Determinants and consequences of corporate social responsibility disclosure: A survey of extant literature

Abstract

This paper systematically analyzes and synthesizes the literature on the determinants and consequences of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure. The study is unique in that it synthesizes based on the geographical setting of the original research. We analyzed 135 empirical studies published in Chartered Association of Business Schools (ABS) ranked journals from 1982 to 2020. The results reveal that various global, country-specific, market-specific, and firm-specific factors are important in determining a firm's CSR disclosure policies. These factors are consistently relevant in both developed and developing economies. Furthermore, the synthesis shows that companies achieve various CSR disclosure-related benefits in the form of a better reputation, enhanced financial performance, better access to external finances, better stakeholder management, and enhanced corporate accountability. In terms of theories, we observe a high heterogeneity among various studies examining the same empirical phenomenon. Based on the analysis and review results, we identify avenues for future research.