{"title":"Investigating the double-edged sword effect of environmental, social and governance practices on corporate risk-taking in the high-tech industry","authors":"Xiaodong Teng, Kun-Shan Wu, Lopin Kuo, Bao-Guang Chang","doi":"10.24136/oc.2023.014","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Research background: Corporate risk-taking (CRT) is crucial to a business's survival and performance and is a driving force for sustainable development. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices are critical to firm profits when considering sustainable economic growth; however, they can also be the cause of financial burdens. It is, therefore, crucial to assess the relationship between a company's ESG performance and its risk-taking.\nPurpose of the article: Considering the controversial results of empirical studies on the relationship between ESG and CRT, this study aims to theoretically and empirically investigate the curvilinear nexus between ESG practices and CRT within Taiwan's high-tech industry.\nMethods: Ordinary least square regression and quantile regression analysis was applied to investigate the curvilinear ESG-CRT relationship. The empirical studies were conducted in 38 high-tech companies on the Taiwan Stock Exchange that disclosed ESG information between 2005 and 2020, with a total of 437 firm-year observations.\nFindings & value added: Quantile regression estimation results reveal the ESG-CRT nexus is U-shaped (convex). Both the environmental and social pillar's relationship with CRT is nonlinear and U-shaped, whereas the governance pillar has no significant relationship with CRT. Overall, a comprehensive view is provided that shows ESG practices can have a double-edged sword effect on CRT. It is suggested that high-tech companies in Taiwan should avoid ESG practices becoming a tool for managements' self-interest. More information of ESG practices should be disclosed to stakeholders to ensure they are given full credit for the positive impact they have on capital allocation. Regulators guide firms to surpass the threshold of the U-shaped effect and take into consideration the whole benefits of stakeholders when they allocate existing resources toward environmental and social endeavors.","PeriodicalId":46112,"journal":{"name":"Oeconomia Copernicana","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":7.6000,"publicationDate":"2023-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Oeconomia Copernicana","FirstCategoryId":"96","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.24136/oc.2023.014","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ECONOMICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Research background: Corporate risk-taking (CRT) is crucial to a business's survival and performance and is a driving force for sustainable development. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices are critical to firm profits when considering sustainable economic growth; however, they can also be the cause of financial burdens. It is, therefore, crucial to assess the relationship between a company's ESG performance and its risk-taking.
Purpose of the article: Considering the controversial results of empirical studies on the relationship between ESG and CRT, this study aims to theoretically and empirically investigate the curvilinear nexus between ESG practices and CRT within Taiwan's high-tech industry.
Methods: Ordinary least square regression and quantile regression analysis was applied to investigate the curvilinear ESG-CRT relationship. The empirical studies were conducted in 38 high-tech companies on the Taiwan Stock Exchange that disclosed ESG information between 2005 and 2020, with a total of 437 firm-year observations.
Findings & value added: Quantile regression estimation results reveal the ESG-CRT nexus is U-shaped (convex). Both the environmental and social pillar's relationship with CRT is nonlinear and U-shaped, whereas the governance pillar has no significant relationship with CRT. Overall, a comprehensive view is provided that shows ESG practices can have a double-edged sword effect on CRT. It is suggested that high-tech companies in Taiwan should avoid ESG practices becoming a tool for managements' self-interest. More information of ESG practices should be disclosed to stakeholders to ensure they are given full credit for the positive impact they have on capital allocation. Regulators guide firms to surpass the threshold of the U-shaped effect and take into consideration the whole benefits of stakeholders when they allocate existing resources toward environmental and social endeavors.
期刊介绍:
The Oeconomia Copernicana is an academic quarterly journal aimed at academicians, economic policymakers, and students studying finance, accounting, management, and economics. It publishes academic articles on contemporary issues in economics, finance, banking, accounting, and management from various research perspectives. The journal's mission is to publish advanced theoretical and empirical research that contributes to the development of these disciplines and has practical relevance. The journal encourages the use of various research methods, including falsification of conventional understanding, theory building through inductive or qualitative research, first empirical testing of theories, meta-analysis with theoretical implications, constructive replication, and a combination of qualitative, quantitative, field, laboratory, and meta-analytic approaches. While the journal prioritizes comprehensive manuscripts that include methodological-based theoretical and empirical research with implications for policymaking, it also welcomes submissions focused solely on theory or methodology.