The impact of a CSR committee on CSR performance

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of introducing corporate social responsibility (CSR) committees on firms’ CSR performance. Using a sample of publicly traded Japanese companies for the period of 2011–2021, we employ propensity score matching difference-in-differences methods to address endogeneity issues. Our main findings reveal that the introduction of a CSR committee significantly improves CSR performance, providing support for the importance of structured and dedicated efforts toward achieving sustainability. In addition, our study contributes to the literature by examining the effects of the detailed components of environmental and social scores on CSR performance, offering a granular understanding of how CSR committees may influence various aspects of CSR performance.