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The Moderating Role of Technological Innovation on Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) Performance and Firm Value: Evidence from Developing and Least-Developed Countries

Author

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  • Yusheng Kong

    (School of Finance and Economics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China)

  • Andrew Agyemang

    (School of Finance and Economics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China)

  • Noha Alessa

    (Department of Accounting, College of Business and Administration, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia)

  • Maxwell Kongkuah

    (School of Finance and Economics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China)

Abstract

Recently, there has been growing recognition of the significance of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in assessing a company’s performance and worth. Previous research has failed to take into account the significant impact of technological innovation in their empirical investigations. This study fills the gap by investigating the moderating impact of technological innovation on ESG performance and company value in developing and least-developed countries. The study utilized secondary data from 78 pharmaceutical companies from 2009 to 2022. For the investigation, we used the pooled mean group (PMG) and generalized methods of moments (GMM) estimators. The findings reveal that environmental and social performance influence firms’ value; however, governance performance does not influence firms’ value. Additionally, technological innovation acts as a catalyst, strengthening the favorable influence of ESG performance on firm value. The findings affirm the need to incorporate technological innovation, as it enables pharmaceutical firms to implement more efficient and sustainable practices.

Suggested Citation

  • Yusheng Kong & Andrew Agyemang & Noha Alessa & Maxwell Kongkuah, 2023. "The Moderating Role of Technological Innovation on Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) Performance and Firm Value: Evidence from Developing and Least-Developed Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-16, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:19:p:14240-:d:1248254
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    1. Kedan Wang & Shanshan Yu & Mei Mei & Xiao Yang & Geng Peng & Benfu Lv, 2023. "ESG Performance and Corporate Resilience: An Empirical Analysis Based on the Capital Allocation Efficiency Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(23), pages 1-31, November.
    2. Dejun Zhou & Ummar Faruk Saeed & Andrew Osei Agyemang, 2024. "Assessing the Role of Sustainability Disclosure on Firms’ Financial Performance: Evidence from the Energy Sector of Belt and Road Initiative Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-21, January.

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