Institutions, Philanthropic Orientation and Governance Structures

This study investigates the impact of entrepreneurial imprinting on organizational philanthropy. By shifting the focus to the entrepreneur, we elucidate how entrepreneurial imprints enable organizations to diverge from conventional and institutionalized frameworks. Utilizing panel data from 5,427 privately held Chinese firms, gathered in 2012 and 2014, and considering factors such as organizational age and governance structures, our analysis reveals that entrepreneurs’ experiences during the Danwei System significantly enhance their organizations’ propensity for donations. This tendency, however, diminishes as the organization ages and adopts more market-centric governance models. Intriguingly, in firms where governance includes a Chinese Communist Party branch office, the impact of the communist entrepreneurial imprint is amplified. Through these insights, our study advances the existing literature on imprinting, offering a nuanced understanding of the varying degrees to which entrepreneurial influences manifest in organizations.