Zelalem GebretsadikYordanos Kidane2026-11-032026-11-032026-05-02https://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/9263This study examined the implication of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on financial performance in the private banking sector in Ethiopia, with emphasis on the mediating roles of capital adequacy and management quality and the moderating role of industry concentration. A mixed-method approach was employed, combining survey data from 36 bank managers and CSR officers with secondary panel data from 10 private commercial banks for the period 2022 to 2025. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and panel regression techniques. The results show that CSR has a significant positive effect on financial performance. Bank characteristics partially mediate this relationship, and the indirect effect is statistically significant. Industry concentration negatively moderates the relationship between CSR and bank characteristics, suggesting that the effect of CSR is weaker in more concentrated markets. Among the CSR dimensions, product and customer responsibility and human resource responsibility have the strongest positive influence on financial performance, while community involvement is not statistically significant. The study concludes that CSR practices focused on customers and employees contribute meaningfully to the financial performance of private banks in Ethiopia. These findings provide practical implications for bank managers, policymakers, and regulators, while also contributing to the limited literature on CSR and financial performance in emerging African banking marketsenCorporate Social ResponsibilityFinancial PerformanceCapital AdequacyManagement QualityIndustry ConcentrationPLS-SEMEthiopian Private Commercial Banks.Thesis