Enhancing corporate social responsibility in the digital economy era: Evidence from China

Abstract

This study examines how the digital economy era has enhanced corporate social responsibility (CSR) in China. Using data from Chinese listed companies (2013–2021) for economic research, an econometric model was constructed to assess CSR’s impact on the digital economy. The study findings indicate that the digital economy promotes CSR performance among companies and the influence of the digital economy on CSR performance is pronounced for state-owned and large-scale enterprises. After categorising CSR into three levels: financial, human, and social capital, the results demonstrate that the digital economy continues to facilitate CSR fulfilment across all levels, with the most significant impact observed at the human capital level. Mechanism tests suggest that the digital economy improves CSR fulfilment by alleviating financial constraints, facilitating digital transformation, and enhancing the transparency of internal control information within enterprises.