In an era of heightened global attention to corporate social responsibility (CSR), many firms engage in “CSR decoupling”—where they emphasize symbolic actions over substantive ones to create a favorable public image, without making meaningful changes. Leveraging a sample of 610 Chinese publicly listed firms, we investigate how the international backgrounds of top executives influence the authenticity of CSR efforts. Our findings reveal a striking pattern: managerial foreign experience is positively associated with substantive CSR—firms led by managers with international experience tend to invest more in genuine CSR activities. Interestingly, however, this experience has no impact on symbolic CSR efforts, suggesting that global-minded executives prioritize real impact over mere appearances. Crucially, we show that cross-listing in multiple institutional environments amplifies the beneficial effects of foreign experience on reducing CSR decoupling. Our study offers novel insights into the intersection of managerial experience and CSR practices, shedding light on how the global perspective of top executives can foster more responsible business behavior.
