The impact of suppliers' CSR controversies on buyers' market value: The moderating role of social capital

Abstract

A firm's CSR controversies can affect not only the firm itself but also its supply chain partners. However, existing studies have predominantly focused on the influence of a firm's own CSR controversies; the spillover effect along supply chains has received insufficient attention. This study examines the impact of suppliers' CSR controversies on buyers' market value, as well as the moderating role of buyers' social capital. Using data from 462 buyer-supplier dyads of Chinese listed firms from 2008 to 2019, we find that suppliers' CSR controversies are significantly negatively related to buyers' market value, and that environmental controversies have a stronger negative effect than social controversies. This negative association can be alleviated by buyers' social capital in the forms of political, business, and financial capital. Our study has significant implications for both research and practice in the increasingly important domain of CSR management in supply chains.