Corporate Social Responsibility Rating, Corporate Governance, and Financial Distress: Evidence from China

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and financial distress in China using the O-score and a Chinese sample of 4202 observations between 2011 and 2017. The relationship is accordingly more pronounced in weak corporate governance firms with low levels of institutional shareholders and free cash flow and among non-state-owned enterprises and mandatory CSR disclosure firms. The findings are robust to endogeneity through robustness checks and the 2013 Sichuan Lushan earthquake as an exogenous shock to CSR. Ultimately, the study will help investors, shareholders, and policymakers appreciate the impact of CSR dimensions.