Corporate social responsibility and financial performance: The case of the Saudi companies

Abstract

This research examines the effects of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on financial performance in the Saudi companies' context. In this context measuring, CSR is a necessary condition for knowledge of their own social responsibility and thus to control environmental and social impacts. Assessing the social and environmental performance, the establishment of a steering system for the performance and accountability on these external dimensions imply the existence of metrics to assess the quality of management of the business-related non-financial. The CSR and the financial performance are measured using two accounting variables: Return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE). The financial data are collected from the last ten years (2007-2017). The results show the absence of a relationship between the CSR and the financial performance measured by ROA, whereas there is a positive relationship if the financial performance is measured by the ROE.