Managerial Myopia Research Articles

The effect of ESG ratings on corporate green innovation strategies: evidence from China

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) approaches have gained popularity in academia and are typically linked to corporate green innovation. Although some scholars argue that corporate green innovation is merely greenwashing carried out in reaction to market pressure from ESG ratings, most research conducted thus far has shown that ESG exerts a beneficial influence on increasing corporate green innovation outputs overall. This study's analysis of panel data from Chinese A-share listed enterprises from 2010 to 2019 demonstrates that, while ESG ratings increase the likelihood of incremental green innovation in areas of current knowledge, they diminish the percentage of exploratory green patents. The managerial myopia brought about by ESG ratings is a key mechanism leading to this result. Extensive study indicates that analysts and managers who pay greater attention to environmental issues may be able to alleviate the negative effects of ESG scores on managerial myopia and company’s incremental green innovation practices.

The impact of managerial myopia on corporate ESG reputation risk: moderating role of digitization

The impact of managerial myopia on corporate ESG reputation risk: moderating role of digitization

Corporate social responsibility in the age of activist directorships

AbstractResearch SummaryWe draw attention to a rapidly emerging phenomenon—the appointment of activist‐nominated directors to boards—that could have consequences for stakeholders. Although appointing an activist director tends to improve firm value for shareholders, we uncover a hidden externality wherein it also yields increased reports of stakeholder harm. We introduce activist directors to the management literature and examine an array of considerations with a view toward launching a stream of literature that explores nuanced forms of activist directorships, intemporal trade‐offs in their influence, and the breadth and depth of their behavioral consequences for firms.Managerial SummaryHistorically, activist shareholders have primarily tried to affect managerial decision‐making from their vantage point as outsiders. Today, activist investors are going further by demanding their own seats at the boardroom table. We examine the consequences of these activist directorships, finding that they are associated with increased reports of stakeholder harm. Supplemental analyses show that, while activist directors bring immediate benefits to shareholders, they appear to impose a managerial myopia wherein executives become less inclined to make long‐term investments. Moreover, the adverse effects on stakeholder harm are most profound when a director is a delegate, meaning they work directly for an activist investor, as opposed to a trustee, who is appointed by, but does not work for, an activist investor.

Enterprise digital transformation, managerial myopia and cost stickiness

Using Chinese-listed enterprise data from 2010 to 2021, we study the relationships among enterprise digital transformation, managerial myopia and cost stickiness. The results show that enterprise digital transformation inhibits cost stickiness, including operating cost stickiness as well as selling, general and administrative (SG&A) cost stickiness. This result holds after various robustness and endogeneity tests. Additionally, mechanism research indicates that enterprise digital transformation inhibits cost stickiness by reducing adjustment costs (ACs) and alleviating financing constraints (SAs). However, managerial myopia negatively affects the inhibition of enterprise digital transformation on cost stickiness by increasing ACs and aggravating SAs. Furthermore, the relationship between enterprise digital transformation and cost stickiness is stronger for mature, state-owned and high-tech enterprises than for those with better digital economy policy environments.

The effect of addback statutes on CEO compensation

AbstractExploiting the adoption of addback statutes, which occurred at different times, as exogenous shocks to corporate taxable income, we examine the effect of tax policy changes on the compensation of chief executive officers (CEOs). We provide evidence that CEOs of firms headquartered in states affected by addback statutes experienced a decrease in total compensation; the decrease is stronger for firms with higher intangibles and asset replacement costs relative to book values, and weaker for firms whose CEOs are more powerful. Our results have important implications for policy‐makers who strive to combat pay inequality and managerial myopia through tax laws.

Better safe than sorry? The effect of asymmetric cost management on firm resilience in manufacturing firms

PurposeGlobal business practices show that during periods of demand volatility, manufacturing firms often engage in asymmetric cost management (ACM), a behavior in which costs increase faster than they decrease when demand decreases by the same amount. However, whether managing asymmetric costs will enhance or impede firm resilience remains an open question. We aim to investigate the impact of ACM on firm resilience and its boundary conditions.Design/methodology/approachUsing unbalanced panel data of 2,273 Chinese manufacturing listed companies from 2002 to 2021, we conduct an empirical analysis using a double fixed effects model.FindingsOur findings reveal that ACM has a negative effect on firm resilience. This suggests that in coping with external environmental fluctuations, ACM fails to fulfill its expected role effectively. Instead, it manifests as a severe agency problem affecting firm resilience. Further, we find that managerial myopia and digitalization diminish the negative effect, while customer instability exacerbates it.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature on the organizational resilience of manufacturing firms by providing an in-depth understanding of cost management and emphasizing the need to consider agency issues carefully when managing asymmetric costs.

Herbicide‐resistant weed management with robots: A weed ecological–economic model

AbstractThe heavy reliance on herbicides for weed control has led to an increase in resistant weeds in the United States. Robotic weed control is emerging as an alternative technology for removing weeds mechanically using artificial intelligence. We develop an integrated weed ecological and economic dynamic (I‐WEED) model to examine the biophysical and economic drivers of adopting robotic weed management and simulate the optimal timing and intensity of robotic adoption within and across growing seasons. We specify a cohort‐based weed growth model that relates yield damages to effective weed density and treats the susceptibility of weeds to herbicides as a renewable resource that can be regenerated by using mechanical weeding robots, due to a fitness cost that makes resistant weeds less prolific. Compared to myopic weed management which ignores resistance development, forward‐looking management leads to earlier adoption of robots and treating robots as complements instead of substitutes to herbicides. This weed management results in adopting fewer robots, deploying robots on a smaller portion of the land, higher profitability, and lower yield loss in the long run, relative to myopic management. Counterintuitively, myopic management leads to a lower resistance level through its higher robot adoption intensity. We also find that a lower level of initial weed seed resistance and/or a higher fitness cost result in a higher level of resistance because they create incentives for farmers to delay the adoption of robotic weed control. Our analysis shows the importance of jointly considering the interactions between weed ecology and economics in analyzing the incentives and effects of robotic weed management on weed resistance.

Supply chain network centrality and corporate greenwashing behavior

This paper examines the impact of supply chain network centrality on corporate greenwashing behavior. Using data from Chinese listed companies, we find that supply chain network centrality suppresses corporate greenwashing behavior, and the impact mechanism is that supply chain network centrality alleviates corporate financing constraints and inhibits managerial myopia. We also find that relationship between supply chain network centrality and corporate greenwashing behavior is more significant among corporations in heavily polluting industries, weaker industry competition, and higher transaction costs. This paper extends the governance factors of corporate greenwashing behavior to the level of supply chain network relationships.

ESG ratings and female corporate leadership: Evidence from African firms

Despite increasing scholarly research on the dynamic causal link between environmental, social, and governance (ESG) drive and female corporate leadership, limited knowledge exists regarding the African context. This study decreases this research dearth and uncovers bidirectional causality within African firms between 2010 and 2022. Empirical results indicate that female leadership significantly influences future ESG ratings, and ESG implementation negatively affects female leadership. Ceteris paribus, managerial myopia will likely maintain this negative outcome. These findings lead to managerial and policy implications aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union Agenda 2063.

Financial regulation and financial market stability: Evidence from stock price crash risk

This study finds that New Asset Management Regulations (NAMR) can reduce stock price crash risk, with financial stability enhancement. Furthermore, increased main business performance and accounting conservatism could be the channels through which stock price crash risk is reduced. And this effect is stronger in firms with higher managerial myopia and less analyst coverage.

Managerial myopia and corporate financialization: Evidence from China

Managerial myopia and corporate financialization: Evidence from China

Investor attention and corporate financialization: Evidence from internet search volume

This paper investigates the relationship between investor attention and corporate financialization from a behavioral finance perspective. We use Internet search volume as a proxy for investor attention and find that investor attention is significantly and positively related to corporate financialization using a sample of listed firms in China over the period 2011–2022, and that this relationship is more pronounced in firms with higher levels of managerial myopia. A series of robustness tests still support our baseline findings, such as considering endogeneity issues, substituting core variables, and changing the model setting. We further discuss the mechanism of influence using two-stage regressions and find that investor attention promotes corporate financialization by increasing investor sentiment as well as heterogeneous beliefs. Finally, we perform a series of heterogeneity tests and find that the positive relationship between investor attention and corporate financialization is more pronounced among firms with higher information uncertainty, small firms, firms within monopolistic industries, and firms within high-tech industries. However, the relationship is not significantly different among firms with different levels of institutional ownership. This study provides new evidence for understanding investors' behavioral biases and how investor attention affects corporate investment strategies.

Green vs. brown: Climate risk showdown – who’s thriving, who’s diving?

Increasingly complex climate change poses unprecedented risks and challenges. We attempt to analyze the strategic responses of firms in dealing with climate risk and whether green firms outperform brown firms by exploring the relationship between climate risk and firms’ cash flow. To this end, this paper uses the high-dimensional fixed-effects model for empirical analysis based on panel data of Chinese listed firms from Q1 2010 to Q4 2022. We find that firms have the motivation to hold more cash in the face of climate risk, and that brown firms will be more proactive in cash flow management compared to green firms. In addition, there are significant industry and seasonal effects of climate risk on firms’ cash flow. Mechanism tests find that climate risk prompts firms to increase cash flow by forcing them to reduce financial leverage and erode operating costs, as well as by inducing increased media attention to the firm. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the positive effect of climate risk on cash flow is more significant among low digital transformation firms, high financial constraints firms, firms with low managerial myopia, and SOEs. An analysis of the economic consequences shows that climate risk leads firms to be more aggressive in capturing market share, increasing productivity and strengthening ESG performance. The above findings help to enlighten firms on how to manage their risk exposures and adjust their internal governance structures as a way to maintain stable operations in an environment of intensified uncertainty. In brief, this paper highlights the differentiated financial decisions that green and brown firms make in response to climate risk, providing empirical evidence and policy implications for advancing the green transformation of firms.

Perceived policy uncertainty and enterprise greenwashing risk

Using data of Chinese A-share listed enterprises from 2009 to 2022, this study analyzes the impact of perceived policy uncertainty on enterprise greenwashing risk. The research identifies a significant positive correlation between perceived policy uncertainty and greenwashing risk. The mechanism test shows that strong perceived policy uncertainty increases enterprise greenwashing risk by increasing financial risk and financing constraints. In addition, overcoming managerial myopia and encouraging green management innovation are key to avoiding enterprise greenwashing risk in an uncertain policy environment. The paper's conclusions offer the Chinese government information to improve policy coherence and prevent enterprise greenwashing risk.

Confucian culture and corporate environmental management: The role of innovation, financing constraints and managerial myopia

This paper explores the impact of Confucian culture on the environmental management practices of firms, utilizing data from A-share listed companies in China from 2009 to 2022. The study reveals several significant findings: (1) Firms in regions with a stronger presence of Confucian culture are more likely to adopt environmentally responsible management practices; (2) Confucian culture enhances firms' environmental management through three channels: promoting innovation, easing financing constraints, and reducing managerial myopia, with a particular emphasis on alleviating financing constraints; (3) Regional environmental regulations mitigate the positive influence of Confucian culture on firms' environmental management practices. This study contributes to the literature by elucidating the determinants of corporate environmental management and emphasizing the critical role of cultural factors, particularly in overcoming financial barriers, in corporate decision-making.

Does environmental information disclosure regulation improve environmental governance? Evidence from China

This study examines the effectiveness of Chinese environmental information disclosure (EID) regulations. We find that EID regulations improve firms' EID quality (i.e., exist information effect) and foster firms' green behavior (i.e., exist green effect). Mechanism analysis shows that due to lower audit risks, heavy-polluting firms are charged lower audit fees after the implementation of EID regulations; and due to less managerial myopia, heavy-polluting firms significantly increase green investment and green innovation following EID regulations. Additional heterogeneity analysis shows that these information and green effects can be strengthened by institutional environment factors, such as media coverage, audit quality and political cost.

The Co-Inhibiting Effect of Managerial Myopia on ESG Performance-Based Green Investment and Continuous Innovation

Under the new pattern of “double carbon” development, good ESG performance is the best way to promote the sustainable development of enterprises, and ESG investment strategies are directly affected by the strategic vision of managers. Based on the upper echelons theory and stakeholder theory, this paper selected Chinese A-share listed companies from 2011 to 2022 as samples to empirically analyze the impact of managerial myopia on corporate ESG performance. The results show that managerial myopia significantly inhibits corporate ESG performance, mainly by inhibiting corporate green investment and green innovation sustainability. Furthermore, for state-owned enterprises (SOE), heavy polluting enterprises (HPE), and non-high-tech enterprises, the inhibitory effect of manager myopia on ESG performance is stronger. When the enterprise is in the growth stage, the above inhibition effect is more severe. For external governance, the greater the analyst attention and public environmental attention are, the more conducive they are to alleviating the restraining effect of managerial myopia on enterprise ESG performance. Therefore, effectively improving the cognition level of managers with regard to long- versus short-term profitability and strengthening external supervision are important measures for comprehensively optimizing ESG performance.

Managerial myopia and corporate credit spreads

Using bond issuance data from listed companies, we demonstrate that firms with myopic management face substantially higher credit spreads, a pattern with both strong statistical and economic significance across multiple robustness checks. Myopic management tends to imprudently allocate longer-term funds to short-term projects, potentially prompting investors to demand higher credit premiums. The rise in credit spreads observed only in long-term bond issuances further reinforces our argument. Inefficient investment decisions made by myopic management, characterized by excessive short-term investments and insufficient long-term investments, may also account for elevated credit spreads. While effective corporate governance and enhanced external monitoring can help alleviate the adverse impacts of managerial myopia on corporate credit spreads, intensified industry competition and increased uncertainty may exacerbate these challenges. Encouragingly, the elevated credit spreads could prompt myopic management to adjust their business strategies, thereby mitigating the worsening economic consequences for the corporate.

Environmental protection tax and enterprises’ green technology innovation: Evidence from China

The Environmental Protection Tax Law was officially implemented, marking the initial establishment of China's green tax system. This paper aims to estimate whether the introduction of environmental protection tax will promote enterprises' green technology innovation. Based on data from listed enterprises from 2015 to 2021, this paper takes the implementation of environmental protection tax in 2018 as a quasi-natural experiment, and uses the DID method to evaluate the impact of the implementation of environmental protection tax on the technological innovation ability of enterprises. The results show that, after the implementation of environmental protection tax, the quantity of green patents increased significantly, while the quality of green patents decreased significantly. The analysis of mechanism channel reveals that environmental protection tax policy appears to increase the number of green patents putting regulatory pressure on enterprises and increasing R&D investment, while managerial myopia inhibits the improvement of green patent quality. The changes in the quantity and quality of green patents in large enterprises are more significant. It is also found that the quantity in coastal areas decreased significantly, while the quantity in inland areas markedly increased.

Managerial Myopia and Enterprise Green Total Factor Productivity: Perspectives on the Supervisory Effect and Incentive Effect

Enhancing green total factor productivity is essential for the development of a green economy. However, from a micro perspective, it remains unclear how management, as the primary decision-maker, influences enterprise green total factor productivity. Drawing on the perspectives of supervisory and incentive effects, this study examines the impact of managerial myopia on enterprise green total factor productivity, using data from Chinese industrial companies listed on the A-share markets of Shanghai and Shenzhen from 2007 to 2022. The findings indicate that managerial myopia significantly reduces enterprise green total factor productivity. Tests for moderation effects reveal that green investors and low-carbon city pilot policies, through supervisory effects, as well as equity incentives and environmental protection subsidies, through incentive effects, can effectively mitigate the negative impact of managerial myopia on enterprise green total factor productivity. Further analysis suggests that managerial myopia hinders green innovation activities within enterprises by reducing both the quality and the quantity of green innovation, thereby inhibiting green total factor productivity. This study contributes to the understanding of the impact of managerial myopia on enterprise green total factor productivity, offering empirical evidence and policy implications for addressing managerial myopia to enhance enterprise green total factor productivity.