Corporate social responsibility: opportunistic behavior under earnings management?

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper investigates whether companies actively use social responsibility to divert public attention from the quality of their accounting information when implementing earnings management. The results show a significant positive relationship between EM and CSR. The mechanism of influence suggests that the risk of share price collapse, investor sentiment and the cost of capital play a mediating role. Subgroup tests reveal that this corporate masking and rent-seeking motive is more pronounced in underperforming, non-family-owned and non-state owned firms. Further research finds that corporate governance mechanisms such as equity incentives, fund ownership, and high concentration of equity can moderate this opportunism.