IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/riibaf/v76y2025ics0275531925001205.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Impact of market regulations on firm-specific esg performance: evidence from asian economies

Author

Listed:
  • Liao, Qinghu
  • Erzurumlu, Yaman Omer
  • Gozgor, Giray

Abstract

This paper examines the effects of the business, credit, and labour market regulations on firms' Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance in Asian countries. Analysing annual data of 1187 firms across 12 Asian economies from 2005 to 2021, the paper finds that reduced regulatory constraints, which allow greater access and availability to credit, flexibility in labour, and product markets, enhance ESG performance in environmental and social areas while governance practices remain largely unaffected. Government depository institution ownership shows a multi-faceted impact, indicating potential agency conflict, with positive effects on workforce practices but adverse effects on shareholder and management activities. The influence of reduced regulation varies by income level: Firms in developed countries benefit from improved credit and business regulations, whereas growing firms in developing Asian countries see ESG improvements through enhanced labour regulations. The study finds that large, financially strong firms with sustainability-linked executive compensation achieve higher ESG scores. Access to capital plays a vital role in ESG improvement. Additionally, firms can prioritise profit maximisation over ESG improvement following potential opportunities. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers in designing regulatory pathways that support ESG practices aligned with a country's economic context.

Suggested Citation

  • Liao, Qinghu & Erzurumlu, Yaman Omer & Gozgor, Giray, 2025. "Impact of market regulations on firm-specific esg performance: evidence from asian economies," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:riibaf:v:76:y:2025:i:c:s0275531925001205
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ribaf.2025.102864
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0275531925001205
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ribaf.2025.102864?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Eduardo Ortas & Isabel Gallego‐Álvarez & Igor Álvarez, 2019. "National institutions, stakeholder engagement, and firms' environmental, social, and governance performance," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(3), pages 598-611, May.
    2. Çiğdem Vural‐Yavaş, 2021. "Economic policy uncertainty, stakeholder engagement, and environmental, social, and governance practices: The moderating effect of competition," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(1), pages 82-102, January.
    3. Ferrell, Allen & Liang, Hao & Renneboog, Luc, 2016. "Socially responsible firms," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 122(3), pages 585-606.
    4. Jensen, Michael C, 1986. "Agency Costs of Free Cash Flow, Corporate Finance, and Takeovers," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(2), pages 323-329, May.
    5. Liu, Jinjing & Wang, Hong, 2022. "Economic policy uncertainty and the cost of capital," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    6. Keuk-Soo Kim & W. Douglas McMillin, 2003. "Estimating the effects of monetary policy shocks: does lag structure matter?," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(13), pages 1515-1526.
    7. Richard Borghesi & Kiyoung Chang & Ying Li, 2019. "Firm value in commonly uncertain times: the divergent effects of corporate governance and CSR," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(43), pages 4726-4741, September.
    8. Khan, Muhammad Arif, 2022. "ESG disclosure and Firm performance: A bibliometric and meta analysis," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    9. Lutfi Abdul Razak & Mansor H. Ibrahim & Adam Ng, 2023. "Environment, social and governance (ESG) performance and CDS spreads: the role of country sustainability," Journal of Risk Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 24(5), pages 585-613, July.
    10. Kuai, Yicheng & Wang, Peiwen & Huang, Guanglin, 2025. "Corporate ESG performance and credit misallocation: Evidence from China," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 73(PA).
    11. Tsuruga, Takayuki & Wake, Shota, 2019. "Money-financed fiscal stimulus: The effects of implementation lag," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 132-151.
    12. Gracelin Baskaran, 2021. "Firms’ approach to mitigating risks in the platinum group metals sector," Mineral Economics, Springer;Raw Materials Group (RMG);Luleå University of Technology, vol. 34(3), pages 385-398, October.
    13. Chen, Kan-Xiang & Erzurumlu, Yaman Omer & Gozgor, Giray & Lau, Chi Keung Marco & Turkkan, Melis, 2024. "The impact of economic uncertainty on corporate ESG performance: Global evidence," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 72(PB).
    14. Yuxiang, Karl & Chen, Zhongchang, 2011. "Financial development and environmental performance: evidence from China," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 16(1), pages 93-111, February.
    15. Sun, Yunpeng & Gozgor, Giray & Lau, Chi Keung Marco & Soliman, Alaa M., 2025. "Inclusive finance and sustainability: The dynamic spillover effects of uncertainties on access to credit," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 73(PA).
    16. Karl V. Lins & Henri Servaes & Ane Tamayo, 2017. "Social Capital, Trust, and Firm Performance: The Value of Corporate Social Responsibility during the Financial Crisis," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 72(4), pages 1785-1824, August.
    17. Tamara Teplova & Tatiana Sokolova & Mariya Gubareva & Viktoria Sukhikh & Ning Cai, 2022. "The Multifaceted Sustainable Development and Export Intensity of Emerging Market Firms under Financial Constraints: The Role of ESG and Innovative Activity," Complexity, Hindawi, vol. 2022, pages 1-20, August.
    18. Di Giuli, Alberta & Kostovetsky, Leonard, 2014. "Are red or blue companies more likely to go green? Politics and corporate social responsibility," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(1), pages 158-180.
    19. Linzhi Han & Yafang Shi & Jianghua Zheng, 2024. "Can green credit policies improve corporate ESG performance?," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(3), pages 2678-2699, June.
    20. Jianchun Fang & Giray Gozgor & James H. Nolt, 2022. "Globalisation, economic uncertainty and labour market regulations: Implications for the COVID‐19 crisis," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(7), pages 2165-2187, July.
    21. Bagh, Tanveer & Zhou, Bingjun & Alawi, Suha Mahmoud & Azam, Rauf I, 2024. "ESG resilience: Exploring the non-linear effects of ESG performance on firms sustainable growth," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(PA).
    22. Mishel Ghassibe & Maximiliano Appendino & Samir Elsadek Mahmoudi, 2019. "SME Financial Inclusion for Sustained Growth in the Middle East and Central Asia," IMF Working Papers 2019/209, International Monetary Fund.
    23. Babita Bhatt, 2022. "Ethical Complexity of Social Change: Negotiated Actions of a Social Enterprise," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 177(4), pages 743-762, May.
    24. Weiping Li & Sihan Chen & Zhuxin Gao & Xiaoqi Chen, 2023. "Assessing the impact of corporate environmental performance on efficiency improvement in labor investment," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(7), pages 5008-5024, November.
    25. Anginer,Deniz & Bertay,Ata Can & Cull,Robert J. & Demirguc-Kunt,Asli & Mare,Davide Salvatore, 2019. "Bank Regulation and Supervision Ten Years after the Global Financial Crisis," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9044, The World Bank.
    26. Zheng, Xinyuan & Shen, Jianfei, 2024. "Corporate environmental information disclosure, managerial ownership and the cost of debt," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 93(PA), pages 645-659.
    27. Mohammed Benlemlih & Amama Shaukat & Yan Qiu & Grzegorz Trojanowski, 2018. "Environmental and Social Disclosures and Firm Risk," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 152(3), pages 613-626, October.
    28. Borghesi, Richard & Houston, Joel F. & Naranjo, Andy, 2014. "Corporate socially responsible investments: CEO altruism, reputation, and shareholder interests," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 164-181.
    29. Juhee Hwang & Hyuna Kim & Dongjin Jung, 2021. "The Effect of ESG Activities on Financial Performance during the COVID-19 Pandemic—Evidence from Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-17, October.
    30. Chen, Zhongfei & Xie, Guanxia, 2022. "ESG disclosure and financial performance: Moderating role of ESG investors," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    31. Asan Vernyuy Wirba, 2024. "Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): The Role of Government in promoting CSR," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(2), pages 7428-7454, June.
    32. Chollet, Pierre & Sandwidi, Blaise W., 2018. "CSR engagement and financial risk: A virtuous circle? International evidence," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 65-81.
    33. Switzer, Lorne, 1984. "The Determinants of Industrial R&D: A Funds Flow Simultaneous Equation Approach," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 66(1), pages 163-168, February.
    34. Panagiotis Asimakopoulos & Stylianos Asimakopoulos & Xinyu Li, 2024. "The combined effects of economic policy uncertainty and environmental, social, and governance ratings on leverage," The European Journal of Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(7), pages 673-695, May.
    35. Peng, Hongfeng & Zhang, Zhenqi & Goodell, John W. & Li, Mingsheng, 2023. "Socially responsible investing: Is it for real or just for show?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    36. Monica Singhania & Neha Saini, 2023. "Institutional framework of ESG disclosures: comparative analysis of developed and developing countries," Journal of Sustainable Finance & Investment, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(1), pages 516-559, January.
    37. Maria Baldini & Lorenzo Dal Maso & Giovanni Liberatore & Francesco Mazzi & Simone Terzani, 2018. "Role of Country- and Firm-Level Determinants in Environmental, Social, and Governance Disclosure," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 150(1), pages 79-98, June.
    38. Gozgor, Giray & Ho, Thang & Li, Jing & Mousavi, Mohammad Mahdi, 2024. "The impact of energy diversification on firm performance: The moderating role of corporate social responsibility," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 96(PB).
    39. Tuan-Hock Ng & Chun-Teck Lye & Kar-Hoong Chan & Ying-Zhee Lim & Ying-San Lim, 2020. "Sustainability in Asia: The Roles of Financial Development in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Performance," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 150(1), pages 17-44, July.
    40. Ayadi, Imen & Abderrahman, Jahmane, 2025. "The impact of economic policy uncertainty and digital integration on ESG practices in European companies," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    41. Peter Iliev & Lukas Roth, 2023. "Director Expertise and Corporate Sustainability," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 27(6), pages 2085-2123.
    42. Zhao, Lili & Ma, Yibing & Chen, Na & Wen, Fenghua, 2025. "How does climate policy uncertainty shape corporate investment behavior?," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    43. Galletta, Simona & Mazzù, Sebastiano & Naciti, Valeria, 2022. "A bibliometric analysis of ESG performance in the banking industry: From the current status to future directions," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    44. Eliwa, Yasser & Aboud, Ahmed & Saleh, Ahmed, 2021. "ESG practices and the cost of debt: Evidence from EU countries," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    45. Yan Cheung & Weiqiang Tan & Hee-Joon Ahn & Zheng Zhang, 2010. "Does Corporate Social Responsibility Matter in Asian Emerging Markets?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 92(3), pages 401-413, March.
    46. Pierre Chollet & Blaise Sandwidi, 2018. "CSR engagement and financial risk: A virtuous circle? International evidence," Post-Print hal-02048716, HAL.
    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. Chen, Kan-Xiang & Erzurumlu, Yaman Omer & Gozgor, Giray & Lau, Chi Keung Marco & Turkkan, Melis, 2024. "The impact of economic uncertainty on corporate ESG performance: Global evidence," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 72(PB).
    2. Çiğdem Vural‐Yavaş, 2021. "Economic policy uncertainty, stakeholder engagement, and environmental, social, and governance practices: The moderating effect of competition," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(1), pages 82-102, January.
    3. Liang, Yuchao & Tan, Qi & Pang, Jun, 2024. "Bless or curse, how does extreme temperature shape heavy pollution companies' ESG performance?-Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    4. Li, Chengcheng & Wang, Xiaoqiong, 2022. "Local peer effects of corporate social responsibility," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    5. Charl de Villiers & Jing Jia & Zhongtian Li, 2022. "Corporate social responsibility: A review of empirical research using Thomson Reuters Asset4 data," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(4), pages 4523-4568, December.
    6. Monica Singhania & Dimple Gupta, 2024. "Impact of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) disclosure on firm risk: A meta‐analytical review," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(4), pages 3573-3613, July.
    7. Hyeong Joon Kim & Seongjae Mun & Seung Hun Han, 2023. "Corporate social responsibility and the alignment of CEO and shareholders wealth: Does a strong alignment induce or restrain CSR?," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(2), pages 720-741, March.
    8. Chahine, Salim & Fang, Yiwei & Hasan, Iftekhar & Mazboudi, Mohamad, 2019. "Entrenchment through corporate social responsibility: Evidence from CEO network centrality," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    9. Fan, Kwok Yuen & Shen, Jianfu & Hui, Eddie C.M. & Cheng, Louis T.W., 2024. "ESG components and equity returns: Evidence from real estate investment trusts," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 96(PB).
    10. Li, WeiWei & Padmanabhan, Prasad & Huang, Chia-Hsing, 2024. "ESG and debt structure: Is the nature of this relationship nonlinear?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    11. Liu, Xianda & Hou, Wenxuan & Main, Brian G.M., 2022. "Anti-market sentiment and corporate social responsibility: Evidence from anti-Jewish pogroms," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    12. Gillan, Stuart L. & Koch, Andrew & Starks, Laura T., 2021. "Firms and social responsibility: A review of ESG and CSR research in corporate finance," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    13. Ayadi, Imen & Abderrahman, Jahmane, 2025. "The impact of economic policy uncertainty and digital integration on ESG practices in European companies," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    14. Bae, Kee-Hong & El Ghoul, Sadok & Guedhami, Omrane & Kwok, Chuck C.Y. & Zheng, Ying, 2019. "Does corporate social responsibility reduce the costs of high leverage? Evidence from capital structure and product market interactions," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 135-150.
    15. Fiordelisi, Franco & Ricci, Ornella & Santilli, Gianluca, 2023. "Environmental engagement and stock price crash risk: Evidence from the European banking industry," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    16. Ramírez-Orellana, Alicia & Martínez-Victoria, MCarmen & García-Amate, Antonio & Rojo-Ramírez, Alfonso A., 2023. "Is the corporate financial strategy in the oil and gas sector affected by ESG dimensions?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    17. Pascal Nguyen & Nahid Rahman & Ruoyun Zhao, 2024. "Do firms adjust their payout policy to public perception of their social irresponsibility ?," Post-Print hal-05075880, HAL.
    18. Jagriti Srivastava & Aravind Sampath & Balagopal Gopalakrishnan, 2021. "Is CSR the key to unlocking debt financing during COVID-19? A multicountry perspective," Working papers 481, Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode.
    19. Alves, Carlos Francisco & Meneses, Lilian Lima, 2024. "ESG scores and debt costs: Exploring indebtedness, agency costs, and financial system impact," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    20. Khan, Muhammad Arif, 2022. "ESG disclosure and Firm performance: A bibliometric and meta analysis," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).

    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:eee:riibaf:v:76:y:2025:i:c:s0275531925001205. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ribaf .

    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.