Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

acceptedVersion

Publication Date

1-2015

Abstract

This study posits that security analysts heed corporate social performance information and factor it into their recommendations to general investors. In particular, as corporate social performance is often uncertain and ambiguous to general investors, analysts may serve as the informational pathway connecting corporate social performance to firm stock returns. Thus, we argue that analyst recommendations mediate the relationship between corporate social performance and firm stock returns. On the basis of not only a qualitative study with literature searches and interviews of stock analysts but also a quantitative study with two longitudinal samples of large firms, we find support for these arguments. Our findings uncover an information-based underlying mechanism for the link between corporate social performance and financial performance.

Keywords

Corporate social performance, financial analysts, stock recommendations, stock returns

Discipline

Business Law, Public Responsibility, and Ethics | Portfolio and Security Analysis | Strategic Management Policy

Research Areas

Strategy and Organisation

Publication

Strategic Management Journal

Volume

36

Issue

1

First Page

123

Last Page

136

ISSN

0143-2095

Identifier

10.1002/smj.2219

Publisher

Wiley

Copyright Owner and License

Authors

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.2219

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