IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jmathe/v12y2024i9p1369-d1386658.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Does Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Performance Improve Financial Institutions’ Efficiency? Evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Zhiliang Wu

    (School of Economics, Xi’an University of Finance and Economics, Xi’an 710100, China)

  • Shaowei Chen

    (School of Economics, Xi’an University of Finance and Economics, Xi’an 710100, China)

Abstract

Nowadays, the call for sustainable development is becoming stronger in all countries of the world, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance, as a vivid practice of this concept, has gradually received extensive attention from enterprises and investors. Financial institutions have an important position in the national economy as an important tool for the state to regulate the macroeconomy. Whether ESG performance can improve financial institutions’ efficiency is of key significance for boosting sustainable development. Based on data from China’s listed financial institutions from 2015 to 2021, this study aims to investigate the impact of ESG performance on financial institutions. The robust nonparametric boundary model and fixed-effects model are employed for analysis. The empirical results demonstrate that ESG performance and its sub-indicators of environmental performance and social responsibility performance can significantly enhance financial institutions’ efficiency. In particular, this effect is more pronounced in the securities industry and diversified financial industry, as well as in non-state and small-scale financial institutions. The results remain unchanged after a series of robustness tests. Furthermore, the mechanism tests indicate that ESG performance can enhance financial institutions’ efficiency by reducing downside risk and agency costs.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhiliang Wu & Shaowei Chen, 2024. "Does Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Performance Improve Financial Institutions’ Efficiency? Evidence from China," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-20, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jmathe:v:12:y:2024:i:9:p:1369-:d:1386658
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/12/9/1369/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/12/9/1369/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cinzia Daraio & Léopold Simar, 2005. "Introducing Environmental Variables in Nonparametric Frontier Models: a Probabilistic Approach," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 93-121, September.
    2. Wen, Hui & Ho, Ken C. & Gao, Jijun & Yu, Li, 2022. "The fundamental effects of ESG disclosure quality in boosting the growth of ESG investing," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    3. Orlitzky, Marc & Shen, Jie, 2013. "Corporate Social Responsibility, Industry, and Strategy," Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Cambridge University Press, vol. 6(4), pages 346-350, December.
    4. Degl’Innocenti, Marta & Matousek, Roman & Sevic, Zeljko & Tzeremes, Nickolaos G., 2017. "Bank efficiency and financial centres: Does geographical location matter?," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 188-198.
    5. Cazals, Catherine & Florens, Jean-Pierre & Simar, Leopold, 2002. "Nonparametric frontier estimation: a robust approach," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 106(1), pages 1-25, January.
    6. Bilyay-Erdogan, Seda & Danisman, Gamze Ozturk & Demir, Ender, 2024. "ESG performance and investment efficiency: The impact of information asymmetry," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    7. Black, Dan A. & Smith, J.A.Jeffrey A., 2004. "How robust is the evidence on the effects of college quality? Evidence from matching," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 121(1-2), pages 99-124.
    8. Azmi, Wajahat & Hassan, M. Kabir & Houston, Reza & Karim, Mohammad Sydul, 2021. "ESG activities and banking performance: International evidence from emerging economies," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    9. Bădin, Luiza & Daraio, Cinzia & Simar, Léopold, 2012. "How to measure the impact of environmental factors in a nonparametric production model," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 223(3), pages 818-833.
    10. Eduardo Duque-Grisales & Javier Aguilera-Caracuel, 2021. "Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Scores and Financial Performance of Multilatinas: Moderating Effects of Geographic International Diversification and Financial Slack," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 168(2), pages 315-334, January.
    11. Lin, Yongjia & Fu, Xiaoqing & Fu, Xiaolan, 2021. "Varieties in state capitalism and corporate innovation: Evidence from an emerging economy," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    12. Eliana La Ferrara & Alberto Chong & Suzanne Duryea, 2012. "Soap Operas and Fertility: Evidence from Brazil," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 4(4), pages 1-31, October.
    13. Chen, Zhongfei & Xie, Guanxia, 2022. "ESG disclosure and financial performance: Moderating role of ESG investors," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    14. James S. Ang & Rebel A. Cole & James Wuh Lin, 2000. "Agency Costs and Ownership Structure," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 55(1), pages 81-106, February.
    15. Ling, Aifan & Li, Jinlong & Zhang, Yugui, 2023. "Can firms with higher ESG ratings bear higher bank systemic tail risk spillover?—Evidence from Chinese A-share market," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Chau Le & Aleksandar Šević & Panayiotis G. Tzeremes & Trong Ngo, 2022. "Bank efficiency in Vietnam: Do scale expansion strategies and non‐performing loans matter?," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(1), pages 822-843, January.
    2. Degl’Innocenti, Marta & Matousek, Roman & Sevic, Zeljko & Tzeremes, Nickolaos G., 2017. "Bank efficiency and financial centres: Does geographical location matter?," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 188-198.
    3. Shijun Huang & Pengcheng Du & Yu Hong & Woran Wu, 2024. "Are corporate environmental, social, and governance practices contagious? The peer-effect perspective," Energy & Environment, , vol. 35(8), pages 4049-4082, December.
    4. Caitlin O’Loughlin & Léopold Simar & Paul W. Wilson, 2023. "Methodologies for assessing government efficiency," Chapters, in: António Afonso & João Tovar Jalles & Ana Venâncio (ed.), Handbook on Public Sector Efficiency, chapter 4, pages 72-101, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    5. Cordero, José Manuel & Pedraja-Chaparro, Francisco & Pisaflores, Elsa C. & Polo, Cristina, 2016. "Efficiency assessment of Portuguese municipalities using a conditional nonparametric approach," MPRA Paper 70674, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Cinzia Daraio & Léopold Simar & Paul W. Wilson, 2020. "Fast and efficient computation of directional distance estimators," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 288(2), pages 805-835, May.
    7. De Witte, Kristof & Geys, Benny, 2013. "Citizen coproduction and efficient public good provision: Theory and evidence from local public libraries," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 224(3), pages 592-602.
    8. Minviel, Jean Joseph & De Witte, Kristof, 2017. "The influence of public subsidies on farm technical efficiency: A robust conditional nonparametric approach," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 259(3), pages 1112-1120.
    9. Belmonte-Martin, Irene & Ortiz, Lidia & Polo, Cristina, 2021. "Local tax management in Spain: A study of the conditional efficiency of provincial tax agencies," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    10. De Witte, Kristof & Schiltz, Fritz, 2018. "Measuring and explaining organizational effectiveness of school districts: Evidence from a robust and conditional Benefit-of-the-Doubt approach," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 267(3), pages 1172-1181.
    11. Bădin, Luiza & Daraio, Cinzia & Simar, Léopold, 2019. "A bootstrap approach for bandwidth selection in estimating conditional efficiency measures," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 277(2), pages 784-797.
    12. Yauheniya Varabyova & Jonas Schreyögg, 2018. "Integrating quality into the nonparametric analysis of efficiency: a simulation comparison of popular methods," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 261(1), pages 365-392, February.
    13. Guangshun Qiao & Zhan-ao Wang, 2021. "Vertical integration vs. specialization: a nonparametric conditional efficiency estimate for the global semiconductor industry," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 56(2), pages 139-150, December.
    14. Amir Moradi-Motlagh & Ali Emrouznejad, 2022. "The origins and development of statistical approaches in non-parametric frontier models: a survey of the first two decades of scholarly literature (1998–2020)," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 318(1), pages 713-741, November.
    15. Cordero Ferrera, Jose Manuel & Alonso Morán, Edurne & Nuño Solís, Roberto & Orueta, Juan F. & Souto Arce, Regina, 2013. "Efficiency assessment of primary care providers: A conditional nonparametric approach," MPRA Paper 51926, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. D’Inverno, Giovanna & De Witte, Kristof, 2020. "Service level provision in municipalities: A flexible directional distance composite indicator," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 286(3), pages 1129-1141.
    17. Jean Pierre Huiban & Camilla Mastromarco & Antonio Musolesi & Michel Simioni, 2016. "The impact of pollution abatement investments on production technology: new insights from frontier analysis," SEEDS Working Papers 0716, SEEDS, Sustainability Environmental Economics and Dynamics Studies, revised Jul 2016.
    18. Fall, F.S. & Tchakoute Tchuigoua, H. & Vanhems, A. & Simar, L., 2021. "Gender effect on microfinance social efficiency: A robust nonparametric approach," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 295(2), pages 744-757.
    19. Mastromarco, Camilla & Simar, Leopold, 2014. "Global Dependence and Productivity: A Robust Nonparametric World Frontier Analysis," LIDAM Discussion Papers ISBA 2014049, Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Statistics, Biostatistics and Actuarial Sciences (ISBA).
    20. Kristof De Witte & Laura López-Torres, 2017. "Efficiency in education: a review of literature and a way forward," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 68(4), pages 339-363, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jmathe:v:12:y:2024:i:9:p:1369-:d:1386658. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.