Abstract
This paper explores the main drivers of CSR and its reporting for large Chinese listed companies, and identifies the key institutional pressures and stakeholder influences that shape CSR and its reporting. The data were collected through interviews with managers from large listed Chinese companies. Our findings reveal how the Chinese government uses social organisations and social intermediaries to facilitate and mediate CSR and its reporting to meet changing societal expectations across regions, while ensuring that companies remain responsive to the expectations of international stakeholders. We find that CSR and its reporting help companies gain political legitimacy domestically, while retaining their legitimacy in global markets. Companies co-operate with social organisations and social intermediaries actively and continuously. This helped companies secure political legitimacy with the government, while helping officials maintain their social legitimacy. Our findings on regional differences support the idea that relations between Chinese business and society have a fundamental effect on CSR and its reporting.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 36-64 |
| Number of pages | 29 |
| Journal | Accounting and Business Research |
| Volume | 51 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 30 Jun 2020 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2 Jan 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We would like to express our gratitude to the participants in our study. We also wish to thank participants in the CSEAR conference (North America), June 2018, the staff seminar at the Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa, June 2018 and the Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Accounting Conference in Edinburgh, July 2018 for their supportive and helpful comments. We are also indebted to Prof. Richard Macve and Prof. Jeffrey Unerman for their guidance and suggestions at the earlier stages of this project. Last but not least, we would like to gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (grant number: 5-439). Finally, we would like to thank the Editors for their editorial guidance and two anonymous reviewers for the feedback provided. The paper has improved significantly as a result. Usual disclaimer applies.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Keywords
- authoritarian CSR
- China
- CSR reporting
- institutional theory
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Accounting
