School of Business

Corporate Social Responsibility and Founder Legacy Dynamics Around Succession: An Intertemporal Choice Perspective

Document Type

Conference Paper

Abstract

Are family firms socially responsible? Leveraging behavioral theories of inter temporal choice, we argue that CSR evolves across different stages of succession. As founders approach retirement and identify successors, their desire to enhance their legacy grows, leading to an increase in CSR. Founders during this stage benefit from the satisfaction of passing on a responsible business. However, as heirs join the business, CSR declines as their legacy is far off. Our research on 2,072 listed Chinese family firms supports this multi-stage view, which is truer for older and first-born founders and younger heirs, heirs with shorter tenures, and those without children. © 2025, Academy of Management. All rights reserved.

Publication Title

Academy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings

Publication Date

7-2025

Volume

2025

Issue

1

ISSN

0065-0668

DOI

10.5465/AMPROC.2025.67

Keywords

behavioral theory, Chinese families, corporate social responsibility, family firms, inter-temporal choices, multi-stages

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