Do Chairmen's Rural Life Experiences Promote Product Safety Information Disclosure? Empirical Evidence From China

ABSTRACT Production safety information disclosure is critical for enhancing transparency and safeguarding public interest. Drawing on the imprinting theory and developmental psychology, this study explores how chairmen's early rural life experiences shape corporate product safety information disclosure and how this effect varies with industrial and regional policy contexts based on the imprint–environment fit perspective. Using the panel data of Chinese A‐share listed firms from 2007 to 2024, the empirical results reveal that: (1) chairmen's rural life experiences create enduring individual imprints associated with “safety production” and “reciprocal altruism,” which significantly promote corporate product safety information disclosure, particularly in private firms and those engaging in voluntary disclosure. (2) The imprinting effect is reinforced when firms operate within the agrifood industry or are located in National Food Safety Demonstration Cities. (3) The interaction between the agrifood industry membership and National Food Safety Demonstration City status produces a synergistic effect, amplifying the positive influence of chairmen's rural life experiences on product safety information disclosure. These findings underscore the dynamic interplay between micro‐level leadership imprints and macro‐level institutional environments in fostering corporate transparency and offer insights for enhancing product safety governance.