Socially Responsible Investments: The Crossroads Between Institutional and Retail Investors

This Palgrave Pivot aims to build a bridge between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainable finance in financial markets. It investigates classic CSR topics in the light of a modern conception of sustainability. The first part emphasizes four relevant topics in the CSR panorama of financial institutions: banks remuneration practices; human capital disclosure; the impact of environmental performance on banks, and finally, the institutional investors’ attitude towards socially responsible investments (SRIs). The second part explores CSR practices within the financial markets and discusses risk-return profiles of SRI and non-SRI indexes in different time frames. It investigates whether thematic social responsible funds obtain different risk-return than traditional funds, and finally, assesses whether equity crowdfunding could foster social innovation. This book is aimed at scholars and students who are interested in social impact investing and practitioners involved in the social impact market.

About the Author

Mario La Torre is Full Professor in Banking and Finance at Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.  His main research areas are banking and financial intermediaries, financial markets and financial innovation. He is expert in ethical finance, impact finance and microfinance, as well as audiovisual and art financing. He is editor of the book series “Palgrave Studies in Impact Finance” published by Palgrave MacMillan. He has been member of the G8 Taskforce on Social Impact Investments.

Helen Chiappini is Postdoctoral Research Fellow at G. D’Annunzio University of Chieti and Pescara, Italy, and Teacher Assistant in Corporate Finance at Luiss Guido Carli University, Italy. She taught in a MBA course and in a MSc course at Link Campus University of Rome, Italy, and at Pontificia Lateran University of Vatican City, Italy. She was Visiting Research Fellow at Centre of Banking and Finance at Regent’s University, London, UK, and she received a PhDcum laude in Banking and Finance at Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. Her areas of research include social impact investments, socially responsible investments and non-performing loans and banks governance. She recently published a book titled Social Impact Funds. Definition Assessment and Performance with Palgrave Macmillan (2017).