Impact of risk-taking on enterprise value under extreme temperature: From the perspectives of external and internal governance

Abstract

Climate change leads to the frequent occurrence of extreme weather, which has become an important risk factor for enterprises. Based on panel data of Chinese A-share manufacturing enterprises from 2000 to 2019, this study examines the impact and influence mechanism of extreme temperature on risk-taking and enterprise value. The results reveal that risk-taking level increases under extreme temperatures but does not enhance enterprise value. Further analysis shows that the endowment effect of risk-taking level plays an important role: when the existing risk-taking is below the optimal level, the extreme temperature increases the enterprises’ risk-taking, which then increases the market value; otherwise, the extreme temperature reduces risk-taking and has a negative impact on enterprise value. The mechanism test reveals that external supervision by market participants aggravates the negative market reaction to an increase in risk-taking under extreme temperatures and reduces enterprise value, whereas good internal governance of enterprises enhances their market value. This study expands the literature on the effect of extreme weather on the risk behavior of listed companies, provides micro-empirical evidence that extreme weather risks transmit to the capital market and impair enterprise value, and serves as an empirical reference for enterprise climate risk management.