The Relationship between Corporate Social Performance and Corporate Financial Performance in the Banking Sector

Abstract

Since the 1970's Anglo-American studies have investigated the theme of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Numerous studies have focused on the analyzes of the possible costs and benefits that would result from the implementation of socially responsible initiatives in order to understand whether such initiatives entail economic and financial loss, or on the contrary, whether they guarantee the achievement of a competitive advantage.To this aim, numerous quantitative studies have been carried out to establish, largely in samples of multiple industries, the relationship between corporate social performance (CSP) and corporate financial performance (CFP). Such analyzes, however, have produced conflicting results and any attempt to give a generalized and coherent conclusion has proved inadequate. The present work attempts to investigate the possible connection between social performance and financial performance in the banking sector. In a sample of national and international banks, the eventual correlation between social performance (proxied using ethical ratings) and financial-economic performance (proxied using market and accounting ratios) has been examined. It emerges from these analyzes that there is no statistically significant link that indicates any positive or negative correlation between CSP and CFP.