Corporate social responsibility practices of Malaysian Islamic banks from the Shariah perspective: A focus on the key dimensions

Abstract

This study examines the corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure practices of Islamic banks in a developing economy, i.e., Malaysia. Specifically, the study focuses on all three full-fledged Islamic commercial banks over the years 2004-2010 and constructs a CSR Disclosure Index to score the disclosure level of the banks. The findings reveal that Bank Islam has a higher disclosure practice than other banks since 2006. Disclosures on dimensions such as corporate vision, employment, and product are found to be strong, while disclosures on environmentally related information tend to be weak. Generally, the Islamic banks studied indicate that their CSR disclosure practices have low compliance with the Shariah principles, a clear sign that there is a need for more dynamic enhancement in the practice. Such an effort is deemed crucial for the banks to retain their credibility and reputation as Islamic business organizations.