Convergence or disparity? Exploring the disclosure of Corporate Social Responsibility in Brazil and France

Abstract

The study aims to investigate the level of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) disclosure of Brazilian and French banks. It is a quantitative and descriptive study. We analyzed 8 environmental indicators and 24 social indicators of companies operating in Brazil and France, during the years 2015, 2016 and 2017. The results showed that French-based banks have greater disclosure of corporate social responsibility than Brazilian banks. The findings suggest that given the French institutional conditions, firms in France are more transparent, because there is greater social and regulatory pressure for the disclosure of CSR practices. Most research on CSR analyses developed countries, with few research comparing disclosure in countries with different degrees of economic development. Thus, the research fills the gap regarding the absence of studies on environmental disclosure in the Brazilian banking sector. The findings of this research can help managers in the decision-making process regarding environmental policies. Therefore, managers must understand how the institutional characteristics of the country work, before installing or relocating their industries.

Keywords

• responsabilidade social corporativa
• setor financeiro
• teoria da sinalização
• divulgação social
• divulgação ambiental