Corporate Social Responsibility and Intellectual Capital: The Moderating Role of Institutional Ownership in an Emerging Market

This study explores how corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure contributes to sustainable value creation by enhancing intellectual capital (IC) and investigates the moderating role of institutional ownership (IIOW) in this relationship. Using a panel dataset of 828 firm-year observations from non-financial Saudi companies listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) between 2016 and 2021, the analysis applies feasible generalized least squares (FGLS) regression to test the proposed relationships. The findings reveal a significant positive association between CSR disclosure and IC, underscoring the strategic importance of CSR in building intangible corporate assets. Moreover, IIOW strengthens this association, suggesting that IIOW plays a critical role in promoting sustainability-oriented practices. Robustness checks using alternative proxies and estimation techniques confirm the validity of the results. This study provides novel empirical evidence from Saudi Arabia, contributing to the CSR and IC literature in emerging markets and offering practical insights for policymakers, investors, and corporate leaders aiming to foster long-term organizational resilience.