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Critical Mass of Women on BODs, Multiple Identities, and Corporate Philanthropic Disaster Response: Evidence from Privately Owned Chinese Firms

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Abstract

Although previous studies focus on the role of women in the boardroom and corporate response to natural disasters, none evaluate how women directors influence corporate philanthropic disaster response (CPDR). This study collects data on the philanthropic responses of privately owned Chinese firms to the Wenchuan earthquake of May 12, 2008, and the Yushu earthquake of April 14, 2010. We find that when at least three women serve on a board of directors (BOD), their companies’ responses to natural disasters are more significant. Age diversity among women on BODs as well as good corporate profitability (e.g., high earnings per share) positively moderates the relationship between women on BODs and CPDR.

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Notes

  1. The website is http://www.cninfo.com.cn/default.htm.

  2. The information published on http://finance.sina.com.cn/blank/zzqyxd.shtml also provides corporate giving data.

  3. We are grateful to our reviewers who kindly taught us how to specify this practical implication.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by grants from National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 71272002; No. 71002049; No. 70902066), New Teacher Fund of Chinese Ministry of Education (No. 20106102120055; No. 20090201120038), and the Supported by Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (NCET-11-0816). We also thank to the Social Science Promotion Program in Northwestern Polytechnical University (No. RW201211), Young Professor Promotion Program of Management School in Northwestern Polytechnical University, and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (08143053) in Xi’an Jiaotong University. The authors also express their appreciation to the section editor Joelle Vanhamme and three anonymous reviewers for their suggestions and comments. However, the authors are responsible for all errors in the paper.

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  1. School of Management, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Shaanxi, 710072, China

    Ming Jia

  2. School of Management, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi, 710049, China

    Zhe Zhang

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  1. Ming Jia
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Correspondence to Zhe Zhang.

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Jia, M., Zhang, Z. Critical Mass of Women on BODs, Multiple Identities, and Corporate Philanthropic Disaster Response: Evidence from Privately Owned Chinese Firms. J Bus Ethics 118, 303–317 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-012-1589-7

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