摘要

We investigate whether and how managerial risk-tolerance at the individual level affects corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance at company level. We use CEO aviation training as an observable ex-ante measure of CEO risk-tolerance. Contrary to a commonly held view, we show that firms led by CEOs with pilot status exhibit lower CSR performance. This finding holds even after controlling for CEO pay-performance incentives, military experience, overconfidence and other CEO and firm characteristics that prior studies document as affecting CSR performance. In further cross-sectional tests, we show that when a firm is R&D intensive, belongs to a high-tech industry, or faces fiercer product market competition, the negative effect of CEO risk-tolerance on CSR performance is more pronounced, suggesting that CSR may act as an insurance or risk-hedging tool. Overall, we provide evidence that risk-tolerance of CEO plays a significant role in shaping CSR performance.

  • 单位
    6; 5