Socially Responsible Investing in ”High-Net-Worth” Asset Management Firms in Canada: An Exploratory Study

2007

Socially responsible investing (SRI) is an increasingly well-known investment strategy. However, in most nations, SRI is not mainstream practice. This paper investigates perceptions of SRI amongst investment professionals from “high-net-worth” investment firms in Toronto, Canada. Existing corporate practices in relation to stock selection and client relations are documented, in order to assess how these practices might facilitate or prevent SRI. Views of SRI, and its current and potential future role in investment practice, were also explored. Results suggest that, while awareness of SRI has increased in recent years, it has not become accepted practice in high-net-worth investment firms. T…