Do Firm Size and Financial Performance Affect Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure: Employees' and Environmental Dimensions?

Abstract

The paper empirically tests the impact of company size and financial performance on Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure (CSRD), from the Employees' and Environmental Dimensions perspective with reference to the disclosure frequency and quality of these dimensions among Jordanian industrial public share holding companies; whether there is an impact of firm size measured by total assets, ROA, ROE and Leverage on Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosures levels toward employees' dimension (CSRD1) and the environmental activities Dimension (CSRD2) in the Jordanian public industrial firms. The paper analysis is based on contents disclosed in their annual reports for 2013. The study applies suggested CSRD checklist for measuring the extent of CSRD in annual reports of these companies. Regression analysis is used to examine this issue. This study describes from theoretical point-of-view, social responsibility activities, as well as some financial performance, and firm size. Then, an empirical review is gained of reports published by a representative sample from the industrial sector. An attempt has been made to verify if there is a correlation between CSRD1, CSRD2 contents disclosed, financial performance; profitability, Leverage and size. The paper found solid evidence to accept positive significant influence of company size on both types of CSRD dimensions; employees and the environment. It found a negative significant impact of leverage on CSRD -both employees and environment- dimensions. However, the study showed a positive significant impact of operating performance measured by Return on Assets (ROA) for the sample on CSRD towards employees dimension only, the impact of ROA on CSRD towards the environmental dimension is positive and insignificant. The impact of ROE has negative insignificant on CSRD towards employees. Consequently, it showed Positive insignificant impact of ROE on CSRD towards environmental dimension. This paper opens a new research path in CSRD, financial performance and size, for a possible link between both variables; a matter that has not been previously explored in Jordanian Industrial Public Shareholding Companies.