LAUSR

Purpose This research aims to explore the cultural enablers and barriers affecting women leaders’ engagement in corporate social responsibility (CSR) in China, a large emerging country with distinctive social-economic and cultural contexts. Design/methodology/approach The case study method involving interviews with female directors in ten companies, supplemented by document analysis, is used for this investigation. Findings This study reveals that the social gender role of women leaders and their active promotion of CSR are deeply shaped by cultural traditions in China such as the pursuit of harmony and reciprocity in Confucian philosophies, family-centric relationships and empathic caring values and collectivism for the common good. While the harmony approach, family centrality and collectivism philosophy may encourage female leaders’ CSR engagement, these cultural elements also have paradoxical effects and undermine the contributions of female leaders to CSR. Practical implications Findings from this study suggest that policies aimed at increasing female representation need to be culturally relevant and specific. Although culture can enhance female leadership in CSR development by providing a framework of social cohesion and collective values, it can also hinder progress when traditions and norms become barriers to inclusivity and diversity. Balancing the preservation of cultural traditions with the need for social progress is a complex but essential task for empowering women leaders to engage more effectively in CSR. Originality/value Despite considerable evidence showing that female leadership can benefit company growth and CSR performance, there is little understanding as to how women leaders’ engagement with CSR is established at the business level in different cultural contexts. Previous studies relying on large empirical data to verify the relationship between female representation at the senior level and CSR performance have mostly overlooked the underlying rationale and challenges, particularly the influence of culturally informed social roles on women leaders’ engagement with CSR.