The Relationship of Board Attributes, Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Financial Performance in Chinese Technology-Listed Companies

Abstract

—Chinese companies have paid more attention to corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities in recent years. This paper aimed to provide empirical evidence on the relationship between board attributes and CSR and between CSR and corporate financial performance of Chinese technology-listed companies. The data from 2011 to 2020 was obtained from the database systems of CSMAR, Bloomberg and Wind. A total of 2,726 listed technology companies in China were gathered. The data were analyzed by CSR metrics in the form of ESG scores using OLS regression analysis and fixed effect regression models. The findings report that Board independence is a strong driving force of CSR performance, whereas board gender has a significant negative impact on CSR performance. The correlation between board attendance and CSR performance is insignificant. CEO duality has a negative impact on CSR performance. The results highlight the importance of CSR performance which can promote corporate financial performance. This study fills up the gap in CSR related research in the technology industry and offer more evidence for further research between board diligence and CSR. The study presents feasible suggestions for enterprises in the Chinese technology industry to improve operation and management by providing theoretical and practical implications, to guide regulators and Chinese technology-listed companies in ensuring the sustainable development of the sector.