IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/trapol/v167y2025icp295-306.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Impact of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) on productivity of major air cargo integrators

Author

Listed:
  • Hong, Seock-Jin
  • Zhang, Anming
  • Caliskan, Ferhat
  • Idug, Yavuz

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) on the productivity of major air cargo integrators: DHL, FedEx, and UPS. It employs a two-stage method to assess their performance. In the first stage, a non-parametric free disposal hull approach, combined with principal component analysis, estimates the technical productivity of the integrators. The second stage utilizes dynamic panel regression to analyze the influence of ESG factors and external variables on productivity. The results indicate that DHL has demonstrated more efficient performance over time, while UPS has shown less efficiency. Additionally, the study evaluates the effects of ESG factors on productivity, revealing that greenhouse gas emissions and accident rates have a positive impact. Conversely, external factors, such as air freight rates and the COVID-19 pandemic, negatively affect productivity. Managing ESG initiatives is particularly challenging due to rapid industry growth and various external influences.

Suggested Citation

  • Hong, Seock-Jin & Zhang, Anming & Caliskan, Ferhat & Idug, Yavuz, 2025. "Impact of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) on productivity of major air cargo integrators," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 295-306.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:167:y:2025:i:c:p:295-306
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2025.03.034
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967070X25001350
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.tranpol.2025.03.034?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. Giulio Mattioli & Jean-Pierre Nicolas & Carsten Gertz, 2018. "Editorial - Household transport costs, economic stress and energy vulnerability," Post-Print halshs-01672810, HAL.
    2. Adler, Nicole & Berechman, Joseph, 2001. "Measuring airport quality from the airlines' viewpoint: an application of data envelopment analysis," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 8(3), pages 171-181, July.
    3. Henry Tulkens, 2006. "On FDH Efficiency Analysis: Some Methodological Issues and Applications to Retail Banking, Courts and Urban Transit," Springer Books, in: Parkash Chander & Jacques Drèze & C. Knox Lovell & Jack Mintz (ed.), Public goods, environmental externalities and fiscal competition, chapter 0, pages 311-342, Springer.
    4. Ha, Hun Koo & Kaneko, Shinji & Yamamoto, Masashi & Yoshida, Yuichiro & Zhang, Anming, 2017. "On the discrepancy in the social efficiency measures between parametric and non-parametric production technology identification," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 9-14.
    5. Adler, Nicole & Yazhemsky, Ekaterina, 2010. "Improving discrimination in data envelopment analysis: PCA-DEA or variable reduction," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 202(1), pages 273-284, April.
    6. Brueckner, Jan K. & Zhang, Anming, 2010. "Airline emission charges: Effects on airfares, service quality, and aircraft design," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 44(8-9), pages 960-971, September.
    7. García, C. José & Herrero, Begoña, 2021. "Female directors, capital structure, and financial distress," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 592-601.
    8. Tim Coelli & Sergio Perelman & Elliot Romano, 1999. "Accounting for Environmental Influences in Stochastic Frontier Models: With Application to International Airlines," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 11(3), pages 251-273, June.
    9. Liu, Xiao & Zhou, Dequn & Zhou, Peng & Wang, Qunwei, 2017. "What drives CO2 emissions from China’s civil aviation? An exploration using a new generalized PDA method," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 30-45.
    10. Harald Tauchmann, 2011. "orderalpha: Nonparametric order-α efficiency analysis for Stata," German Stata Users' Group Meetings 2011 05, Stata Users Group.
    11. Tanja Rabl & María Carmen Triana & Seo-Young Byun & Laura Bosch, 2020. "Diversity Management Efforts as an Ethical Responsibility: How Employees’ Perceptions of an Organizational Integration and Learning Approach to Diversity Affect Employee Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 161(3), pages 531-550, January.
    12. Carline, Nicholas F. & Linn, Scott C. & Yadav, Pradeep K., 2009. "Operating performance changes associated with corporate mergers and the role of corporate governance," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 33(10), pages 1829-1841, October.
    13. Citterio, Alberto & King, Timothy, 2023. "The role of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) in predicting bank financial distress," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    14. Dominique Deprins & Léopold Simar & Henry Tulkens, 2006. "Measuring Labor-Efficiency in Post Offices," Springer Books, in: Parkash Chander & Jacques Drèze & C. Knox Lovell & Jack Mintz (ed.), Public goods, environmental externalities and fiscal competition, chapter 0, pages 285-309, Springer.
    15. Barros, Carlos Pestana & Peypoch, Nicolas, 2009. "An evaluation of European airlines' operational performance," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 122(2), pages 525-533, December.
    16. N Adler & B Golany, 2002. "Including principal component weights to improve discrimination in data envelopment analysis," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 53(9), pages 985-991, September.
    17. Sueyoshi, Toshiyuki & Goto, Mika & Omi, Yusuke, 2010. "Corporate governance and firm performance: Evidence from Japanese manufacturing industries after the lost decade," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 203(3), pages 724-736, June.
    18. Deng, Xiang & Li, Weihao & Ren, Xiaohang, 2023. "More sustainable, more productive: Evidence from ESG ratings and total factor productivity among listed Chinese firms," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    19. Chao, Ching-Cheng & Hsu, Ching-Wen, 2014. "Cost analysis of air cargo transport and effects of fluctuations in fuel price," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 51-56.
    20. Schmidt, Peter & Sickles, Robin C, 1984. "Production Frontiers and Panel Data," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 2(4), pages 367-374, October.
    21. Balliauw, Matteo & Meersman, Hilde & Onghena, Evy & Van de Voorde, Eddy, 2018. "US all-cargo carriers’ cost structure and efficiency: A stochastic frontier analysis," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 29-45.
    22. Seock-Jin Hong & Hossein Najmi, 2020. "The Relationships between Supply Chain Capability and Shareholder Value Using Financial Performance Indicators," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-16, April.
    23. Broadstock, David C. & Chan, Kalok & Cheng, Louis T.W. & Wang, Xiaowei, 2021. "The role of ESG performance during times of financial crisis: Evidence from COVID-19 in China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 38(C).
    24. Reis, Vasco & Silva, João, 2016. "Assessing the air cargo business models of combination airlines," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 250-259.
    25. Zhu, Joe, 1998. "Data envelopment analysis vs. principal component analysis: An illustrative study of economic performance of Chinese cities," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 111(1), pages 50-61, November.
    26. Scheraga, Carl A., 2004. "Operational efficiency versus financial mobility in the global airline industry: a data envelopment and Tobit analysis," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 38(5), pages 383-404, June.
    27. Philippe Barla & Sergio Perelman, 1989. "Technical Efficiency In Airlines Under Regulated And Deregulated Environments," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(1), pages 103-124, January.
    28. Nirino, Niccolò & Santoro, Gabriele & Miglietta, Nicola & Quaglia, Roberto, 2021. "Corporate controversies and company's financial performance: Exploring the moderating role of ESG practices," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    29. Jorge Antunes & Peter Wanke & Thiago Fonseca & Yong Tan, 2023. "Do ESG Risk Scores Influence Financial Distress? Evidence from a Dynamic NDEA Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-32, May.
    30. Chen, Chun-Da & Su, Ching-Hui (Joan) & Chen, Ming-Hsiang, 2022. "Understanding how ESG-focused airlines reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on stock returns," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    31. Bruno de Borger & Kristiaan Kerstens & Wim Moesen & Jacques Vanneste, 1994. "A non-parametric Free Disposal Hull (FDH) approach to technical efficiency: an illustration of radial and graph efficiency measures and some sensitivity results," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics (SJES), Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics (SSES), vol. 130(IV), pages 647-667, December.
    32. Alam, Ila M Semenick & Sickles, Robin C, 2000. "Time Series Analysis of Deregulatory Dynamics and Technical Efficiency: The Case of the U.S. Airline Industry," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 41(1), pages 203-218, February.
    33. Hong, Seock-Jin & Kim, Woongyi & Niranjan, Suman, 2023. "Challenges to the air cargo business of combination carriers: Analysis of two major Korean Airlines," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    34. Matteo Balliauw & Hilde Meersman & Evy Onghena & Eddy Van de Voorde, 2016. "Benchmarking US All-Cargo Carriers: A Productivity and Cost Competitiveness Analysis," Advances in Airline Economics, in: Airline Efficiency, volume 5, pages 55-72, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    35. Li, Ye & Wang, Yan-zhang & Cui, Qiang, 2015. "Evaluating airline efficiency: An application of Virtual Frontier Network SBM," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 1-17.
    36. Park, Yonghwa & Choi, Jung Kyu & Zhang, Anming, 2009. "Evaluating competitiveness of air cargo express services," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 45(2), pages 321-334, March.
    37. Adler, Nicole & Golany, Boaz, 2001. "Evaluation of deregulated airline networks using data envelopment analysis combined with principal component analysis with an application to Western Europe," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 132(2), pages 260-273, July.
    38. Barbot, Cristina & Costa, Ã lvaro & Sochirca, Elena, 2008. "Airlines performance in the new market context: A comparative productivity and efficiency analysis," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 14(5), pages 270-274.
    39. Hong, Seock-Jin & Randall, Wesley & Han, Keunsoo & Malhan, Amit Sundeep, 2018. "Estimation viability of dedicated freighter aircraft of combination carriers: A data envelopment and principal component analysis," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 202(C), pages 12-20.
    40. Apergis, Nicholas & Poufinas, Thomas & Antonopoulos, Alexandros, 2022. "ESG scores and cost of debt," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    41. Johnston, Ahren & Ozment, John, 2013. "Economies of scale in the US airline industry," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 95-108.
    42. Yiqun Duan & Fan Yang & Lin Xiong, 2023. "Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Performance and Firm Value: Evidence from Chinese Manufacturing Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-24, August.
    43. Yang, Dujuan & Timmermans, Harry, 2013. "Analysis of influence of fuel price on individual activity-travel time expenditure," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 40-55.
    44. Yaghoub Abdi & Xiaoni Li & Xavier Càmara-Turull, 2022. "Exploring the impact of sustainability (ESG) disclosure on firm value and financial performance (FP) in airline industry: the moderating role of size and age," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 5052-5079, April.
    45. Feng, Jingwen & Goodell, John W. & Shen, Dehua, 2022. "ESG rating and stock price crash risk: Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 46(PB).
    46. Giovanni Catello Landi & Francesca Iandolo & Antonio Renzi & Andrea Rey, 2022. "Embedding sustainability in risk management: The impact of environmental, social, and governance ratings on corporate financial risk," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(4), pages 1096-1107, July.
    47. Charnes, Abraham & Gallegos, Armando & Li, Hongyu, 1996. "Robustly efficient parametric frontiers via Multiplicative DEA for domestic and international operations of the Latin American airline industry," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 88(3), pages 525-536, February.
    48. Chao, Ching-Cheng & Li, Ru-Guo, 2017. "Effects of cargo types and load efficiency on airline cargo revenues," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 26-33.
    49. Kiesling, Max K. & Hansen, Mark, 1993. "Integrated Air Freight Cost Structure: The Case of Federal Express," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt7338517g, University of California Transportation Center.
    50. repec:eme:aiae11:s2212-160920160000005003 is not listed on IDEAS
    51. Yu, Hang & Zhang, Yahua & Zhang, Anming & Wang, Kun & Cui, Qiang, 2019. "A comparative study of airline efficiency in China and India: A dynamic network DEA approach," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    52. Lakew, Paulos Ashebir, 2014. "Economies of traffic density and scale in the integrated air cargo industry: The cost structures of FedEx Express and UPS Airlines," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 29-38.
    53. Veronique Distexhe & Sergio Perelman, 1994. "Technical Efficiency and Productivity Growth in an Era of Deregulation: the Case of Airlines," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics (SJES), Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics (SSES), vol. 130(IV), pages 669-689, December.
    54. Hagmann, Carmen & Semeijn, Janjaap & Vellenga, David B., 2015. "Exploring the green image of airlines: Passenger perceptions and airline choice," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 37-45.
    55. Cornwell, Christopher & Schmidt, Peter & Sickles, Robin C., 1990. "Production frontiers with cross-sectional and time-series variation in efficiency levels," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 46(1-2), pages 185-200.
    56. Jiang, Changmin & Liu, Yan, 2025. "The role of sustainable aviation fuel in CORSIA: An economic analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    57. Lu, Wen-Min & Wang, Wei-Kang & Hung, Shiu-Wan & Lu, En-Tzu, 2012. "The effects of corporate governance on airline performance: Production and marketing efficiency perspectives," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(2), pages 529-544.
    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. Hong, Seock-Jin & Kim, Woongyi & Niranjan, Suman, 2023. "Challenges to the air cargo business of combination carriers: Analysis of two major Korean Airlines," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    2. Hong, Seock-Jin & Randall, Wesley & Han, Keunsoo & Malhan, Amit Sundeep, 2018. "Estimation viability of dedicated freighter aircraft of combination carriers: A data envelopment and principal component analysis," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 202(C), pages 12-20.
    3. Boon L Lee & Clevo Wilson & Carl A Pasurka, Jr, 2013. "The Good, the Bad and the Efficient: Productivity, efficiency and technical change in the Airline Industry, 2004:2008," School of Economics and Finance Discussion Papers and Working Papers Series 299, School of Economics and Finance, Queensland University of Technology.
    4. Seufert, Juergen Heinz & Arjomandi, Amir & Dakpo, K. Hervé, 2017. "Evaluating airline operational performance: A Luenberger-Hicks-Moorsteen productivity indicator," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 52-68.
    5. Barros, Carlos P. & Liang, Qi Bin & Peypoch, Nicolas, 2013. "The technical efficiency of US Airlines," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 139-148.
    6. Yakath Ali, Nurul Syuhadah & Yu, Chunyan & See, Kok Fong, 2021. "Four decades of airline productivity and efficiency studies: A review and bibliometric analysis," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    7. Wanke, Peter & Barros, C.P., 2016. "Efficiency in Latin American airlines: A two-stage approach combining Virtual Frontier Dynamic DEA and Simplex Regression," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 93-103.
    8. Li, Ye & Wang, Yan-zhang & Cui, Qiang, 2016. "Has airline efficiency affected by the inclusion of aviation into European Union Emission Trading Scheme? Evidences from 22 airlines during 2008–2012," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 8-22.
    9. Assaf, A. George & Josiassen, Alexander, 2012. "European vs. U.S. airlines: Performance comparison in a dynamic market," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 317-326.
    10. Wanke, Peter & Pestana Barros, Carlos & Chen, Zhongfei, 2015. "An analysis of Asian airlines efficiency with two-stage TOPSIS and MCMC generalized linear mixed models," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 110-126.
    11. Li, Ye & Wang, Yan-zhang & Cui, Qiang, 2015. "Evaluating airline efficiency: An application of Virtual Frontier Network SBM," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 1-17.
    12. Boon Liat Lee & Clevo Wilson & Carl A. Pasurka & Hidemichi Fujii & Shunsuke Managi, 2017. "Sources of airline productivity from carbon emissions: an analysis of operational performance under good and bad outputs," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 47(3), pages 223-246, June.
    13. Ye Li & Qiang Cui, 2017. "Airline energy efficiency measures using the Virtual Frontier Network RAM with weak disposability," Transportation Planning and Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(4), pages 479-504, May.
    14. Balliauw, Matteo & Meersman, Hilde & Onghena, Evy & Van de Voorde, Eddy, 2018. "US all-cargo carriers’ cost structure and efficiency: A stochastic frontier analysis," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 29-45.
    15. Mallikarjun, Sreekanth, 2015. "Efficiency of US airlines: A strategic operating model," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 46-56.
    16. Barros, Carlos Pestana & Peypoch, Nicolas, 2009. "An evaluation of European airlines' operational performance," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 122(2), pages 525-533, December.
    17. Lu, Wen-Min & Wang, Wei-Kang & Hung, Shiu-Wan & Lu, En-Tzu, 2012. "The effects of corporate governance on airline performance: Production and marketing efficiency perspectives," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(2), pages 529-544.
    18. Duygun, Meryem & Prior, Diego & Shaban, Mohamed & Tortosa-Ausina, Emili, 2016. "Disentangling the European airlines efficiency puzzle: A network data envelopment analysis approach," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 2-14.
    19. Tsionas, Mike G. & Chen, Zhongfei & Wanke, Peter, 2017. "A structural vector autoregressive model of technical efficiency and delays with an application to Chinese airlines," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 1-10.
    20. Khezrimotlagh, Dariush & Kaffash, Sepideh & Zhu, Joe, 2022. "U.S. airline mergers’ performance and productivity change," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 102(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:trapol:v:167:y:2025:i:c:p:295-306. 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/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/30473/description#description .

    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.