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A few thoughts on developing research ideas and navigating trade-offs

Wed, May 08, 2024

Speaker:王鹤丽 教授 (新加坡管理大学)

Time/Date:2024年5月9日(周四) 10:00

Classroom:同济大厦A座401教室

LAN:中文报告(英文演示文稿)

课程描述 | DESCRIPTION

During the seminar, I will share two papers that I’m involved with – one that has been previously published and another that is a working paper. Through these presentations (probably focus somewhat more on the second one), I will share the thought processes in developing these research projects.

Paper 1. Good Deeds Done in Silence: Stakeholder Management and Quiet Giving by Chinese Firms

We propose a new mechanism explaining why companies may remain silent about their positive corporate behaviors, such as socially responsible activities. We examine such strategic silence in the context of corporate philanthropy. Building on and extending the literature on legitimacy and stakeholder management, we argue that when a firm mistreats primary stakeholders, it is more likely to keep quiet about its philanthropic acts to avoid backlash from stakeholders. We also propose that long-term orientation among stakeholders mitigates the positive relationship between mistreating primary stakeholders and quiet giving, which allows stakeholders to appreciate the long-term value of corporate philanthropy. Data from listed Chinese firms show that firms are more likely to give quietly when they underpay their employees and/or investors. Moreover, research and development expenditures and institutional shareholding, as indicators of stakeholder long-term orientation, attenuate this relationship.

Paper 2. The Unintended Consequences of Mandatory CSR Regulations

We investigate how mandatory corporate social responsibility (CSR) regulations, designed to enhance CSR practices, might simultaneously influence firms’ propensity to engage in Corporate Social Irresponsibility (CSI). Using an abductive approach and a difference-in-differences methodology in the context of India where 2013 Companies Act (CA2013) mandates specific firms to allocate funds for CSR expenditure, we find that regulated firms, while increasing CSR expenditures, also experienced a significant reduction in CSI following CA2013 compared to non-regulated firms. This reduction in CSI is more pronounced for firms having strong moral identification, but not for firms facing intense stakeholder pressure and bearing high compliance cost. The results highlight the potential positive spillover effects of mandatory CSR regulation in mitigating CSI and suggest its potential mechanism in internal moral motivation.

GUEST BIO | 讲者介绍

王鹤丽教授现为新加坡管理大学李光前商学院战略管理讲席教授(Janice Bellace Professor)、研究生院院长、长江学者讲座教授,曾担任Academy of Management Journal和Academy of Management Review的副主编,以及Management Organization Review的咨询编辑。王鹤丽教授的研究聚焦于企业资源基础理论、战略人力资本、利益相关者管理和企业社会责任,众多研究成果发表于战略与组织领域顶级期刊,包括Academy of Management Review、Academy of Management Journal、Strategic Management Journal、Organization Science和Journal of International Business Studies等。

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