Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
acceptedVersion
Publication Date
11-2022
Abstract
Although corporate social performance has become an important measure of firm performance, there is little understanding about how firms respond to social performance feedback and how impression management may function as an important firm response to the feedback. Building upon and extending the literature on the behavioral theory of the firm and the strategic use of language, we examine how discrepancies between firms’ social performance and their aspiration levels affect how firms use visual expressions in their CSR reports. In addition, we argue that the relationship between social performance discrepancies and the use of visual expressions in CSR reports is moderated by the extent to which firms conduct socially responsible activities to enhance legitimacy (reflected in the level of state ownership) and the extent to which firms engage in social activities to improve financial performance (reflected in foreign exposure). Using a sample of Chinese firms issuing CSR reports from 2009 to 2017, our empirical results provide strong support for these arguments.
Keywords
Behavioral theory of the firm, impression management, corporate social responsibility, visual
Discipline
Asian Studies | Business Law, Public Responsibility, and Ethics | Organizational Behavior and Theory | Strategic Management Policy
Research Areas
Strategy and Organisation
Publication
Journal of Management
Volume
48
Issue
8
First Page
2382
Last Page
2420
ISSN
0149-2063
Identifier
10.1177/01492063211042266
Publisher
SAGE Publications (UK and US)
Citation
WANG, Heli; JIA, Ming; XIANG, Yi; and LAN, Yang.
Social performance feedback and firm communication strategy. (2022). Journal of Management. 48, (8), 2382-2420.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/6890
Copyright Owner and License
Authors
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1177/01492063211042266
Included in
Asian Studies Commons, Business Law, Public Responsibility, and Ethics Commons, Organizational Behavior and Theory Commons, Strategic Management Policy Commons