The Effects of Top Management Team R&D Functional Background on Corporate Social Responsibility: Detrimental or Beneficial in Family Firms?

ABSTRACT This study investigates the influence of TMT R&D functional background on corporate social responsibility (CSR), using data from Chinese‐listed family firms from 2010 to 2020. The results demonstrate that the CSR performance of family firms is negatively influenced by the R&D functional background of TMT. These conclusions continuously demonstrate robustness following endogeneity and robustness tests. Furthermore, the primary channels via which the TMT R&D functional background influences CSR performance are digital transformation and family control channels. The TMT R&D functional background exerts a more significant adverse impact on CSR in family firms with multiple shareholding or actual controllers not serving as the chairman or general manager.