Corporate Social Responsibility and Country Governance: An International Comparative Study Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

This paper assesses the association of ESG scores with stock returns and highlights the moderating role of the COVID-19 pandemic and the country’s governance. The study uses panel data regression models to assess the relationship between ESG factors and stock returns, focusing on the moderating role of country governance and the COVID-19 pandemic. The results reveal that governance quality significantly enhances the positive effects of ESG practices on returns, particularly during times of crisis. These suggest that higher overall ESG scores are related positively to financial performance, and this relation is enhanced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the two dimensions of ESG that matter most are environmental and governance. Country-level governance is important because firms in well-governed countries amplify the benefits of high ESG scores. The opposite is true for the higher controversies scores, whose bad financial outcome is magnified during the pandemic. These results present an argument for the resilience of firm financial performance, dependent on strong ESG practices and governance frameworks. This holds great interest for investors and policymakers in associating good ESG considerations with the effective management of financial risks, leading to sustainable returns during periods of widespread economic uncertainty.