Abstract: The organizational culture of “harmonious coexistence and win-win cooperation” serves as an intrinsic driver for promoting private enterprises to actively fulfill their local social responsibilities. However, existing literature seldom addresses this phenomenon and its underlying deeper logic. Drawing on fundamental theoretical frameworks of corporate culture and strategic management, this paper investigates the impact of “Harmony-Cooperation” culture on private enterprises’ performance of local corporate social responsibility. Using a sample of Chinese A-share listed private enterprises from 2007 to 2021, the empirical research demonstrates that “ Harmony-Cooperation” culture significantly promotes the fulfillment of local social responsibilities by private enterprises. This positive effect is particularly more significant when conditioned by a high level of marketization in the corporate registration location and the local executive appointment. Further analysis reveals that the influence of “Harmony-Cooperation” culture is stronger in enterprises located in regions with a more pronounced Confucian cultural atmosphere. Geographically, the impact is most significant in the eastern region, while it is relatively weaker in the central and western regions. In the eastern region, the fulfillment of local social responsibilities by private enterprise is jointly influenced by both “Harmony” and “Cooperation” cultures. By contrast, the central region is more influenced by “Cooperation” culture, while the western region is more influenced by “Harmony” culture. This study organically integrates corporate “Harmony-Cooperation” culture with strategic decisions regarding local social responsibility fulfillment by private enterprises. It expands the theoretical understanding of corporate culture and corporate local social responsibility, contributing positively to accelerating the development of core research topics in Chinese-style management with distinctive Chinese characteristics and theoretical value.

Key words: “Harmony-Cooperation” culture, corporate social responsibility, private enterprises