Stock Pledge by Controlling Shareholder and Corporate Social Responsibility*

Abstract We examine the influence of stock pledge by controlling shareholders on corporate social responsibility (CSR). Results show that firms exhibit poorer CSR performance when the controlling shareholders have more shares under pledge to financial institutions. Further analyses suggest that the negative relation between stock pledge and CSR only exists in financially constrained firms and non‐state‐owned firms, in which the pledging controlling shareholders have greater incentive to increase stock price and maintain their control rights. Our findings support a margin call hypothesis that firms tend to cut off CSR spending to improve short‐term financial performance and reduce the risk of losing control rights.