Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Scores and Financial Performance of Multilatinas: Moderating Effects of Geographic International Diversification and Financial Slack

Eduardo Duque-Grisales () and Javier Aguilera-Caracuel ()
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Eduardo Duque-Grisales: Institución Universitaria Esumer
Javier Aguilera-Caracuel: University of Granada

Journal of Business Ethics, 2021, vol. 168, issue 2, No 7, 315-334

Abstract: Abstract This paper examines whether a firm’s financial performance (FP) is associated with superior environmental, social and governance (ESG) scores in emerging markets of multinationals in Latin America. The study addresses the current research gap on this issue; it develops hypotheses and tests them by applying linear regressions with a data panel drawn from the Thomson Reuters Eikon™ database to analyse data on 104 multinationals from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru between 2011 and 2015. The results suggest that the relationship between the ESG score and FP is significantly statistically negative. Furthermore, in examining environmental, social and governance separately to accurately determine each variable’s relationship to multilatinas’ FP, the results reveal a negative relationship. Finally, the empirical analysis provides evidence for a moderating effect of financial slack and geographic international diversification on the relationship between ESG dimensions and firms’ FP. This study furthers understanding of the relationship between ESG dimensions and FP for the Latin American business context.

Keywords: Environmental; social and governance dimensions; ESG performance; ESG score; Financial performance; Geographic international diversification; Financial slack; Emerging market multinationals; Multilatinas (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F23 M14 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (112)

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DOI: 10.1007/s10551-019-04177-w

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