Search Results (202)

As sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility gained increasing importance in agriculture, several impact assessment methodologies have been proposed. Social Return on Investment (SROI), a methodology used for understanding, measuring, and reporting the social, economic, and environmental value created by an organization, emerged as a promising approach to quantify and monetize social and environmental impacts. However, research on SROI application within the wine industry remains limited, despite the sector’s global relevance and unique economic, social, and cultural dimensions. This study addresses this gap by evaluating the potential and limitations of SROI in assessing the social impact of a wine cellar’s products, services, and activities on its stakeholders. Indeed, we find confirmation that, as in other sectors, this methodology can support sustainability reporting and strategic decision-making. Applying the SROI methodology, stakeholder outcomes were analyzed, and the results indicate that for every EUR 1 invested, approximately EUR 1.44 of social value is generated, demonstrating SROI’s effectiveness in capturing social contributions beyond financial metrics. This study highlights SROI’s advantages, while also acknowledging challenges. Findings suggest that, despite some limitations, SROI can enhance wineries’ sustainability strategies and offers a robust framework to guide wineries—and potentially other agricultural sectors—toward socially responsible and sustainable practices. Future research should focus on developing industry-specific proxies and integrating SROI with other sustainability assessment tools, particularly in support of ESG reporting. This study contributes to academic discourse on impact evaluation methodologies and provides practical implications that aim to balance economic performance with social responsibility. Full article

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) has become a concern for companies, investors, and regulators. Its significance cannot be underestimated, as stakeholders increasingly demand accountability and transparency regarding corporate practices in these areas. Government agencies enforce laws mandating companies adhere to established ESG standards in response. However, despite these regulatory pressures, several obstacles have hindered organizations from effectively implementing sustainability initiatives, often resulting in lackluster outcomes. In this study, we developed a framework to implement ESG principles across various companies, utilizing the critical success factor (CSF) theory. By incorporating the perspectives of stakeholders, we identified the essential elements to achieve ESG. The developed framework in ESG studies employed the hybrid Delphi technique and the analytical hierarchy process (AHP), a structured method for organizing and analyzing complex decisions. Based on the results obtained from targeted questions, variables that influence ESG performance were identified. The effectiveness of different sustainability initiatives was also assessed to understand stakeholder engagement strategies and evaluate the impact of organizational culture on ESG adoption. Full article

This article explores the relationship between corporate financial performance (CFP) and commitment to ESG (environmental, social and governance) practices, using a sample of companies listed on the S&P 500 and TSX 60 indices. By employing a linear regression model, the study examines how financial indicators such as Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA), return on assets (ROA), Assets and Debt influence ESG scores. The results show that financial indicators such as EBITDA, ROA and Assets are positively associated with increased ability to commit resources to ESG practices, except in some cases like when costs associated with ESG initiatives can reduce the competitiveness and profitability of companies in the short term, where ROA is negatively correlated with the adoption of ESG criteria. Also, with regard to the size of companies, thanks to their greater resources, larger companies are more inclined to adopt ESG criteria. These findings enhance the understanding of financial conditions that enable or constrain ESG adoption and provide managerial insights for strategic resource allocation in the pursuit of sustainability goals. Full article

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance has emerged as a critical indicator of corporate legitimacy, resilience, and long-term value. However, translating ESG strategic intent into tangible results remains a pressing theoretical and managerial challenge. This paper introduces an integrated framework elucidating the pathways through which Corporate Citizenship (CC), understood as a participatory, relational evolution of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), influences ESG outcomes at the employee level. Drawing on both Social Exchange Theory (SET) and Social Identity Theory (SIT), the model explains how reciprocal obligations and identity-based alignment jointly influence employees’ discretionary behaviors. Perceived Organizational Support (POS) is introduced as a moderating factor that shapes the strength of the CC–OCB pathway. This study contributes to the micro-foundations of ESG by illuminating how individual discretionary behaviors mediate and condition the impact of strategic corporate citizenship initiatives. By advancing a dual-theoretical, micro-foundational approach, the framework moves beyond reputational CSR models and provides a testable, behaviorally anchored account of ESG implementation. Practical implications are offered for organizations seeking to cultivate trust-based cultures that align employee engagement with sustainable performance. Full article

Against the backdrop of increasingly severe global carbon emissions and China’s commitment to achieving carbon peaking by 2030, accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy has become an urgent priority. As fundamental microeconomic entities, enterprises play a crucial role in the national governance of carbon emissions. This study uses panel data on Chinese A share listed companies from 2019 to 2023 and employs fixed effects models that control for firm, year, and industry effect to analyze how ESG performance influences carbon emissions and through which mechanism. The findings indicate that improvements in ESG ratings significantly reduce firms’ carbon emissions. This effect operates primarily through the following two channels: (1) promoting green technological innovation, thereby enhancing environmental performance, and (2) increasing the attention of financial analysts, which strengthens external monitoring. The heterogeneity analysis further reveals that the mitigating effect of ESG improvement on carbon emissions is more pronounced in firms with a lower proportion of institutional ownership, while this effect is relatively weaker in firms with higher institutional ownership. This suggests that in contexts where institutional investors hold a smaller share, firms may place greater emphasis on the policy pressure and social responsibility expectations associated with ESG performance, thereby exhibiting stronger commitment to emission reduction actions. In contrast, in firms dominated by institutional investors, the implementation of ESG policy objectives may be partially compromised due to the investors’ short-term profit orientation. This study provides empirical evidence for firms to fulfill their environmental and social responsibilities and offers actionable insights for investors aiming to promote sustainable development. From a policy perspective, the findings also offer theoretical support for developing differentiated regulatory strategies based on variations in ownership and shareholding structures. Full article

This study examines the impact of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices on green innovation and financial performance among 174 publicly listed firms across ASEAN countries over the period from 2019 to 2023. Utilizing an unbalanced panel dataset of firms from key ASEAN economies, the analysis employs panel regression techniques. Green innovation performance is measured through innovation disclosures related to environmental technologies, while financial success is assessed via return on assets (ROA) and Tobin’s Q. The findings reveal that environmental and governance disclosure scores positively influence green innovation, whereas social scores exert a more immediate impact on financial performance. Moreover, green innovation is found to partially mediate the relationship between overall ESG practices and long-term market valuation. These results highlight the strategic role of ESG transparency in enhancing innovation-driven competitiveness, responsible business conduct, and sustainable employment across Southeast Asian markets. Implications are discussed for corporate managers, policymakers, and socially responsible investors. The study reinforces the case for ESG-aligned strategy as a pathway to both innovation, inclusive economic growth, and long-term competitiveness in ASEAN markets. Full article

This study investigates how Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles can be effectively integrated into the Balanced Scorecard (BSc) framework within local government organizations (LGOs) to enhance strategic planning and sustainability performance. Addressing a gap in the literature on ESG–BSc integration in the public sector, particularly in the Greek context, the study employs a dual-method approach. First, a bibliometric analysis of 3053 academic publications (1993–2025) was conducted using Scopus data to assess the evolution and thematic focus of ESG and BSc research. Second, a structured questionnaire—comprising both closed- and open-ended questions—was administered to 17 administrative staff members of a Greek LGO in 2024. This expert sample provided insights into strategic planning practices, ESG awareness, and performance management barriers. The findings reveal low levels of ESG–BSc application, a limited strategic capacity, and institutional resistance. In response, the study proposes a novel, context-sensitive ESG-integrated BSc model tailored for small municipalities, emphasizing stakeholder participation, operational simplicity, and the alignment with national sustainability policies. The model serves as a practical tool to support public sector performance measurement, bridging the gap between sustainability goals and local governance strategy. Full article

As a critical external mechanism driving green innovation, institutional and competitive pressure often coexist and jointly shape firms’ strategic responses. However, existing studies primarily focus on the individual effects of these pressures, with limited attention to their interactive impacts on green innovation. Drawing on optimal distinctiveness theory, this study proposes a “pressure–response” analytical framework that classifies institutional and competitive pressure combinations into congruent (i.e., high–high or low–low) and incongruent (i.e., high–low or low–high) pressure contexts based on their relative intensities. It further examines how these distinct configurations affect two types of green innovation: strategic green innovation (StrGI) and substantive green innovation (SubGI). Using panel data from Chinese A-share listed firms between 2010 and 2022, the empirical results reveal that under congruent pressure contexts, the alignment of institutional and competitive pressures tends to suppress green innovation. In contrast, under incongruent contexts, the misalignment between the two pressures significantly promotes green innovation. Regarding innovation motivation, the high institutional–low competitive pressure context more significantly promotes StrGI, while the low institutional–high competitive pressure context has a more prominent effect on SubGI. In addition, this study also investigates the mediating roles of StrGI and SubGI on ESG performance. The findings provide theoretical support and policy implications for improving green transition policies and institutional frameworks, as well as promoting sustainable corporate development. Full article

Amid intensifying global ESG regulations and the expanding influence of green finance, China’s digital economy policies have emerged as key institutional instruments for promoting corporate sustainability. Leveraging the implementation of the National Big Data Comprehensive Pilot Zone as a quasi-natural experiment, this study utilizes panel data of Chinese listed firms from 2009 to 2023 and applies multi-period Difference-in-Differences (DID) and Spatial DID models to rigorously identify the policy’s effects on corporate ESG performance. Empirical results indicate that the impact of digital economy policy is not exerted through a direct linear pathway but operates via three institutional mechanisms, enhanced information transparency, eased financing constraints, and expanded fiscal support, collectively constructing a logic of “institutional embedding–governance restructuring.” Moreover, disruptive technological innovation significantly amplifies the effects of the transparency and fiscal mechanisms, but exhibits no statistically significant moderating effect on the financing constraint pathway, suggesting a misalignment between innovation heterogeneity and financial responsiveness. Further heterogeneity analysis confirms that the policy effect is concentrated among firms characterized by robust governance structures, high levels of property rights marketization, and greater digital maturity. This study contributes to the literature by developing an integrated moderated mediation framework rooted in institutional theory, agency theory, and dynamic capabilities theory. The findings advance the theoretical understanding of ESG policy transmission by unpacking the micro-foundations of institutional response under digital policy regimes, while offering actionable insights into the strategic alignment of digital transformation and sustainability-oriented governance. Full article

In the context of pursuing the goal of strategic imperatives of sustainable development, the ESG performance of enterprises has become a key yardstick for measuring their comprehensive environmental contribution and economic efficiency. Enhancing ESG performance has far-reaching significance in promoting green and sustainable development of enterprises and society. Drawing on the upper echelons theory, this paper investigates the impact of the chief executive officer’s (CEO’s) green experience on corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance, utilizing a sample of publicly listed Chinese companies from 2011 to 2023. The study demonstrates that CEOs with green experience significantly enhance corporate ESG performance, a conclusion that remains consistent following a series of rigorous robustness checks. Mechanistic analysis reveals that CEOs’ green experience primarily facilitates corporate ESG performance enhancement through green innovation initiatives. Furthermore, CEO discretion amplifies the positive influence of green experience on ESG performance. Heterogeneity analysis demonstrates that the influence of the CEOs’ green experience on ESG performance is more pronounced in high-tech enterprises, in markets characterized by lower levels of competition, and in firms situated in regions exhibiting higher degrees of social trust. These findings impart both theoretical and practical implications for enhancing corporate ESG performance and offer novel strategic perspective to advance environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and corporate governance frameworks. Full article

As Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) gradually become the common language for sustainable development of international society and international cooperation in China, it is worth discussing whether ESG practices can help Chinese enterprises shape a responsible international image, overcome the liability of foreignness (LOF) and improve the long-term performance of cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As). On the basis of theoretical discussion, combined with the panel data of cross-border M&As of China A-share listed companies from 2010 to 2021, this paper empirically examines that the ESG performance of acquirers has a significant positive impact on the long-term performance of cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As) of China A-share listed companies. Furthermore, the ESG performance of environment and governance dimensions and heavily polluting enterprises has stronger incentive effects on the long-term performance of cross-border M&As. The ESG performance of the acquirer positively affects the long-term performance of cross-border M&As of China A-share listed companies by acquiring capital market resources, product market competitiveness, regulatory legitimacy, and enhancing internal synergy. Full article

Background: Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most common gynecological malignancy, increasingly affecting premenopausal women. While hysterectomy is the standard treatment, it eliminates reproductive potential, highlighting the need for effective fertility-sparing alternatives. Current ESHRE/ESGO/ESGE guidelines recommend progestin-based therapies, often with hysteroscopic resection. However, these are based on limited pharmacological options and moderate to low-quality evidence. Novel and combination therapies have shown promise but remain absent from current clinical guidelines. This review aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of fertility-preserving treatments for early-stage EC, emphasizing the need to update current strategies based on emerging data. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis will follow PRISMA guidelines and the Cochrane Handbook. Eligible studies, including randomized and non-randomized designs, will assess fertility-preserving treatments for early-stage EC. Data will be extracted on complete response, recurrence, and long-term fertility outcomes. The GRADE system will assess evidence certainty. Risk of bias will be evaluated using RoB 2 for RCTs and ROBINS-I for non-randomized studies. Meta-analysis will be performed if sufficient data are available. Conclusions: This review will provide a comprehensive analysis of fertility-sparing treatments for early-stage EC, support personalized strategies, identify evidence gaps, and guide future research. Trial registration—Prospero: CRD420251032161. Full article

This study investigates how climate-resilient city construction (CRCC) influences the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance of Chinese listed firms, employing a difference-in-differences (DID) model with firm-year data from 2012 to 2023. The empirical results demonstrate that CRCC exerts a significant positive effect on firms’ ESG performance, with particularly pronounced improvements in the environmental and social dimensions. The mechanism analysis reveals that strengthening government environmental guidance and stimulating firms’ environmental response strategies are the key channels via which CRCC improves firms’ ESG performance. The heterogeneity tests show more pronounced effects for the central–eastern regions, state-owned firms, non-regulated industries, and non-heavily polluting sectors. A further analysis indicates that better ESG performance drives firms to increase their environmental investment, upgrade their value chains, and enhance new quality productive forces. This study extends the framework of ESG determinants by integrating climate adaptation policies, offering insights for urban climate governance and firms’ low-carbon transitions. Full article

As the aging population grows, ensuring effective and sustainable health management for elderly individuals has become a critical challenge. This study explores the integration of smart healthcare technologies and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles to enhance elderly health management through data-driven strategies. Using the MIMIC-III database, this study evaluates five machine learning models (Adaboost, Bagging, Catboost, GaussianNB, and SVC) through ten-fold cross-validation to predict 3-day and 30-day mortality rates among elderly ICU patients. The Bagging model achieved the best performance with an AUROC of 0.80, demonstrating the potential of smart healthcare in mortality prediction. These technologies enhance predictive accuracy, enabling the timely identification of high-risk patients and effective intervention. Through the application of smart data integration methods, this study demonstrates how combining clinical indicators with socioeconomic factors can improve healthcare equity and efficiency. Furthermore, by aligning smart healthcare development with ESG concepts, we emphasize the importance of sustainability, social responsibility, and governance transparency in future healthcare systems. The findings offer valuable contributions toward building an interoperable and ethical health ecosystem, supporting early risk identification, improved care outcomes, and the promotion of healthy living for the elderly population. Full article

This paper examines the relation between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and firm financial performance—a topic that continues to generate debate among academics and practitioners. We focus on firms included in the 100 Best Corporate Citizens (BCC) rankings from 2009 to 2022, a list that highlights companies recognized for CSR transparency and performance. Using panel data regression analyses and matched sample comparison, we examine whether BCC firms outperform their peers. Our findings show that, relative to matched firms not included in the rankings, BCC firms demonstrate significantly stronger future operating performance. Among BCC firms, CSR rankings are positively associated with future operating performance, although this positive relation has diminished in more recent years. Furthermore, we find no significant association between operating performance and most individual CSR component rankings except for employee relations. Finally, our evidence indicates that more socially responsible firms engage in less tax avoidance and pay higher audit fees, suggesting that CSR-oriented firms exhibit stronger ethical considerations across a broad range of corporate activities. This study contributes to the CSR literature by providing updated empirical evidence and practical insights for stakeholders evaluating corporate behavior and outcomes through the BCC rankings. Full article