The Effects of Corporate Social Responsibility and Wrongdoer Rank on Whistleblowing

Abstract

This study examines the effects of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and wrongdoer rank on the likelihood of reporting fraud internally versus externally. Using a 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment with 90 managerial accounting professionals as participants, we manipulate a hypothetical firm's CSR status (CSR firm versus non-CSR firm) and wrongdoer rank within the firm (CFO versus Senior Accounting Manager). Participants in the CSR condition are more likely than participants in the non-CSR condition to report fraud through the internal reporting channel relative to the external reporting channel. Further, results show that internal reporting likelihood is greater when the wrongdoer is the Senior Accounting Manager than when the wrongdoer is the CFO. Structural equation analysis reveals that affective organizational commitment fully mediates the relation between CSR status and the preference to report internally. JEL Classifications: M40; M14. Data Availability: Data are available upon request from the authors.