IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i21p15570-d1273077.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Executive Overconfidence and Corporate Environmental, Social, and Governance Performance

Author

Listed:
  • Yao Wang

    (School of Economics and Management, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), No. 18 Fuxue Road, Changping District, Beijing 102249, China)

  • Yinyin Han

    (School of Economics and Management, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), No. 18 Fuxue Road, Changping District, Beijing 102249, China)

  • Qiuxuan Du

    (PBC School of Finance, Tsinghua University, No. 1 Huangmuzhuang Road, Shuangjing, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100084, China)

  • Deshuai Hou

    (School of Accounting, Capital University of Economics and Business, No. 121 Zhangjia Road, Huaxiang, Fengtai District, Beijing 100089, China)

Abstract

ESG (environmental, social, and governance) has gained widespread recognition as a fundamental investment approach on a global scale. Demonstrating strong ESG performance has evolved into a vital strategic imperative for fostering sustainable corporate growth and bolstering competitiveness. Given their critical roles within companies, it is crucial for decision-makers to investigate the impact of executive overconfidence on ESG performance. Through an examination of Chinese A-share listed companies spanning the years 2009 to 2020, this research reveals a significant correlation between executive overconfidence and improved corporate ESG performance. Mechanism tests uncover that overconfident executives exhibit robust risk-taking abilities and a heightened drive to garner attention, both of which contribute to the enhancement of ESG performance. Heterogeneity analysis demonstrates that, in companies characterized by lower-quality accounting information, lower institutional shareholding ratios, ample cash flow, and increased government subsidies, the positive influence of executive overconfidence on ESG performance is even more pronounced. Furthermore, our investigation unveils that overconfident executives exert a positive impact on corporate ESG performance through three primary pathways: assuming responsibility for environmental protection (E), embracing social responsibility (S), and fortifying corporate governance (G). It is worth noting that this boost in ESG performance, in turn, translates into an enhancement of corporate value. Ultimately, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the economic ramifications of executive overconfidence and enriches the body of knowledge pertaining to the mechanisms for enhancing ESG performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Yao Wang & Yinyin Han & Qiuxuan Du & Deshuai Hou, 2023. "Executive Overconfidence and Corporate Environmental, Social, and Governance Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-22, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:21:p:15570-:d:1273077
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/21/15570/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/21/15570/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fatemi, Ali & Glaum, Martin & Kaiser, Stefanie, 2018. "ESG performance and firm value: The moderating role of disclosure," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 45-64.
    2. Alexander Dyck & Natalya Volchkova & Luigi Zingales, 2008. "The Corporate Governance Role of the Media: Evidence from Russia," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 63(3), pages 1093-1135, June.
    3. Malmendier, Ulrike & Tate, Geoffrey, 2008. "Who makes acquisitions? CEO overconfidence and the market's reaction," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(1), pages 20-43, July.
    4. 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.
    5. Brown, Rayna & Sarma, Neal, 2007. "CEO overconfidence, CEO dominance and corporate acquisitions," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 59(5), pages 358-379.
    6. Dyck, Alexander & Lins, Karl V. & Roth, Lukas & Wagner, Hannes F., 2019. "Do institutional investors drive corporate social responsibility? International evidence," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(3), pages 693-714.
    7. Deshmukh, Sanjay & Goel, Anand M. & Howe, Keith M., 2013. "CEO overconfidence and dividend policy," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 22(3), pages 440-463.
    8. Ulrike Malmendier & Geoffrey Tate, 2005. "Does Overconfidence Affect Corporate Investment? CEO Overconfidence Measures Revisited," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 11(5), pages 649-659, November.
    9. J B Heaton, 2002. "Managerial Optimism and Corporate Finance," Financial Management, Financial Management Association, vol. 31(2), Summer.
    10. Boubakri, Narjess & Cosset, Jean-Claude & Saffar, Walid, 2013. "The role of state and foreign owners in corporate risk-taking: Evidence from privatization," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 108(3), pages 641-658.
    11. Bruce A. Weinberg, 2009. "A Model Of Overconfidence," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(4), pages 502-515, October.
    12. Lin, Yueh-hsiang & Hu, Shing-yang & Chen, Ming-shen, 2005. "Managerial optimism and corporate investment: Some empirical evidence from Taiwan," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 13(5), pages 523-546, November.
    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. Wu, Meng-Wen & Xu, Li & Shen, Chung-hua & Zhang, Ke-Kun, 2021. "Overconfident CEOs and shadow banking in China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    2. Thi Tuyet Dao, Nhung & Guney, Yilmaz & Hudson, Robert, 2023. "Managerial overconfidence and corporate cash holdings: Evidence from primary and secondary data," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    3. Hardeep Singh Mundi & Parmjit Kaur, 2022. "CEO Overconfidence and Capital Structure Decisions: Evidence from India," Vikalpa: The Journal for Decision Makers, , vol. 47(1), pages 19-37, March.
    4. Ben Mohamed, Ezzeddine, 2021. "Managerial optimism, investment cash flow sensitivity and agency costs: Evidence from NYSE panel data firms," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 30(C).
    5. Otto, Clemens A., 2014. "CEO optimism and incentive compensation," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 114(2), pages 366-404.
    6. Chiu, Chun-Ju & Ho, Amy Yueh-Fang & Tsai, Li-Fang, 2022. "Effects of financial constraints and managerial overconfidence on investment-cash flow sensitivity," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 135-155.
    7. Choi, Paul Moon Sub & Chung, Chune Young & Liu, Chang, 2018. "Self-attribution of overconfident CEOs and asymmetric investment-cash flow sensitivity," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 1-14.
    8. Gurdgiev, Constantin & Ni, Qiuxin, 2023. "Board diversity: Moderating effects of CEO overconfidence on firm financing decisions," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(C).
    9. Tobias Heizer & Laura R. Rettig, 2020. "Top management team optimism and its influence on firms' financing and investment decisions," Review of Financial Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 38(4), pages 601-622, October.
    10. Sami Jarboui, 2016. "Managerial psychology and transport firms efficiency: a stochastic frontier analysis," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 10(2), pages 365-379, March.
    11. McCarthy, Scott & Oliver, Barry & Song, Sizhe, 2017. "Corporate social responsibility and CEO confidence," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 280-291.
    12. Irene Wei Kiong Ting & Hooi Hooi Lean & Qian Long Kweh & Noor Azlinna Azizan, 2016. "Managerial overconfidence, government intervention and corporate financing decision," International Journal of Managerial Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 12(1), pages 4-24, February.
    13. He, Ying & Chen, Cindy & Hu, Yue, 2019. "Managerial overconfidence, internal financing, and investment efficiency: Evidence from China," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 501-510.
    14. Dimitrios I. Maditinos & Alexandra V. Tsinani & Željko Šević, 2015. "Managerial optimism and the impact of cash flow sensitivity on corporate investment: The case of Greece," International Journal of Business and Economic Sciences Applied Research (IJBESAR), International Hellenic University (IHU), Kavala Campus, Greece (formerly Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Institute of Technology - EMaTTech), vol. 8(2), pages 35-54, October.
    15. Jennifer Kunz & Lara Sonnenholzner, 2023. "Managerial overconfidence: promoter of or obstacle to organizational resilience?," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 67-128, January.
    16. Huang, Wei & Jiang, Fuxiu & Liu, Zhibiao & Zhang, Min, 2011. "Agency cost, top executives' overconfidence, and investment-cash flow sensitivity -- Evidence from listed companies in China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 19(3), pages 261-277, June.
    17. Weifeng Xu & Qingsong Ruan & Chang Liu, 2019. "Can the Famous University Experience of Top Managers Improve Corporate Performance? Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-20, December.
    18. Hamza Bennani, 2023. "Overconfidence of the chair of the Federal Reserve and market expectations: Evidence based on media coverage," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(3), pages 3403-3419, July.
    19. Bharati, Rakesh & Doellman, Thomas & Fu, Xudong, 2016. "CEO confidence and stock returns," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 12(1), pages 89-110.
    20. Hamza Bennani, 2018. "Media Perception of Fed Chair's Overconfidence and Market Expectations," EconomiX Working Papers 2018-29, University of Paris Nanterre, EconomiX.

    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:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:21:p:15570-:d:1273077. 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.