CSR Research: Responsible Corporate Leadership

Women report less gender discrimination in companies with more family-friendly policies and a high percentage of female employees.

Corporate citizenship investments have consequences for CEOs when they are being evaluated by the board.

With empirical evidence detailing operational benefits and stakeholder pressures mounting, firms are increasingly working to diversify their boards.

RESEARCH BRIEF - Companies working to increase the representation of Black employees in leadership positions should consider referral-based hiring.

RESEARCH BRIEF - When employees expose their managers to moral symbols in the workplace, managers are less likely to engage in unethical behaviors or ask their employees to engage in unethical behavior.

RESEARCH BRIEF - Firms with women directors have been shown to offer acquisition bids less frequently.

RESEARCH BRIEF - Companies should be aware of the prevalence of the unconscious gender bias that exists when evaluating a professional’s work.

RESEARCH BRIEF - The demographic composition of a board CSR committee influences its firm’s corporate citizenship performance.

RESEARCH BRIEF - While women are underrepresented on corporate boards across the world, there are certain factors that increase gender board diversity. Factors such as civic entitlements, societal equity, and access to education and health care all increase board gender diversity.

RESEARCH BRIEF - When CEO's indulge in higher levels of risk-taking behavior—such as exercising executive stock options—corporate citizenship performance suffers—which negatively impacts financial performance.

RESEARCH BRIEF - Gender diversity on a company’s leadership team is associated with a range of positive firm outcomes, including enhanced diversity, corporate governance, product development, and community performance.

RESEARCH BRIEF - Companies are more likely to adopt a chief diversity officer (CDO) position if they have long-term oriented leadership, competitors with a CDO, are focused on innovation, and/or have a diverse employee base.