Corporate social responsibility (CSR) är ett aktuellt ämne som syftar till att företag ska ta ett större samhällsansvar, både ur ett ekonomiskt, miljömässigt och socialt perspektiv. Den globalisering som råder i världen påverkar inte bara ett internt företagsklimat, det ger även effekter på omgivande samhälle och individer, vilket tillsammans med sociala påtryckningar skapar ett behov av CSR. Ansvaret till samhället innebär inte bara ekonomiska och lagliga aspekter, dock ska ett etiskt och filantropiskt perspektiv också antas. Idag är CSR ett frivilligt åtagande och för att kunna motivera företag till ett större ansvarstagande för sitt agerande ämnar denna studie att undersöka, ur ett nordiskt sammanhang, om ett företags hållbarhetsarbete genererar lönsamhet. Studien utgår från nordiska börsnoterade företag som ingår i Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI). Indexet representeras av de bäst presterande hållbarhetsföretagen i världen som kvalificerat sig till att ingå. Genom en deduktiv kvantitativ metod studeras sambandet mellan CSR och lönsamhet för att förklara vilken effekt variabeln Corporate Social Performance (CSP) har på variabeln Corporate Financial Performance (CFP) under tidsperioden 2010-20162010–2016. Fortsättningsvis undersöks skillnaden i lönsamhet mellan företag som inkluderats i DJSI och matchade likartade nordiska företag som inte ingår i indexet. Undersökningen baseras på sekundärkällor ur ett naturvetenskapligt perspektiv. Studien erhåller ett resultat som påvisar att företag som ingår i hållbarhetsindexet tenderar att vara mer lönsamma än företag som inte ingår genom att redovisningsbaserade mått, bruttomarginal och avkastning på totalt kapital (ROA), har applicerats. Studiens slutsats blir att CSR-arbete kan öka lönsamheten i nordiska företag genom att bli inkluderade i DJSI, studien visar dock att placeringen i indexet inte har någon betydelse. Därav blir studiens bidrag att motivera företag till ett större åtagande av hållbarhetsarbete eftersom CSR kan generera högre lönsamhet. / Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a current topic which aims to encourage companies to be more responsible as an societal actor, both from an economic, environmental and social perspective. The consequences of the globalization may not only affect the internal business environment, it will also affect the surrounding society and individuals, which together creates a demand for CSR. As a societal actor, companies needs to include ethical and philanthropic responsibilities, and not only take economic and legal aspects into consideration. Currently, CSR is a voluntary commitment and to motivate companies to embrace the responsibility for the society, this study aims to investigate, from a Nordic context, whether companies’ sustainability work generates profitability.   The study is based on Nordic listed companies included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index World (DJSI), which is an index where the top performing sustainability companies can qualify for an inclusion. The correlation between CSR and profitability will be studied through a deductive quantitative method to explain what impact Corporate Social Performance (CSP) has on Corporate Financial Performance (CFP) during the years between 2010-2016. Furthermore, the differences in profitability between companies included in DJSI matched Nordic companies that are not included in the index will be investigated. From a scientific perspective, the survey is based on secondary sources. The results of the study indicates that companies included in the sustainability index tend to have an improved profitability than companies that are not included. This by applying the accounting-based measures gross margin and return on assets (ROA). The conclusion of the study is that CSR can improve profitability among the Nordic companies by an inclusion in DJSI, but the study shows that the placement in the index does not have an impact. Hence, the contribution of this study is to motivate companies to a greater commitment to sustainability because CSR can generate improved profitability.

自1990年代中期，隨著環保、消費者權利、童工…等這些議題被廣泛檢討，越來越多人同意各別公司與整個社會是價值共享且相互依存的，若要達到共存共榮的理想，則公司必定要將社會責任融入其自身追求競爭力和商業策略的核心架構中。企業社會責任(Corporate Social Responsibility)並無公認標準，但一般泛指企業除了追求股東的利益極大化外，還必須兼顧員工、顧客、供應商、合作夥伴、社區團體、環境…等。 道瓊永續性指數(Dow Jones Sustainability Index)為現今資本市場衡量企業社會責任的標竿指數，而企業名列在被大眾認可的永續性指數上，就是企業可以傳達給利益相關者(stakeholders)，表明他們注重企業社會責任的訊號之一。藉由研究企業被涵蓋在聲譽卓著的永續性指數之內是否能為股東創造價值，本論文將探討企業永續發展和企業價值之間的複雜關係。 本研究利用傾向分數配對法(Propensity Score Matching)，降低進入與退出道瓊永續性指數這兩組公司間的異質性，以求得出的結果較不受公司規模、財務槓桿、產業等外在其他因素干擾。將2002至2009年間的樣本數配對後，以道瓊永續性指數作為企業社會責任之代理變數，以累積異常報酬率(Cumulative abnormal return)代表為股東創造之財富，我們追蹤資本市場對於企業進入和退出道瓊永續性指數的反應，來探討股東是否認同公司參與企業社會責任是創造價值之行為。 本研究結果顯示如下: 第一、當企業被加入道瓊永續性指數時，該企業之股東將獲得正向且顯著性的累積異常報酬率，這代表名列著名的的永續性指數是一個股東認可，且企業應追尋的目標。第二、當企業被道瓊永續性指數剔除時，該企業之股東將獲得負向但不顯著的累積異常報酬率。因此我們至少可以推論，從事企業社會責任活動，並不會破壞企業整體之價值。 / Corporate social responsibility (CSR) gradually becomes an important corporate strategy to every company in the worldwide economy. The social performance of a firm can shape the images to key stakeholders, no matter they are employees, suppliers, customers or investors, and influence decision making and relationships with the firm in the later stage. While corporations are busy engaging and enhancing CSR practices, there are few established empirical research on CSR effects and relevance in the capital markets. Hence, my thesis explores the relationship between corporate sustainability and firm value by asking whether membership on a recognized sustainability index is value generating. As stakeholders are urging that firms demonstrate their commitment to sustainability, one signal that companies can send to stakeholders to indicate that they are sustainable is membership on a recognized sustainability index. My research investigates this issue by tracing the market reaction to corporate entries and exits from Dow Jones Sustainability Index, recognized as a CSR benchmark, between 2002 and 2009. Instead of using regression models, I employ a propensity score matching (PSM) pairs design to overcome heterogeneity between different firms. My thesis highlights two main findings: a significant share price rising trend in cumulative abnormal returns (CAR) of the samples under the addition situation, suggesting that inclusion on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) is a goal that firms should pursue. Another is an insignificant negative stock market reaction while firms are removed from the DJSI, and I can draw from the results that, at the very least, adopting CSR doesn’t deteriorate the value of the firms. Our results suggest that the benefits of being included on the DJSI outweigh or equal to the costs associated with applying a membership on DJSI.

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