On 23 April 2026, the Faculty of Finance at the City University of Macau organized the fourteenth academic salon at the golden dragon campus. This academic salon invited Dr. Zixun Zhou, an assistant professor of Macau University of Science and Technology, as the speaker. He presented his paper titled “Caring Shoots Beneath the Algorithms: Text-based Employee CSR and AI innovation”.
Dr. Zhou is an assistant professor at Macau University of Science and Technology. His research focuses on sustainability and corporate social responsibility, with publications appearing in several academic journals, including the Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Business Research, and Journal of Management Sciences, among others.
This study examines the impact of employee corporate social responsibility (eCSR) on firm-level artificial intelligence (AI) innovation. Drawing on social exchange theory and the psychological contract perspective, this study finds that morally responsible employment practices enhance trust and shared purpose, thereby reducing resistance to technological change. Using AI patent data from Chinese listed firms, the results show that eCSR significantly promotes AI innovation, mainly by attracting AI talent, strengthening internal control quality, and improving productivity. The effect is stronger in firms with highly educated workforces and in regions that emphasize digitalization and public safety, indicating that ethical employee treatment can be a key driver of AI innovation.
In this academic salon, Dr. Zhou shared his latest research findings with the Faculty of Finance, broadening the academic scope of the faculty. The Faculty of Finance Academic Salon at the City University of Macau is a platform for exchanging academic ideas and enhancing academic awareness. The Salon focuses on finance and economics, inviting experts from academia and the financial industry to discuss cutting-edge research and share industry development trends, aiming to bring new academic experiences and thinking models to the faculty and students of the university. Through academic activities like the academic salon, the Faculty of Finance provides a better academic platform for graduate students and encourage further exploration and research of academic issues among faculty and students.