Abstract
We propose a theory of strategic Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Value maximizing shareholders play an industry CSR game where they can opt for an objective function that extends beyond shareholder value, thus conditioning other strategic firm decisions. The theory provides a formalization of the “doing well by doing good” adage in an industry setting. We develop conditions such that the CSR game is a pure coordination game, which provides a natural and novel theory of strategic leadership in CSR: By committing to a CSR objective function, a first mover leads the industry to a Pareto superior equilibrium. The theory can rationalize recent evidence on correlated industry-wide CSR adoption, and carries implications for competition policy.
© Rui Albuquerque, Luis Cabral, 2021
All rights reserved. Distributed for discussion purposes only; not to be reproduced without permission.
The views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of ECGI or its members.
For copyright queries or takedown requests, contact wp@ecgi.org.
