Financial pressures have caused cutbacks in corporate philanthropy and volunteerism in 2009, a new study by the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship and the Hitachi Foundation finds. This is notwithstanding business leaders' intention to remain committed to being good corporate citizens even during the recession.

The study found 54 percent of more than 750 business executives saying that corporate-citizenship activities, which includes environmental efforts, ethical business practices, treating employees well, and philanthropy, are even more important during bad economic times than good.

However, 38 percent of companies were forced to reduce their philanthropy allocations this year, according to the study of small, medium, and large businesses. According to the study, the cutbacks were tied in strongly with a particular company’s financial performance. Among businesses hit hard by the recession, 59 percent spent less on philanthropy.

Of those whose performance improved, 19 percent gave away less money, while 63 percent gave about the same. The rest (18 percent) gave more. The study, entitled “Weathering the Storm: The State of Corporate Citizenship in the United States 2009,” is the fourth of its kind.

The survey, conducted in June by the polling company GlobeScan, found that small businesses were responding differently to the recession than larger ones. While they were less likely to have retrenchment exercises, small companies (those with fewer than 100 employees) were more likely to cut charitable giving and volunteerism.

A company’s reputation and its traditions and values were cited as the two main reasons for engaging in corporate-citizenship activities. Companies were more likely to give money, products, and volunteer hours to education, health care, and the environment than other causes