THE GOOD-FIRM PARADOX: WHEN FINANCIAL SUCCESS BREEDS SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY—AND WHEN IT DOESN’T’
Release time：22 January 2026
Jan
26
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Time & Date
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12:00 pm
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13:30 pm,
January
26,
2026
(Monday)
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Venue
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Room 403, Teaching Complex D Building
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| TOPIC | THE GOOD-FIRM PARADOX: WHEN FINANCIAL SUCCESS BREEDS SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY—AND WHEN IT DOESN’T’ |
| TIME&DATE | 12:00 am - 13:30 am, January 26, 2026 (Monday) |
| Venue | Room 403, Teaching Complex D Building |
| Speaker |
Prof. Wei YU National University of Singapore |
| Abstract | Why do equally successful firms pursue divergent social strategies? I address this paradox by developing a strain–visibility–salience (SVS) framework integrating behavioral theory of the firm, stakeholder theory and the CSR literature. Using a 20-year panel of 1,807 U.S. firms, I show that the translation of financial success into social action hinges on three mechanisms: visibility of overperformance, which shapes public pressure versus private discretion; orthogonality between responsible and irresponsible behaviors; and stakeholder-salience hierarchies. I find that peer overperformance increases CSR toward primary stakeholders, historical overperformance reduces CSR toward secondary stakeholders, and neither systematically affects CsiR. The study resolves a core paradox in corporate social behavior and develops a socially embedded account of aspiration-driven search and stakeholder management. |
| Biography | Wei Yu is an Assistant Professor at the National University of Singapore. Her research centers on entrepreneurship, innovation, and strategy, with a particular emphasis on how adversity shapes entrepreneurial and innovative behavior. She has published in leading journals including Strategic Management Journal, Journal of Management, Journal of Business Venturing, and Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, and serves on the editorial review boards of Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice. Her teaching focuses on the human elements of entrepreneurship and innovation, emphasizing judgment, resilience, and decision-making under uncertainty. |
