With the deepening division of labor in the global industrial chain, the impact of industry characteristics on corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices has become increasingly prominent. Based on the industry level, this study explores the correlation characteristics of different industries in the production network and their intrinsic connection with CSR performance. First, the study constructs a production network based on the input-output tables of 2015 and 2020, analyzes the characteristics of the production network, and finds that the production network can maintain stability and become more concentrated over time. Second, it uses the data of Chinese listed companies from 2010 to 2021 to analyze the impact of the production network on the fulfillment of corporate social responsibility, and finds that the production network has a significant negative effect on CSR performance. Finally, the study discusses the heterogeneous characteristics of this impact, and reveals that the inhibitory effect of industry correlation on CSR is more prominent in industries located in less developed regions and state-controlled enterprises. This study provides a new theoretical perspective for understanding the influencing factors of industry-level CSR, and also offers empirical evidence for formulating differentiated strategies to improve CSR performance.

Deng Deyu. How Does Industry Interconnection Affect Corporate Social Responsibility?—— Empirical Evidence from the Perspective of Production Networks. Academic Journal of Business & Management (2026), Vol. 8, Issue 4: 41-54. https://doi.org/10.25236/AJBM.2026.080406.

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