Corporate social responsibility, product market perception, and firm value

We examine whether corporate social responsibility (CSR) is used to signal product quality and whether CSR affects firm value through its positive effect on product market perception. Using a proprietary database, we find that visible CSR, such as environmental and community involvement, positively impacts product market perception, particularly for standardized goods and in competitive industries, and that this impact is more pronounced for product quality attributes. Furthermore, we find that CSR indirectly increases firm value through an improvement in product market perception. We conclude that product market perception is a channel through which CSR creates firm value. •We examine whether corporate social responsibility (CSR) is used to signal product quality and affects firm value.•Using a proprietary database, we find that visible CSR,positively impacts product market perception,•This effect is more pronounced for standardized goods and in competitive industries, and for product quality attributes.•We find that CSR indirectly increases firm value through an improvement in product market perception.•We conclude that product market perception is a channel through which CSR creates firm value.