This paper investigates the correlation between firm's financial and social/environmental performance for Brazilian companies from 2001 to 2007, based on two types of panel data econometric models, which aim to analyze correlation and causality. The fixed effects model was used to estimate correlation, while a panel data IV model was used to investigate causality. The results show a positive correlation between corporate social/environmental and financial performance, mainly in the case of internal social investment, which is strongly positively correlated with the variable return on assets (ROA). The causality analysis also showed that the internal social investment has a positive and significant effect on ROA. This result is in accordance with those obtained by Laan et al (2008), which indicate that disregarding the wishes of the primary stakeholders (employees, consumers and investors) contributes negatively to performance measures.
Social; financial performance; social; endogeneity; panel data
