Corporate social responsibility, intangibles, and dynamic performance of the U.S. Airlines

Abstract

This study first employs the dynamic data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach to measure the operating performance of the U.S. airline industry for the period 2006-2014. We examine whether airlines included in the Kinder, Lydenberg, and Domini (KLD) database have higher efficiencies than airlines not included in the KLD database. The seven corporate social responsibility (CSR) dimensions available in the KLD database are used to proxy for CSR. Through a radar graph, we thus also document the extent to which the airlines have implemented each of the dimensions of CSR. Next, this study explores the relationship between CSR and the operating performance of the airlines. Our findings show an indirect relationship between CSR and operating performance, which relies on the mediating effect of intangibles, after accounting for potential endogeneity problem. The findings of this study can provide guidelines for coping with CSR issues in the airline industry and for implementing CSR policies.