Digital Transformation and Corporate Social Performance: How Do Board Independence and Institutional Ownership Matter?

Abstract

This study addresses a gap in the literature on corporate governance and corporate social responsibility (CSR) by investigating whether and how board independence and institutional ownership moderate the relationship between digital transformation and corporate social performance (CSP). We find that digital transformation increases CSP using a panel dataset of Chinese publicly listed firms between 2014 and 2018. Moreover, we show that this positive impact is more pronounced when firms have higher proportions of independent directors on the board and institutional owners. These findings contribute to a better understanding of CSR dynamics, supporting the formulation and implementation of efficient CSR strategies in the digital era.