Corporate social responsibility and financial performance
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the interaction between sustainability and financial performance. Can socially responsible investors, integrating environmental, social and ethical issues in their investment policy, expect the same return as traditional investors?
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the sustainability ratings of a specialized rating agency, Vigeo, a Fama and French approach is performed to adapt for style biases in the performances.
Findings
The results indicate that, on a style‐adjusted basis, high sustainability‐rated portfolios have performed better than low‐rated portfolios, but, probably due to the short horizon, not to a significant extent. The same results are found for four out of the five sub‐ratings of which the sustainability rating is composed, suggesting that sustainability is a broad and multidimensional concept that cannot be attributed to one specific theme or topic. The results also indicate that investors are ready to pay a premium for companies with good management of their relations with shareholders, clients and suppliers.
Research limitations/implications
Owing to the rather new concept of socially responsible investing and in order to avoid survivorship bias, only a relative time horizon is considered.
Practical implications
There is no cost involved in integrating sustainable dimensions in the investment policy.
Originality/value
The paper shows the relevance of socially responsible investing when one adjusts for style differences within the portfolio.
Keywords
Citation
Van de Velde, E., Vermeir, W. and Corten, F. (2005), "Corporate social responsibility and financial performance", Corporate Governance, Vol. 5 No. 3, pp. 129-138. https://doi.org/10.1108/14720700510604760
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2005, Emerald Group Publishing Limited