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Addressing the fact that there are few studies exploring the relationship between board characteristics and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in non-Western contexts, this study examines the relationship in South Korean corporate contexts. We concentrate on foreign directors as a board attribute, which is reported as a remarkable change in Korean corporate boards, and propose that foreign directors have different impacts on CSR investment depending on their nationality (Anglo-Americans vs. non-Anglo-Americans) and director types (insiders vs. outsiders). In detail, the presence of directors from Anglo-American countries (e.g., the United States, the United Kingdom) decreases firms’ CSR involvement, whereas the presence of directors from non-Anglo-American countries (e.g., France, Germany) increases firms’ CSR involvement. Moreover, the effects of Anglo-Americans on CSR are strengthened when they are inside (rather than outside) directors. Empirical analyses using a sample of 1828 Korean firms from 2002 to 2015 provide evidence to support the predictions. This study theoretically contributes to CSR and corporate governance literature in that it sheds light on the CSR in non-Western companies and reveals varied effects of foreign directors contingent upon their individual attributes. It also has practical implications for policymakers and corporate managers by providing insights of the changes generated by foreign members in a boardroom.

This study examines the effects of female chief executive officers (CEOs) on corporate social responsibility (CSR). Random‐effects models and Poisson models were used to test female CEOs' effects on overall CSR commitment and the different CSR types. Empirical analyses on 2166 US companies revealed that female CEOs had significant effects on CSR. Specifically, the companies led by female CEOs had an active overall CSR participation, but their effects differed by CSR type. Further, when the relative power of the board of directors was high, the positive effects of female CEOs on the social activities of institutional stakeholders were weakened.