Amiram Gill

Bio: Amiram Gill is an academic researcher from University of California, Berkeley. The author has contributed to research in topics: Corporate social responsibility & Accountability. The author has an hindex of 2, co-authored 2 publications receiving 277 citations. Previous affiliations of Amiram Gill include Stanford University.

Corporate Governance as Social Responsibility: A Research Agenda

Abstract: In the post-Enron years, corporate governance has shifted from its focus on agency conflicts to address issues of ethics, accountability, transparency, and disclosure. Moreover, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has increasingly focused on corporate governance as a vehicle for incorporating social and environmental concerns into the business decision-making process, benefiting not only financial investors but also employees, consumers, and communities. Currently, corporate governance is being linked more and more with business practices and public policies that are stakeholder-friendly. This article examines these developments and their impact on the formulation of a hybridized body of business legal norms by proceeding in three stages: First, the article explores the recent transformations in the regulation of corporate governance and corporate social responsibility and the shifts these two fields have experienced after Enron. Second, it reads these transformations as a convergence that encompasses both corporate self-regulation and the efforts by various social groups to make it more effective ('meta-regulation'). Third, the article discusses the prospects and challenges of this convergence by outlining a series of conceptual and methodological inquiries as well as policy ramifications to be pursued by scholars and practitioners in the field of law and corporate conduct.

Corporate Governance as Social Responsibility: A Research Agenda

Abstract: In the post-Enron years, corporate governance has shifted from its focus on agency conflicts to address issues of ethics, accountability, transparency, and disclosure. Moreover, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has increasingly focused on corporate governance as a vehicle for incorporating social and environmental concerns into the business decision-making process, benefiting not only financial investors but also employees, consumers, and communities. Currently, corporate governance is being linked more and more with business practices and public policies that are stakeholder-friendly. This article examines these developments and their impact on the formulation of a hybridized body of business legal norms by proceeding in three stages: First, the article explores the recent transformations in the regulation of corporate governance and corporate social responsibility and the shifts these two fields have experienced after Enron. Second, it reads these transformations as a convergence that encompasses both corporate self-regulation and the efforts by various social groups to make it more effective ('meta-regulation'). Third, the article discusses the prospects and challenges of this convergence by outlining a series of conceptual and methodological inquiries as well as policy ramifications to be pursued by scholars and practitioners in the field of law and corporate conduct.

Corporate Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure: Evidence from the US Banking Sector

Abstract: There is a distinct lack of research into the relationship between corporate governance and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the banking sector This paper fills the gap in the literature by examining the impact of corporate governance, with particular reference to the role of board of directors, on the quality of CSR disclosure in US listed banks’ annual reports after the US sub-prime mortgage crisis Using a sample of large US commercial banks for the period 2009–2011 and controlling for audit committee characteristics, board meeting frequency, and banks’ profitability, size and risk, we find evidence that board independence and board size, the two board characteristics usually associated with the protection of shareholder interests, are positively related to CSR disclosure This indicates that, with regard to CSR disclosure, more independent boards of directors and larger boards are the internal corporate governance mechanisms which promote both shareholders’ and other stakeholders’ interests Contrary to our expectations, CEO duality also impacts positively on CSR disclosure From an agency-theoretical viewpoint, this suggests that powerful CEOs may promote transparency about banks’ CSR activities for their private benefits While this could indicate that powerful CEOs are under particular pressure to appease stakeholders’ concerns that they might abuse their power by providing a high degree of CSR disclosure, it could also be a sign of managerial risk aversion or managers’ private reputational concerns

Looking Inside the Black Box: The Effect of Corporate Governance on Corporate Social Responsibility

Abstract: Manuscript Type Review Research Question/Issue This study provides a systematic multi-level review of recent literature to evaluate the impact of corporate governance mechanisms (CG) at the institutional, firm, group, and individual levels on firm level corporate social responsibility (CSR) outcomes. We offer critical reflections on the current state of this literature and provide concrete suggestions to guide future research. Research Findings/Insights Focusing on peer-reviewed articles from 2000 to 2015, the review compiles the evidence on offer pertaining to the most relevant CG mechanisms and their influence on CSR outcomes. At the institutional level, we focus on formal and informal institutional mechanisms, and at the firm level, we analyze the different types of firm owners. At the group level, we segregate our analysis into board structures, director social capital and resource networks, and directors' demographic diversity. At the individual level, our review covers CEOs' demography and socio-psychological characteristics. We map the effect of these mechanisms on firms' CSR outcomes. Theoretical/Academic Implications We recommend that greater scholarly attention needs to be accorded to disaggregating variables and yet comprehending how multiple configurations of CG mechanisms interact and combine to impact firms' CSR behavior. We suggest that CG-CSR research should employ a multi-theoretical lens and apply sophisticated qualitative and quantitative methods to enable a deeper and finer-grained analysis of the CG systems and their influence on CSR. Finally, we call for cross-cultural research to capture the context sensitivities typical of both CG and CSR constructs. Practitioner/Policy Implications Our review suggests that for structural changes and reforms within firms to be successful, they need to be complemented by changes to the institutional makeup of the context in which firms function to encourage/induce substantive changes in corporate responsible behaviors.

The Governance of Corporate Sustainability: Empirical Insights into the Development, Leadership and Implementation of Responsible Business Strategy

Abstract: This article explores how corporate governance processes and structures are being used in large Australian companies to develop, lead and implement corporate responsibility strategies. It presents an empirical analysis of the governance of sustainability in fifty large listed companies based on each company’s disclosures in annual and sustainability reports. We find that significant progress is being made by large listed Australian companies towards integrating sustainability into core business operations. There is evidence of leadership structures being put in place to ensure that board and senior management are involved in sustainability strategy development and are then incentivised to monitor and ensure implementation of that strategy through financial rewards. There is evidence of a willingness to engage and communicate clearly the results of these strategies to interested stakeholders. Overall, there appears to be a developing acceptance amongst large corporations that efforts towards improved corporate sustainability are not only expected but are of value to the business. We suggest that this is evidence of a managerial shift away from an orthodox shareholder primacy understanding of the corporation towards a more enlightened shareholder value approach, often encompassing a stakeholder-orientated view of business strategy. However, strong underlying tensions remain due to the insistent market emphasis on shareholder value.

The Influence of Board Composition on Sustainable Development Disclosure

Abstract: Despite knowing the potential effect of social reporting on firms' continuity, there is limited research into the influence of the composition of boards of directors on CSR disclosure. This paper adds to the emerging CSR literature empirical evidence by examining how board composition relates to a firm's social and environmental disclosure as well as the implementation of social policies. Using a sample of FTSE 350 firms for the period 2007–2012, the results show that higher board independence facilitates the conveying of firms' good citizenship image through enhancing societal conscience. The results also show that female participation on boards is favorably affecting CSR engagement and reporting as well as the establishment of ethical policies. Hence, the research suggests that boards with higher female participation and independence boost the legitimacy of CSR reporting. Board gender diversity and independence facilitate directing part of the firm's scarce resources toward value maximizing social projects and subsequent reporting on these. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

Corporate governance and corporate social responsibility disclosure: evidence from Pakistan

Abstract: Purpose This paper aims to investigate whether there is any change in corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure in Pakistani companies after the introduction of CSR voluntary guidelines in 2013 by Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) and determine the effect of corporate governance (CG) elements on CSR disclosure. Design/methodology/approach Content analysis was applied to measure CSR disclosure from annual and sustainability reports of 50 companies from eight different sectors from 2010 to 2014. Paired-samples t-test was applied to examine the difference in CSR disclosure. Regression analysis was used to examine the relationships between CG elements and CSR disclosure. Findings Paired-samples t-test shows an increase in the extent of CSR disclosure after the introduction of CSR voluntary guidelines in 2013. The one-way ANOVA test reveals that the extent of CSR disclosure is different across various sectors. Multiple regression results prove that independent directors, women directors and board size positively affect the extent of CSR disclosure. Practical implications SECP should enforce medium-sized firms to start producing CSR reports. Voluntary guidelines of 2013 moderately improved CSR reporting. Therefore, enforcement of the SECP rule of independent directors may enhance the extent of CSR disclosure. Originality/value This study is the first to examine the effect of CSR voluntary guidelines issued by SECP in 2013 and CG elements on CSR disclosure in Pakistan.