The survey, which interviewed 350 qualified accountants and associates in the three regions, found only 16 percent of Hong Kong residents agreed the firms fulfilled corporate social responsibilities, compared with 40 percent in Singapore and 30 percent in Malaysia.

Only 43 percent of Hong Kong respondents said the organization they worked for acted in a socially responsible way, whereas 62 percent of Singapore respondents and 57 percent of Malaysia respondents said their organizations were socially responsible.

Hong Kong also scored the lowest when asked about listed companies and the government acting socially responsible, with only 27 percent of the respondents saying they did. Thirty-four percent of the respondents in Malaysia and 45 percent of the respondents in Singapore said government and listed companies played a socially responsible role.

CPA Australia Hong Kong China Division Derek Lai explained Hong Kong companies tended to focus on short-term business profits, concentrating less on social responsibilities as it required long-term planning