Effect of National Culture on Corporate Social Responsibility

Abstract

The literature recognizes several endogenous and exogenous factors influencing the behavior and performance of companies in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The aim of the study is to analyze the effect of culture (Hofstede dimensions) on CSR in BRIC countries. The sample comprised 397 companies from Brazil, Russia, India and China, using Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Kruskall-Wallis and Mann-Whitney statistical tests. The findings indicate that the cultural dimensions of individualism, distance from power, indulgence and long-term orientation were not statistically significant. Meanwhile, the indicator of masculinity proved to be negatively significant, showing that in countries with male cultures companies have lower performance in CSR. The dimension aversion to uncertainty was positively related, indicating that companies located in countries with greater aversion to uncertainty are more likely to be involved with CSR. Additionally, internal aspects such as size, big four, sales growth and ROA were also explanatory factors for CSR performance. The study contributes to researchers, analysts and managers of companies operating in the international sector, considering that the discussion on factors that influence the process of implementation and disclosure of CSR deepens, which enables better meeting the expectations of stakeholders in social responsibility, considering the cultural differences that may allow greater knowledge for suitability in different markets. Based on the results, it is possible to outline different operating strategies for different markets, which gives managers greater confidence and stakeholder confidence.

Keywords

• cultura, responsabilidade empresarial, características organizacionais, hofstede.