Does Corporate Social Responsibility Enhance Financial Performance? Evidence from Australia

Abstract

Despite the heightened interest in corporate social responsibility (CSR) in recent years, the question of whether CSR affects a firm's financial performance remains unresolved. Using a sample of Australian publicly listed firms over the period 2009–2015, we find that CSR enhances financial performance. The positive relationship is more pronounced in mining firms than it is in non-mining firms. However, the financial benefit of CSR is negatively moderated by the level of industry competition. These empirical findings remain robust after controlling for sample selection bias and endogeneity and employing alternative variable measures and estimation methods. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of industry characteristics in explaining the effects of CSR on financial performance.