How does CEO social class perception impact employee-related CSR? Evidence from privately owned Chinese firms

Abstract

Despite recent progress, the literature is still unclear on the internal determinants of employee-related corporate social responsibility (CSR), particularly regarding the effect of the chief executive officer (CEO). Integrating upper echelons theory with the social class literature, this study examines how CEO social class perception influences private firms’ employee-related CSR. Based on a unique dataset from the Nationwide Private Firms Survey of China, this study empirically shows that higher CEO social class perception promotes a higher level of employee-related CSR activities in private firms. Additionally, this positive impact of CEO social class perception on employee-related CSR is amplified among younger firms and firms that face higher market munificence. Our study contributes to the current literature by enriching our understanding of the antecedents of employee-related CSR from the perspective of the CEO’s cognition of his or her social class and revealing the related informative boundary conditions.