Statistical study shows that it is profitable to be socially considerate

In 1999 Business week asked the question..."Can business meet new social, environmental and financial expectations and still win?"

This question prompted a study titled "Corporate Social and Financial Performance: A Meta-analysis" by Marc Orlitzky, Frank L. Schmidt, Sara L. Rynes.

Based on this meta-analysis(combining and contrasting existing studies) integrating 30 years of research, the answer to the introductory question is affirmative.  The results show that there is a positive association between corporate social performance and corporate financial performance across industries and across study contexts.

http://www.sustainabilitymanagement.net/public/corporate%20social%20and%20financial%20performance.pdf