FIRM CHARACTERISTIC AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN LISTED INDUSTRIAL GOODS COMPANIES IN NIGERIA: MEDIATING EFFECT OF CEO ATTRIBUTE

Abstract

This study examined the effect of firm characteristics on Corporate Social Responsibility of listed Industrial Goods Companies in Nigeria with a mediating effect of CEO Attributes. The study adopted ex-post facto research design and collected data using secondary method generated from annual reports of the selected companies. The data was collected from 13 listed industrial goods companies in Nigeria for the period of ten years (2012-2021). The data was analyzed using regression with the help of STATA. The findings of the study revealed that ROA and firm size have positive and significant effect on CSR. Leverage was found to have a negative and significant effect on CSR. Also, liquidity has a negative and insignificant effect on CSR. The mediation results shows that CEO education has positively and significantly mediates the relationship between ROA and firm size on CSR of listed industrial goods firms. While, it exert negative and insignificant effects on the relationship between leverage and liquidity on CSR. Given the  study’s findings, ROA and firms size should be improve over the period if the firms want to sustain it level of performance. Also, the study recommends that firms should focus more on CEO education if it wants to ameliorate on its profit and firm size. Finally, as part of corporate social responsibility practice, firms should ensure that there is presence of more educated CEO as such educated CEO would directly or indirect  effect the level of CSR among the industrial goods firms in Nigeria.