Corporate governance and social responsibility: A comparative analysis of the UK and the US

R. Aguilera Vaqués, Cynthia A. Williams, John M. Conley, Deborah E. Rupp

Research output: Indexed journal article Articlepeer-review

387 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This paper argues that key differences between the UK and the US in the importance ascribed to a company's social responsibilities (CSR) reflect differences in the corporate governance arrangements in these two countries. Specifically, we analyse the role of a salient type of owner in the UK and the US, institutional investors, in emphasising firm-level CSR actions. We explore differences between institutional investors in the UK and the US concerning CSR, and draw on a model of instrumental, relational and moral motives to explore why institutional investors in the UK are becoming concerned with firms' social and environmental actions. We conclude with some suggestions for future research in this area.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)147-158
Number of pages12
JournalCorporate Governance: An International Review
Volume14
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2006
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Anglo-American corporate governance system
  • Corporate social responsibility
  • Institutional investors

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