New research: What’s driving CSR at S&P 500 companies

It’s proven - CSR is good for business. But are all CEOs equally likely to pursue corporate social responsibility practices within their companies?

According to recent research from Otgontsetseg Erhemjamts, associate professor of finance at Bentley University, and her advisee, Sarah Maher, the answer is no. In research that explored whether the values from a CEO’s formative years affected his or her view of CSR, Professor Erhemjamts and her advisee found a positive correlation between the social capital of a CEO’s home state and their firm’s overall social responsibility rating. Additional variables explored include:
 

• Biographical data on S&P 500 CEOs (home state, age, gender, level of education)
• The firm’s profitability and performance, headquarter state and the MSCI ESG social responsibility ratings

If you are interested in connecting with Professor Erhemjamts to further discuss this research and the implications this could have on hiring processes and qualification standards for those being considered for the role of CEO, please contact Helen Henrichs, hhenrichs@bentley.edu, 781-891-2277.