Board members,corporate social responsiveness and profitability: Are tradeoffs necessary?

The relationship between corporate social responsiveness and profitability is investigated in a sample of corporate directors. The findings show there is no relationship between the level of director social responsiveness and corporate profitability. The implications of these results are discussed, especially as they relate to concerns about corporate governance.Hugh M. O'Neill is an Associate Professor of Strategic Management at the University of Connecticut. He has published studies on corporate strategies and on worker alienation.Charles Saunders is Professor of Strategic Management at the University of Connecticut, and Director of the Ph.D. Program. He has written numerous articles for a wide variety of business journals.Anne McCarthy is a doctoral student in Strategic Management at the Krannert Graduate School of Management, Purdue University. She has an MBA from the University of Connecticut and an AB in Economics from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Her research interests include strategy and entrepreneurship as well as business ethics.