous nonprofit organizations including: The Children’s Center, Bridges of Milford, North Haven Rotary, Communicare, and the Amber Alert System. He holds a D.P.S. in Computing from Pace University.     

Corporate Identity of a Socially Responsible University – A Case from the Turkish Higher Education Sector

Facing increased competition, universities are driven to project a positive image to their internal and external stakeholders. Therefore some of these institutions have begun to develop and implement corporate identity programs as part of their corporate strategies. This study describes a Turkish higher education institution’s social responsibility initiatives. Along with this example, the study also analyzes a specific case using concepts from the Corporate Identity and Corporate Social Responsibility literature. The motives leading the university to manage its corporate identity, the social responsibility initiatives in the local and national communities, and the possible benefits of these initiatives for the parties involved are all identified. The major finding is that philanthropy is one of the main elements of Istanbul Bilgi University’s corporate identity program and that the university has altruistic motives for its social responsibility initiatives. M.G. Serap Atakan is an assistant professor at the Department of Business Administration of Istanbul Bilgi University, Turkey. She is teaching and conducting researches on business ethics, corporate social responsibility and retailing. She has a co-authored article published in the Journal of Business Ethics. Tutku Eker is a doctorate student at the Department of Management of Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey. Her research interests include business ethics, corporate social responsibility and branding. She is also a teaching assistant at the Department of Business Administration of Istanbul Bilgi University.     

Indulgence versus Restraint: The Moderating Role of Cultural Differences on the Relationship between Corporate Social Performance and Corporate Financial Performance

Adapting to the cultural environment surrounding, a firm is of paramount importance in international marketing practices. Extant marketing literature provides meager guidance to marketers on how to adapt to cultural factors to turn corporate social responsibility strategies into financial outcomes. To address this gap, we utilize the instrumental stakeholder theory and Hofstede's cultural framework to investigate the moderating effect of indulgence versus restraint culture on the relationship between corporate social performance (CSP) and corporate financial performance (CFP). Applying a panel data regression analysis to a dataset of CSP and CFP data for 3753 firms from 43 different countries, we demonstrate that CSP has a positive effect on CFP. However, we show that CSP has a weaker effect on CFP in firms located in indulgent countries. Therefore, to generate financial outcomes, we recommend managers to allocate more resources to CSP initiatives if the firm is operating in a culturally restrained country.     

企业捐赠行为与公司价值重构——基于公众价值观的分析

对现代公司而言,社会公众的道德诉求能否与公司经济利益相兼容,是企业捐赠行为研究中难以回避的一个重要问题。由于引入投资者效用函数使得公众利益与"股东"利益保持一致,因而可以通过建模从理论层面上探讨企业捐赠行为与实现公司价值重构的可能性及其相关条件。结果表明:虽然捐赠减少了公司的现金流量,但投资者的价值认同使其在资本市场上依然能够实现较高的公司价值。因此,公众价值观的偏好程度及投资者对公司的溢价激励直接决定了公司价值的高低,即企业捐赠存在的合理与否。而培育理性的公众价值观是实现这种激励的重要保障。     

Corporate Argumentation for Acceptability: Reflections of Environmental Values and Stakeholder Relations in Corporate Environmental Statements

This article studies argumentation for acceptability of corporate environmental actions in corporate environmental statements, with emphasis on stakeholder relations and environmental values. Stakeholder theory is commonly taken as the basis for corporate environmental management, and rhetoric typical of the stakeholder approach dominates the field. Although environmental issues are strongly charged with values, the dominant stakeholder approach does not stress the value dimension. The data of the study consists of environmental statements by Finnish forerunning business corporations in the forefront of corporate environmental responsibility. The results of the study indicate that the statements argue for the acceptability of corporate environmental actions through three power-related rhetorical forms that are competing ways to produce acceptability in the data: dominance, subordination and equality, and joint action. Each rhetorical form describes a power-based relationship between stakeholders and the corporation and leans on a specific value type producing legitimacy for that rhetoric form.