Organized labor and corporate philanthropy: Evidence from Korea

摘要

This study examines the impact of organized labor on corporate philanthropy, focusing on Korean firms. We find a positive association between the labor unionization ratio and the corporate philanthropy of firms, especially for non-Chaebol-affiliated firms and firms that have positive operating cash flow. The results from the robustness tests, which employ alternative union strength proxies and two-stage least squares regression analyses, support our major findings. The findings indicate that unionized firms can utilize corporate philanthropy to boost their bargaining power regarding wages and collective bargaining power with unions by reporting lower earnings. This study contributes to the corporate philanthropy and labor union literature by providing evidence that the labor union is a crucial stakeholder that may affect firms' philanthropic behavior. Our findings explain corporate philanthropic decisions in the Korean context.