IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i6p2580-d1612703.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Joint Effects of Firm’s Globalization and ESG Rating on Financial Performance: Evidence from Food Industry in Taiwan

Author

Listed:
  • Sheng-Hung Chen

    (Department of International Business, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan)

  • Hao-Cheng Hsu

    (Department of Finance, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan)

  • Shih-Ting Lin

    (Department of International Business, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan)

Abstract

The internationalization process helps firms accumulate business knowledge and experience; however, firms also enjoy the benefit of decreasing risk due to diversification. The Taiwanese food industry has encountered some difficulties in internationalization, including insufficient production capacity, high tariffs, the lack of long-term planning by the government, and inadequate support from internal organizations. Overall, it is relatively problematic for the food industry to achieve internationalization, and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) is the trend of sustainable development for enterprises to fulfill. This paper empirically explores the joint impact of the degree of internationalization and ESG ratings on the financial performance of the Taiwanese food industry from 2015 to 2021. Our empirical results found that international diversification and ESG performance have joint positive and significant effects on the return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE), and return on sales (ROS) of the food industry, respectively. This means that the higher the internationalization of overseas companies in the food industry, the better the ESG performance would significantly improve its financial performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Sheng-Hung Chen & Hao-Cheng Hsu & Shih-Ting Lin, 2025. "The Joint Effects of Firm’s Globalization and ESG Rating on Financial Performance: Evidence from Food Industry in Taiwan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-32, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:6:p:2580-:d:1612703
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/6/2580/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/6/2580/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Linda Allen & Christos Pantzalis, 1996. "Valuation of the operating Flexibility of Multinational Corporations," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 27(4), pages 633-653, December.
    2. Lenn Gomes & Kannan Ramaswamy, 1999. "An Empirical Examination of the Form of the Relationship Between Multinationality and Performance," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 30(1), pages 173-187, March.
    3. Nuno Calheiros-Lobo & José Vasconcelos Ferreira & Manuel Au-Yong-Oliveira, 2023. "SME Internationalization and Export Performance: A Systematic Review with Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-36, May.
    4. Daniel Sullivan, 1994. "Measuring the Degree of Internationalization of a Firm," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 25(2), pages 325-342, June.
    5. Adams, Renée & Almeida, Heitor & Ferreira, Daniel, 2009. "Understanding the relationship between founder-CEOs and firm performance," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 16(1), pages 136-150, January.
    6. Amar Gande & Christoph Schenzler & Lemma W Senbet, 2009. "Valuation effects of global diversification," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 40(9), pages 1515-1532, December.
    7. Liu, Yu & Wei, Zuobao & Xie, Feixue, 2014. "Do women directors improve firm performance in China?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 169-184.
    8. Igor Filatotchev & Jenifer Piesse, 2009. "R&D, internationalization and growth of newly listed firms: European evidence," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 40(8), pages 1260-1276, October.
    9. Christos Pantzalis, 2001. "Does Location Matter? An Empirical Analysis of Geographic Scope and MNC Market Valuation," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 32(1), pages 133-155, March.
    10. Lindner, Thomas & Klein, Florian & Schmidt, Stefan, 2018. "The effect of internationalization on firm capital structure: A meta-analysis and exploration of institutional contingencies," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(6), pages 1238-1249.
    11. Yiming Xu & Naiping Zhu, 2024. "The Effect of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Performance on Corporate Financial Performance in China: Based on the Perspective of Innovation and Financial Constraints," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-21, April.
    12. Niloufar Fallah Shayan & Nasrin Mohabbati-Kalejahi & Sepideh Alavi & Mohammad Ali Zahed, 2022. "Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a Framework for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-27, January.
    13. Robert M Grant, 1987. "Multinationality and Performance among British Manufacturing Companies," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 18(3), pages 79-89, September.
    14. Muhammad Anwar & Shaungjie Li & Ahmed Al-Omush & Munther Al-Nimer, 2023. "SMEs’ Internationalization: Mapping the Field through Finance, ITC, and Social Ties," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-21, February.
    15. Chen, Yi-Chun & Hung, Mingyi & Wang, Yongxiang, 2018. "The effect of mandatory CSR disclosure on firm profitability and social externalities: Evidence from China," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(1), pages 169-190.
    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. Quyen T. K. Nguyen, 2017. "Multinationality and Performance Literature: A Critical Review and Future Research Agenda," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 57(3), pages 311-347, June.
    2. Makus, Christian & Heyder, Matthias & Theuvsen, Ludwig, 2011. "Der Zusammenhang Von Internationalisierung Und Unternehmenserfolg Am Beispiel Führender Europäischer Genossenschaften Der Molkerei- Und Fleischwirtschaft," 51st Annual Conference, Halle, Germany, September 28-30, 2011 114513, German Association of Agricultural Economists (GEWISOLA).
    3. Pangarkar, Nitin, 2008. "Internationalization and performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 43(4), pages 475-485, October.
    4. Shih-Yung Wei & Li-Wei Lin & Su-Mei Gan, 2019. "The Influence of Internationalization Degree on the Performance of Industry-Specific Companies: A Case Study of Taiwan (2001-2017)," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 9(4), pages 212-227.
    5. Yong Yang & Nigel Driffield, 2012. "Multinationality-Performance Relationship," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 52(1), pages 23-47, February.
    6. Aggarwal, Raj & Berrill, Jenny & Hutson, Elaine & Kearney, Colm, 2011. "What is a multinational corporation? Classifying the degree of firm-level multinationality," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(5), pages 557-577, October.
    7. Berrill, Jenny & Kearney, Colm, 2010. "Firm-level internationalisation and the home bias puzzle," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 62(4), pages 235-256, July.
    8. Hosseini, Mojtaba & Brege, Staffan & Nord, Tomas, 2018. "A combined focused industry and company size investigation of the internationalization-performance relationship: The case of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the Swedish wood manufactu," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 110-121.
    9. Buigues, Pierre-André & Lacoste, Denis & Lavigne, Stéphanie, 2015. "When over internationalized companies reduce their international footprint," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(6), pages 1039-1047.
    10. Makus, C. & Heyder, M. & Theuvsen, L., 2012. "Der Zusammenhang von Internationalisierung und Unternehmenserfolg am Beispiel führender europäischer Genossenschaften der Molkerei und Fleischwirtschaft," Proceedings “Schriften der Gesellschaft für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften des Landbaues e.V.”, German Association of Agricultural Economists (GEWISOLA), vol. 47, March.
    11. Heyder, Matthias & Makus, Christian & Theuvsen, Ludwig, 2011. "Internationalization and Firm Performance in Agribusiness: Empirical Evidence from European Cooperatives," International Journal on Food System Dynamics, International Center for Management, Communication, and Research, vol. 2(01), pages 1-17, September.
    12. Han, I & Liang, Hsin-Yu & Chan, Kam C., 2016. "Locational concentration and institutional diversification: Evidence from foreign direct investments in the banking industry," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 185-199.
    13. Elango, B., 2010. "Influence of industry type on the relationship between international operations and risk," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 63(3), pages 303-309, March.
    14. Kim, Chansog Francis & Margetis, Speros & Pantzalis, Chris, 2009. "Financial sector diversification and MNC valuation," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 19(5), pages 343-354, December.
    15. Helmut Fryges & Joachim Wagner, 2021. "Exports and Productivity Growth — First Evidence from a Continuous Treatment Approach," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Joachim Wagner (ed.), MICROECONOMETRIC STUDIES OF FIRMS’ IMPORTS AND EXPORTS Advanced Methods of Analysis and Evidence from German Enterprises, chapter 6, pages 57-86, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    16. Markus Venzin & Vikas Kumar & Jens Kleine, 2008. "Internationalization of retail banks: A micro-level study of the multinationality-performance relationship," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 48(4), pages 463-485, April.
    17. Rodney D. Boehme & Anthony D. May, 2016. "Multinational Corporations and Stock Price Crash Risk," International Journal of Finance & Banking Studies, Center for the Strategic Studies in Business and Finance, vol. 5(4), pages 39-63, July.
    18. Fryges, Helmut, 2006. "The Export-Growth Relationship: Estimating a Dose-Response Function," ZEW Discussion Papers 06-028, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    19. Wang, Chi-Feng & Chen, Li-Yu & Chang, Shao-Chi, 2011. "International diversification and the market value of new product introduction," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 333-347.
    20. Tsai, Huei-Ting, 2014. "Moderators on international diversification of advanced emerging market firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(6), pages 1243-1248.

    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:17:y:2025:i:6:p:2580-:d:1612703. 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.