Does Corporate Social Responsibility Facilitate Public Debt Financing?

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bin Xu ◽  
Yung Chiang Yang
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Public Debt ◽  
Debt Financing ◽  
Corporate Social

Corporate social responsibility disclosure and debt financing

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 394-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amal Hamrouni ◽  
Rim Boussaada ◽  
Nadia Ben Farhat Toumi
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Panel Data Analysis ◽  
Debt Financing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Financing Decisions ◽  
Csr Reporting ◽  
Csr Disclosure ◽  
Corporate Social

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting influences leverage ratios. In particular, this paper aims to determine whether firms with higher CSR disclosure scores have better access to debt financing. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a panel data analysis of non-financial French firms listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange and members of the SBF 120 index from 2010 to 2015. The environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure scores that are collected from the Bloomberg database are used as a proxy for the extent of ESG information disclosures by French companies. Findings The empirical results demonstrate that leverage ratios are positively related to CSR disclosure scores. In addition, the results show that the levels of long-term and short-term debt increase with the disclosure of ESG information, thus suggesting that CSR disclosures play a significant role in reducing information asymmetry and improving transparency around companies’ ESG activities. This finding meets the lenders’ expectations in terms of extrafinancial information and attracts debt financing sources. Research limitations/implications The research is based only on the quantity of the ESG information disclosed by French companies and does not account for the quality of the CSR disclosures. The empirical model omits some control variables (e.g. the nature of the industry, the external business conditions and the age of the firm). The results should not be generalized, since the sample was based on large French companies for 2010–2015. Practical implications France is a highly regulated context that places considerable pressure on French firms in terms of CSR policies. The French Parliament has adopted several laws requiring transparency in the environmental, social, and corporate governance policies of French firms. In this context, firms often regard CSR policies as constraints rather than opportunities. This study highlights the benefits that result from transparent CSR practices. More precisely, it provides evidence that the high disclosure of ESG information is a pull factor for credit providers. Originality/value This study extends the scope of previous studies by examining the value and relevance of CSR disclosures in financing decisions. More precisely, it focuses on the relatively little explored relationship between the extent of CSR disclosures and access to debt financing. This paper demonstrates how each category of CSR disclosure information (e.g. social, environmental and governance) affects access to debt financing. Moreover, this study focuses on the rather interesting empirical setting of France, which is characterized by its highly developed legal reforms in terms of CSR. Achieving a better understanding of the effects of ESG information is useful for corporate managers desiring to meet lenders’ expectations and attract debt financing sources.

scholarly journals Does capital structure influence the performance of corporate social responsibility? An analysis in companies of the world's largest economies

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. e174007
Author(s):  
Paula Pontes de Campos-Rasera ◽  
Gabriela de Abreu Passos ◽  
Romualdo Douglas Colauto
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Capital Structure ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Debt Financing ◽  
Publicly Traded ◽  
Publicly Traded Companies ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Capital Structure

Companies are under external and internal pressure to adopt Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices. Positive and significant results of the relationship between CSR and financial performance are not always confirmed in empirical studies, demonstrating, thus, no consensus has been achieved in CSR literature yet. Thereby, we seek to understand the influence of capital structure on the performance of CSR practices, since there is a theoretical omission about intangible attributes. We formulated three hypotheses about the relationship between CSR and: the capital structure (H1); the debt financing (H1a); and the shareholder’s equity (H1b). We used a sample of 1,642 publicly traded companies on the 10 highest GDP countries. Using GMM 2SLS estimator, the results reveal positive and significant relationship between shareholders’ equity and CSR, while for the relationship between debt financing and CSR shown a negative and significative correlation. Our findings suggest that companies with higher scores of CSR tend to finance itself through equity. We found differences between countries related to the Capital Structure volume required to achieve a CSR positive index. Our findings provoke further debate concerning the reasons that conduct organizations to adopt such practices and foster new discussions about the aspects that involve social practices responsible adoption in companies.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Disclosure and the Choice between Bank Debt and Public Debt

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 151-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weiqiang Tan ◽  
Albert Tsang ◽  
Wenming Wang ◽  
Wenlan Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Public Debt ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Bank Debt ◽  
Private Debt ◽  
Csr Disclosure ◽  
Corporate Social

SYNOPSIS This study examines whether and how corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure plays a role in firms' choices of public versus private debt financing. We find that borrowing firms with higher levels of CSR disclosure tend to rely more on public debt than private debt. Further analyses reveal that the relation between CSR disclosure and firms' reliance on public debt is stronger for borrowing firms with higher financial reporting quality, and with standalone or externally assured CSR reports. In addition, we find that borrowing firms with higher levels of CSR disclosure tend to issue bonds at more favorable terms (i.e., lower bond yield spread and longer maturity). Together, our findings are consistent with the notion that nonfinancial CSR disclosure plays an incrementally important role in a firm's debt placement decisions. JEL Classifications: G32; M14; M21. Data Availability: Data are available from the public sources identified in the paper.

Do creditors value corporate social responsibility disclosure? Evidence from Ghana

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Boachie ◽  
Joseph Emmanuel Tetteh
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Panel Data Analysis ◽  
Debt Financing ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Csr Disclosure ◽  
Corporate Social

Purpose Drawing on risk mitigation theory, this study aims to examine the link between corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure and the cost of debt financing (CDF). In particular, this paper seeks to determine whether firms with higher CSR disclosure scores have a lower CDF. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a panel data analysis of non-financial Ghanaian firms listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange from 2006 to 2019. The CSR index constructed from firms’ annual reports and sustainability reports is used as a proxy for the extent of CSR information disclosures by Ghanaian companies. Findings The empirical results demonstrate that CDF is positively related to CSR disclosure scores. Besides, the results show that the levels of long-term debt increase with CSR disclosure in a highly risky industry. However, the finding does not meet the lenders’ expectations in terms of CSR attracting favourable debt financing sources. Research limitations/implications The research is based only on the quantity of the CSR information disclosed by Ghanaian companies and does not account for the quality of the CSR disclosures. The empirical model omits some control variables such as the age of the firm and external business conditions. The results should not be generalized, as the sample was based on three listed industries in Ghana for 2006–2019. Originality/value This study extends the scope of previous studies by examining the importance of CSR disclosures in financing decisions. More precisely, it focuses on the relatively little explored relationship between the extent of CSR disclosures and access to debt financing. Moreover, this study focuses on the rather interesting empirical setting of Ghana, which is characterized by its low level of CSR awareness. Achieving a better understanding of the effects of CSR information is useful for corporate managers desiring to meet lenders’ expectations and attract debt financing sources.

scholarly journals Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure, Debt Financing Costs, and Innovation Capacity

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Yang Miao ◽  
Xiaoxue Zhou ◽  
Xin Dai
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Debt Financing ◽  
Disclosure Quality ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure ◽  
Financing Costs ◽  
Innovation Capacity ◽  
Csr Disclosure ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact

The challenges of financing have been troubling the development of Chinese enterprises, especially private enterprises. This paper aims to examine the antecedents and consequences of debt financing costs. Drawing on a sample of Chinese A-share listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen from 2009 to 2018, the study examined the relationship between corporate social responsibility disclosure, debt financing costs, and innovation capacity. This paper found that the quality of CSR disclosure is negatively related to the cost of debt financing and examined the situational differences in the impact of CSR disclosure quality under different property rights, different disclosure forms, and different forensic effects. Moreover, it is found that the negative effect of CSR disclosure quality on debt financing cost helps to induce the innovation capacity of enterprises. The findings of this paper have certain reference value for corporate improvement of social responsibility disclosure.

scholarly journals Editorial: From agency problem to the recent challenging issues in the corporate governance research

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 4-6
Author(s):  
Doriana Cucinelli
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
Agency Problem ◽  
Debt Financing ◽  
Corporate Ownership ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Corporate Social

We are pleased to present the second issue of 2021. This volume of the journal Corporate Ownership & Control is focused on corporate governance, corporate social responsibility, earning and performance management, risk management, debt financing and others.

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