The biggest problem with socially responsible investing SRI is defining it. This became evident from a recent survey conducted by Hong Kong-based SRI house Kingsway Fund Management.
Director Patrick Choo oversaw an exhaustive interview with 138 listed companies in eight East Asian markets, speaking with investment relations people and more senior executives from companies deemed potentially suitable for an SRI investment.
In most cases, Choo says this was the first time these companies had been visited and queried about their social policies and corporate governance. They are used to receiving similarly themed faxes and e-mails from fund management companies in North America and Europe, which then promptly go ignored.
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