The double-edged sword of ESG in Australia: risk or resilience? The mediating role of earnings management

Corporate Social Responsibility and Earnings Quality: International Evidence

Public awareness in social and environmental sustainability became a challenge that turned into general assessments. ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) performance became essential. Hence, the firm that does not apply ESG criteria in its business activities will face a consequence from investors impacting its performance, associated with financial risk. This study examines ESG performance within ESG score, ESG controversy, and BGD (Board Gender Diversity) on the total and systematic risk as a proxy for the financial risk of public companies listed on the stock exchange. This study uses a sample of 105 listed public firms from each stock exchange in ASEAN-5 (Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand) from 2016 to 2020 and applies panel regression analysis. The result suggests that ESG Score significantly influences total but not systematic risk in ASEAN-5. ESG controversy does not considerably affect total and systematic risk. BGD significantly influences total risk but not systematic risk. The findings will help investors and portfolio managers evaluate how ESG performance influences the firm's financial risk and make better investment decisions in ASEAN-5.

Research Question: How do ESG and financial performance indicators vary according to different classifications of European banks? Motivation: Banks’ ESG performance and its relationship with corporate financial performance represents a field of continuous interest for researchers and practitioners. The results of previous studies are still mixed, either positive, negative, or even neutral. What’s new? The novelty of this paper is represented by the statistical comparison of variables that measure the ESG and financial performance of European banks based on three classifications that we propose (i.e. the geographical regions of Europe, functional currency, and cluster analysis on GDP and population of European countries, respectively). To the best of our knowledge, there are no studies applied to the banking sector, analyzing the selected variables between groups of banks according to the aforementioned classifications. So what? We contribute to the field by extending Thomson Reuters’ grouping of banks (Emerging and Developed Europe) with three more classifications. The comparison of ESG and financial performance data contributes to practice by highlighting which parts of Europe contain the banks with the highest and respectively the lowest values of ESG and financial performance, controversies, and audit fees. Therefore, the results will help investors, policymakers, regulatory bodies, bank managers, and auditors to acknowledge the significant differences within Europe and adopt appropriate measures that could improve the financial and sustainability performance of banks. Data: We collect data from Thomson Reuters Eikon, World Bank statistics, and EuroVoc for 108 European banks (81 from Developed Europe and 27 for Emerging Europe) for 2018, the most recent year on which all information is available. Tools: We conduct a cluster analysis on the macroeconomic variables of the study: the GDP per capita and the population. We used group tests and the ANOVA test as methods in analyzing the results. Findings and Contribution: We contribute with a quantitative study that fills the gap in the literature regarding significant differences that are obtained in ESG and financial performance of banks classified as Developed Europe versus Emerging Europe; Eurozone versus non-Euro countries; Western, CEE, Northern, and Southern banks; small GDP – large population and large GDP – small population clusters. Our methodology will improve future research in adopting better and more transparent classifications of companies analyzed at an international level.

The relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and earnings management (EM) has only emerged recently as a topic of academic research. Literature suggests that firms may strategically use CSR to compensate for EM or to deflect stakeholder attention from EM. Studies on the EM-CSR relationships have so far yielded contradictory results. Additionally, research has largely neglected the influence of industry on this relationship. As scholars of both CSR and EM have suggested that industry effects may play a role, this study examines the relationship between the level of CSR performance of companies, the extent of EM firms are practising and the effect of industry (high vs. low environmental impact as a proxy for experienced stakeholder pressure). Using the Modified Jones model, discretionary accruals are estimated and used as a proxy for EM (accrual-based EM). Firm CSR performance is captured by using the Kinder, Lydenberg, Domino (KLD) database. Using a sample consisting of 5494 observations of US listed companies for the fiscal years 2003 until 2009, this study (1) finds no relationship between EM and CSR and (2) finds that the firms in the category high environmental impact do not seem to practice EM but do display higher levels of CSR performance. Finally, the article reflects critically on the concepts used in studying the EM-CSR relationship and its contribution to the literature.

Purpose This research investigates how FinTech influences the ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) performance of Chinese listed firms through three mechanisms: credit allocation efficiency, corporate risk-taking capacity and earnings management transparency. Design/methodology/approach Using panel data from 22,345 firm-year observations from Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share markets (2011–2020), we employ fixed-effects regressions, instrumental variable estimation and robustness checks, including propensity score matching (PSM). Data are sourced from CSMAR, WIND and Huazheng ESG ratings, using the Peking University Digital Inclusive Finance Index to measure FinTech. Findings FinTech significantly enhances corporate ESG performance through improved credit availability, greater risk-taking capacity for sustainable projects, and reduced earnings management. The effect is stronger for non-state-owned SMEs and firms in less developed financial regions, where FinTech addresses traditional finance gaps. Practical implications Due to stronger effects in less developed regions, regulators should establish “Green FinTech Sandboxes” to foster innovative ESG-focused products. Companies–especially SMEs–should partner with platforms using alternative data (e.g. supply chain scores) to fund sustainability projects. Investors can leverage FinTech adoption to gauge ESG commitment and transparency. Originality/value This study examines how FinTech enhances ESG performance through three key mechanisms: improved credit access, enhanced risk-taking capacity and increased transparency. Using resource-based view and agency theory, we demonstrate that FinTech functions as a strategic resource that reduces information asymmetries and agency costs, particularly in emerging markets.

In recent years researchers have been paying significant attention to Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) principles as a crucial factor in company performance. This paper aims to summarize the trends and findings in academic literature devoted to the board of directors as a determinant of ESG performance and non-financial disclosure quality. This paper also summarizes the key findings for a board’s moderating effects on the impact of ESG on corporate financial performance. The results of qualitative analysis of more than 70 empirical papers demonstrate that board independence is the most widely considered parameter, interpreted as a positive factor for strengthening a board’s monitoring function according to agency theory. There is no consensus on board size: larger boards include directors who represent the interests of a wider range of stakeholders (stakeholder theory), however, the increase in board size leads to a complicationof decision-making and controlling processes. Researchers mostly agree that an augmentation of women’ and foreigners’ representation among directors positively affects ESG performance and disclosure quality, although the lack of critical mass may dilute this effect. As for CEO’s role in the board, while some researchers argue that CEO duality enhances agency conflict, deterring corporate transition to ESG, other authors claim that a CEO’s organizational power may enhance the ESG transition due to a faster implementation of board decisions. One of the crucial determinants for this effect is the board members’ diversified professional expertise, including specialized education and experience, for the effective monitoring of managers’ performance. Finally, there is a growing interest in the role of board sustainability committees,which accumulate the required professional expertise for developing environmental and social strategies (resource-based theory). By examining the key board characteristics’ effect on corporate ESG performance and disclosure quality, this paper contributes to corporate governance literature, expanding the field for further research. Moreover, the paper highlights several understudied issues for further research.

In recent years researchers have been paying significant attention to Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) principles as a crucial factor in company performance. This paper aims to summarize the trends and findings in academic literature devoted to the board of directors as a determinant of ESG performance and non-financial disclosure quality. This paper also summarizes the key findings for a board’s moderating effects on the impact of ESG on corporate financial performance. The results of qualitative analysis of more than 70 empirical papers demonstrate that board independence is the most widely considered parameter, interpreted as a positive factor for strengthening a board’s monitoring function according to agency theory. There is no consensus on board size: larger boards include directors who represent the interests of a wider range of stakeholders (stakeholder theory), however, the increase in board size leads to a complication of decision-making and controlling processes. Researchers mostly agree that an augmentation of women’ and foreigners’ representation among directors positively affects ESG performance and disclosure quality, although the lack of critical mass may dilute this effect. As for CEO’s role in the board, while some researchers argue that CEO duality enhances agency conflict, deterring corporate transition to ESG, other authors claim that a CEO’s organizational power may enhance the ESG transition due to a faster implementation of board decisions. One of the crucial determinants for this effect is the board members’ diversified professional expertise, including specialized education and experience, for the effective monitoring of managers’ performance. Finally, there is a growing interest in the role of board sustainability committees, which accumulate the required professional expertise for developing environmental and social strategies (resource-based theory). By examining the key board characteristics’ effect on corporate ESG performance and disclosure quality, this paper contributes to corporate governance literature, expanding the field for further research. Moreover, the paper highlights several understudied issues for further research.

Background: Enron was considered a strong corporate social performer when their infamous accounting scandal emerged in 2000. Literature suggests that companies use corporate social responsibility (CSR) to disguise corporate misconduct. Aim and Setting: This study examines one type of corporate misconduct, namely, earnings management (EM). Prior studies have found significant associations between CSR performance and EM; however, none of these studies controlled for CSR disclosure. This study unbundles the effects of CSR performance and CSR disclosure on EM. To examine the relationship between CSR performance and CSR disclosures and EM of listed South African companies. Methods: A company included on the Socially Responsible Investment (SRI)1 index is used as an indicator of CSR performance. Four measures of CSR disclosure are used. Results and conclusion: The study tests both CSR performance and CSR disclosure against both real earnings management (REM) and accrual-based earnings management (AEM). CSR performance and earnings management: Companies with better CSR performance were more likely to engage in EM through income increasing discretionary accruals. This suggests that managers who inflate earnings may engage in CSR activities to avoid unwanted scrutiny from stakeholders. Companies with better CSR performance were less likely to engage in REM, suggesting that managers with better CSR performance regard the management of earnings through accruals that reverse in the next period less incriminating than managing earnings through actual company resources. CSR disclosure and earnings management: Companies that integrated their CSR disclosures more into their annual report engaged less in income decreasing discretionary accruals, suggesting that managers with incentives to make more CSR disclosures to reduce information asymmetry will also be less inclined to manage earnings.

This study examines the relationship between Chinese firms’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) and their earnings management (EM) practices. As China rapidly emerges as one of the largest exporters as well as importers, an understanding of Chinese CSR practices is increasingly important not only to Chinese authorities and firms, but also to international stakeholders. However, Chinese CSR has been largely underestimated in previous studies, and this CSR–EM relationship has never been sufficiently examined with regard to Chinese firms. In addition, this study measures the level of EM using two different methods: accrual‐based EM (AEM) and real activity‐based EM (REM). In general, REM is regarded as more costly but less detectable, while AEM is regarded as less costly but more detectable, owing to the fact that AEM is subject to greater scrutiny from auditors and regulators. The results show that Chinese firms’ enhanced CSR generally decreases their EM practices. On the contrary, state‐controlled firms and firms operating in more institutionally developed regions are more likely to engage in REM, while increasing their CSR activities. These findings provide new evidence that managers in Chinese firms tend to opportunistically adopt CSR practices according to the firm's institutional environment.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and firm performance and the moderating role of earnings management on the relationship between CSR and firm performance.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical study used the updated data set (3,481 unbalanced observations for period 2009–2015) from Chinese listed companies on Shenzhen and Shanghai stock exchanges. The generalized method of moments (GMM) statistical approach has been used for the analysis. The authors utilized STATA to test GMM on a sample of Chinese listed firms data over the period 2009–2015. The unbalanced sample obtained 3,481 observations from China stock market and accounting research database and CSR ratings provided by Rankins (RKS).FindingsThe results demonstrated that CSR has a positive and significant relationship with firm’s performance; also, earnings management has a negatively moderate relationship between CSR and firm performance. These results imply that a high value of earnings management, which results in high level of symbolic CSR, converts to low firm performance of the Chinese firms. CSR actions (only as symbolic measures) promoted by managers as a means to cover their profit management incite an adverse effect on the company’s performance. This study has highlighted the impact of two different corporate social responsibilities: substantive and symbolic (genuine CSR vs greenwashing) on firm performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe results of this investigation will be of distinct interest to company owners who wish to ascertain the effectiveness of the sustainability decisions of directors and managers, and also to investors and public authorities to estimate the positive relationship between CSR and company’s reputation and image, and thus, the positive influence on firm performance.Originality/valuePrevious studies have generally focused on the relationship between CSR and firm performance. This study provides the impact of earnings management (measurement of both aspects of accrual-based earnings management and real earnings management) on this relationship. Furthermore, this study examines the state of CSR in the Chinese market and provides empirical evidence of this relationship in emerging markets.

This study investigated the relationship between the COVID-19 outbreak and the Chinese listed firms’ earnings management practices. It also examined how this relationship was moderated by the Chinese listed firms’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the external corporate governance mechanism. The data in this study were mainly retrieved from the China Stock Market and Accounting Research (CSMAR) database and the Chinese Research Data Services Platform (CNRDS). The final sample contained 2,029 A-share firms listed in the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges, which released financial reports during the pandemic in 2020. The study applied the performance-adjusted Jones and the modified Jones model to calculate accrual-based earnings. To estimate the real activity-based earnings, this study used the following three measurements: The absolute value of the abnormal cash flow from operations, the absolute value of the abnormal production costs, and the absolute value of the abnormal discretionary expenditures. The results of this study indicated an increase in accrual-based earnings management (AEM) and a significant decline in real activity-based earnings management (REM), in firms in the most severely affected regions. In these regions, both AEM and REM were less pronounced for the firms with a higher CSR performance than those with a lower CSR performance. Moreover, firms audited by the Big 10 auditors were less likely to manipulate earnings through AEM or REM. Key words: COVID-19, earnings management, corporate social responsibility (CSR), big 10 auditors.

Extant studies have investigated the relation between corporate social responsibility (CSR) endeavours and earnings quality based on monotonic models, showing mixed and inconclusive empirical evidence. By identifying heterogeneity in CSR investments, we extend prior literature to explore the potentially nonmonotonic nature of this relation. Specifically, we classify firms into two sub-groups, entities underinvesting and overinvesting in CSR activities, in which the levels of CSR investments are lower and higher than the theoretically optimal point respectively. Our empirical results show that the level of CSR underinvestment is positively associated with the magnitude of both accrual-based earnings management (AEM) and real earnings management (REM) and, hence, negatively related to earnings quality. For firms overinvesting in CSR activities, we do not find a significant relation between CSR overinvestment and AEM. The empirical analyses for real activities manipulation exhibit inconsistent results throughout our four REM proxies. However, the mixed evidence for firms with CSR overinvestment cannot fully exclude the possibility that overinvesting in CSR activities has a significant impact on future financial reporting quality. Varying incentives for CSR overinvestment in different firms could drive the inconsistent results. The positive effect of CSR overinvestment by some firms may offset the negative effect brought about by other entities, making the overall effect minor and unnoticeable. Our empirical results, together with some other CSR-related research, emphasise the need for more transparent reporting regarding the detailed nature, aim, and strategy of relevant CSR investments to help investing communities and other constituents better understand the incentives behind CSR activities.

With the continuing rise of attention towards societal challenges like, e.g., climate change, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) becomes an increasingly important topic for companies. While there is no question that CSR activities are on the rise, the connection towards Earnings Management in companies is less clear. Therefore, this research paper not only aims to provide an up-to-date picture on the literature addressing this interconnection, but also provides a profound base for a more solid theoretical framework. Thus, it delivers a critical basis for further empirical analyses in this field. In order to illustrate this interconnection between those two topics, this paper presents an SLR analysis of articles published in the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS) or Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC), focusing on empirical analyses of CSR performance and Earnings Management. Overall, it can be stated that CSR performance has a negative influence on Accrual-Based Earnings Management, while findings on the influence on Real Earnings Management are contradicting. Furthermore, the relationship of CSR performance and Accrual-Based Earnings Management/Real Earnings Management is especially vague when the used methods are moderated by different variables such as family involvement or managerial entrenchment. While the connection between Accrual-Based Earnings Management and CSR performance is widely covered in the existing literature, the relationship between Real Earnings Management and CSR performance is clearly less outlined. This research paper makes key contributions to the existing literature, as it combines and structures results of conducted studies during the last ten years and elaborates on the differences on commonalities of the results. This analysis also suggests that other factors that possibly influence Earnings Management or CSR should be included in a future research model for upcoming analyses. It places the findings of earlier studies into the context of the Ethical Approach, creating a roadmap for the future.

Integrating sustainable practices into business strategies is essential for enhancing economic performance and mitigating environmental impacts. In Indonesia, where economic growth and environmental sustainability are critical, this study examines the impact of tangible assets (TA) and green intellectual capital (GIC) on the profitability of publicly listed companies. The research investigates how tangible assets and green intellectual capital influence company profitability through the mediating role of ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) performance. The study uses a dataset of 363 observations from 122 companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange from 2020 to 2023. Path analysis is employed using RStudio to examine the relationships between tangible assets, green intellectual capital, ESG performance, and profitability (measured by ROA). The findings reveal a significant positive relationship between tangible assets and ESG performance, indicating that companies with substantial tangible assets are better equipped to implement sustainable practices. However, GIC does not show a significant direct impact on ESG performance or profitability (ROA). The mediation analysis underscores the critical role of ESG performance in enhancing profitability, demonstrating a significant positive effect on ROA. This suggests that ESG practices are essential in translating tangible and intellectual resources into financial gains. Despite the non-significant direct effects of GIC, its contribution through improved ESG performance highlights the importance of integrating green intellectual capital into corporate strategies for long-term profitability and sustainability. These findings offer valuable insights for corporate managers and policymakers, emphasizing the need for investments in tangible assets and green intellectual capital to foster sustainable practices and improve financial outcomes. The research underscores the importance for companies to focus on corporate social responsibility, environmental, and governance practices. Implementing ESG concepts helps companies build a good reputation, attract investors, achieve operational efficiency, and ensure long-term sustainability. This study supports the implementation of robust ESG frameworks to achieve both economic and environmental goals.

This study examines the effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on accrual based-earnings management (AEM) nexus. We employed the use of panel least square analysis to test twenty (20) manufacturing companies quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) for a period of seven (7) years (2013-2019). The study used corporate social responsibility as the independent variable, earnings management as the dependent variable and firm characteristics variables as the control variable. In utilizing the econometric models unreceptive to endogeneity, our result shows that corporate social responsibility has a positive and significant relationship with accrual based-earnings management. In addition, the study finds that firm size and leverage both have a negative and insignificant relationship with accrual based-earning management while profitability has a positive but insignificant relationship with accrual based-earnings management in Nigeria. The results show that more socially responsible firms have higher quality accruals. This suggests that manufacturing firms in Nigeria are likely to engage more in earnings management while increasing their corporate social responsibility. Hence, managers in manufacturing companies in Nigeria, have a tendency to take advantage of corporate social responsibility practices according to the environment they find themselves in. Received: 8 July 2021 / Accepted: 8 August 2021 / Published: 5 September 2021