Socially responsible investing in Scandinavia – a comparative analysis

This article contributes to the literature on socially responsible investing (SRI) by discussing findings from an empirical comparative study of Scandinavian investors. The study draws attention to how contextual factors shape the principles and practices of SRI investors by using a wide range of both qualitative and quantitative secondary data. It is concluded that institutional factors are important in explaining homogeneity among Scandinavian investors' SRI, but also contribute to significant variation in SRI principles and practices between and within countries. In particular, the findings draw attention to the different opportunities available to individual investors, and the strategies they adopt in their application of SRI.