IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0312247.html

The effect of CEO’s compensation in driving corporate ESG greenwashing: Evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Kaile Li
  • Tzu-Yu Lin
  • Guifang Zhu

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between CEO compensation schemes and ESG greenwashing behavior in Chinese listed firms during the period 2013–2022. We find that a CEO’s cash (equity) compensation has a significantly positive (negative) correlation with corporate ESG greenwashing behavior. From mechanism analysis, consistent with the agency problem view, firms engage in more severe ESG greenwashing behavior under a higher proportion of cash in the CEO compensation structure. Such distortion behavior is mitigated by higher internal control quality in firms having an equity incentive for their CEO under the convergence of interest viewpoint. Additional analysis reveals that corporates audited by large accounting firms and those with more media coverage exacerbate the positive correlation between CEO cash compensation and ESG greenwashing behavior, while government environmental regulations reinforce the inhibitory effect of CEO equity compensation on ESG greenwashing. Our results imply that different CEO compensation schemes can have opposite effects on limiting firms’ ESG greenwashing behavior in the Chinese context. Furthermore, we highlight that the question of form over substance principle to certain external governance mechanisms, leading CEO to exacerbate impression management of ESG disclosure.

Suggested Citation

  • Kaile Li & Tzu-Yu Lin & Guifang Zhu, 2024. "The effect of CEO’s compensation in driving corporate ESG greenwashing: Evidence from China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(10), pages 1-22, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0312247
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0312247
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0312247
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0312247&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0312247?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Martin J. Conyon & Lerong He, 2016. "Executive Compensation and Corporate Fraud in China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 134(4), pages 669-691, April.
    2. Yue, Jun & Li, Yilin, 2023. "Media attention and corporate greenwashing behavior: Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 55(PB).
    3. Collins E. Okafor & Nacasius U. Ujah, 2020. "Executive compensation and corporate social responsibility: does a golden parachute matter?," International Journal of Managerial Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 16(5), pages 575-598, April.
    4. Nour Chams & Josep García-Blandón & Khaled Hassan, 2021. "Role Reversal! Financial Performance as an Antecedent of ESG: The Moderating Effect of Total Quality Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-18, June.
    5. Liao, Feimei & Sun, Yinghao & Xu, Shulin, 2023. "Financial report comment letters and greenwashing in environmental, social and governance disclosures: Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(PB).
    6. Collins E. Okafor & Nacasius U. Ujah, 2020. "Executive compensation and corporate social responsibility: does a golden parachute matter?," International Journal of Managerial Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 16(5), pages 575-598, April.
    7. M. Benlemlih & Yiwei Li & Cynthia Assaf, 2022. "Executive Compensation and Environmental Performance: Evidence from CEO inside Debt," Post-Print hal-04454680, HAL.
    8. Zhang, Dongyang, 2023. "Can environmental monitoring power transition curb corporate greenwashing behavior?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 199-218.
    9. Peter A. Stanwick & Sarah D. Stanwick, 2001. "CEO compensation: does it pay to be green?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 10(3), pages 176-182, May.
    10. Micael-Lee Johnstone & Lay Tan, 2015. "Exploring the Gap Between Consumers’ Green Rhetoric and Purchasing Behaviour," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 132(2), pages 311-328, December.
    11. Wu, Junfeng & Liu, Baohua & Zeng, Yongliang & Luo, Hong, 2022. "Good for the firm, good for the society? Causal evidence of the impact of equity incentives on a firm's green investment," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 435-449.
    12. Scott J. Callan & Janet M. Thomas, 2011. "Executive compensation, corporate social responsibility, and corporate financial performance: a multi‐equation framework," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 18(6), pages 332-351, November.
    13. Yu, Ellen Pei-yi & Luu, Bac Van & Chen, Catherine Huirong, 2020. "Greenwashing in environmental, social and governance disclosures," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    14. Kim, Kihun & Kim, Tae-Nyun, 2023. "CEO career concerns and ESG investments," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 55(PA).
    15. Hu, Xinwen & Hua, Renhai & Liu, Qingfu & Wang, Chuanjie, 2023. "The green fog: Environmental rating disagreement and corporate greenwashing," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    16. Benlemlih, Mohammed & Li, Yiwei & Assaf, Cynthia, 2022. "Executive compensation and environmental performance: Evidence from CEO inside debt," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    17. Alfonso Del Giudice & Silvia Rigamonti, 2020. "Does Audit Improve the Quality of ESG Scores? Evidence from Corporate Misconduct," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-16, July.
    18. Xingqiang Du, 2015. "How the Market Values Greenwashing? Evidence from China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 128(3), pages 547-574, May.
    19. David A. Waldman & Donald S. Siegel & Mansour Javidan, 2006. "Components of CEO Transformational Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(8), pages 1703-1725, December.
    20. Zhou, Fangzhao & Zhang, Zenan & Yang, Jun & Su, Yunpeng & An, Yunbi, 2018. "Delisting pressure, executive compensation, and corporate fraud: Evidence from China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 17-34.
    21. Li, Menghan & Chen, Qi, 2024. "Executive pay gap and corporate ESG greenwashing: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 95(PA).
    22. Zhang, Dongyang, 2023. "Does green finance really inhibit extreme hypocritical ESG risk? A greenwashing perspective exploration," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    23. Zhang, Zhaoting & Zhang, Lei, 2024. "Investor attention and corporate ESG performance," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    24. Lu, Zhenye & Lin, Yongjia & Li, You, 2023. "Does corporate engagement in digital transformation influence greenwashing? Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PD).
    25. Zeng, Yongliang & Zhao, Xiangfang & Zhu, Yiwen, 2023. "Equity incentives and ESG performance: Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PC).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Abdullah, Mohammad & Wali Ullah, G M & Turner, Jason, 2025. "50 shades of dark green: The nexus of narcissistic leadership and corporate greenwashing," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 104(PA).

    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. Xiong, Jiacai & Yang, Zelin & Wang, Qing Sophie, 2025. "Can non-punitive regulation curb corporate greenwashing?Evidence from a word embedding model," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    2. Song, Zenglu & Lu, Jinjing & Xu, Xinkuo, 2025. "Virtue over Deception: Confucian Culture and Corporate Greenwashing Behavior," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 1569-1591.
    3. Yang, Zhonghai & Song, Pingting & Xu, Meng, 2025. "Nearer means better? CSRC proximity and ESG greenwashing," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    4. Abdullah, Mohammad & Wali Ullah, G M & Turner, Jason, 2025. "50 shades of dark green: The nexus of narcissistic leadership and corporate greenwashing," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 104(PA).
    5. Xue, Kunkun & Chen, Xiaoxiao & Sun, Peipei & Li, Yongqing, 2024. "Supply chain network centrality and corporate greenwashing behavior," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    6. Yin, Lei & Yang, Yuanyuan, 2024. "How does digital finance influence corporate greenwashing behavior?," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 93(PB), pages 359-373.
    7. Zhang, Hua & Lai, Jie & Guo, Zheng, 2025. "When greenwashing meets ESG: Exploring the role of third-party ESG ratings in corporate greenwashing behavior," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    8. Li, Weiping & Mao, Zhuowei & Ren, Xiaohang & Liang, Jing, 2025. "Retail investor attention: Guardian of corporate ESG integrity or catalyst for greenwashing?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    9. Zixuan Zhang & Zhenyu Ge, 2024. "Fishing in muddy water? Climate policy uncertainty and corporate greenwashing in environmental, social, and governance," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 45(6), pages 4191-4207, September.
    10. Sneideriene, Agne & Legenzova, Renata, 2025. "Greenwashing prevention in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosures: A bibliometric analysis," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    11. Bai, Caiquan & Yao, Di & Xue, Qihang, 2025. "Does artificial intelligence suppress firms' greenwashing behavior? Evidence from robot adoption in China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    12. Li, Menghan & Chen, Qi, 2024. "Executive pay gap and corporate ESG greenwashing: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 95(PA).
    13. Bhullar, Pritpal Singh & Joshi, Mahesh & Sharma, Sharad & Kaur, Amanpreet & Phan, Duc, 2025. "Greenwashing and ESG: Bibliometric analysis and future research agenda," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    14. Cheng, Zhonghua & Yan, Xueqin, 2025. "Environmental management system certification and corporate ESG greenwashing," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    15. Tian, Lulu & Song, Xinyang & Du, Meng & Xu, Baochang, 2025. "The disciplinary impact of capital market internationalization on corporate ESG greenwashing: A study of A-shares' inclusion in the MSCI index," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    16. Guangrui Liu & Hao Qian & Yong Shi & Deli Yuan & Ming Zhou, 2024. "How do firms react to capital market liberalization? Evidence from ESG reporting greenwashing," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(5), pages 4329-4344, September.
    17. Zhang, Kai & Wan, Shan & Zhou, Yuehui, 2024. "Executive compensation, internal governance and ESG performance," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    18. Jiang, Cuixia & Li, Xiuxiu & Xu, Qifa & Liu, Junhang, 2024. "Does environmental protection tax impact corporate ESG greenwashing? A quasi-natural experiment in China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 774-786.
    19. Jinyu Chen & Yixin Qiu & Qian Ding & Yuan Geng, 2025. "Climate transition risk and corporate environment, social and governance performance: Evidence from Chinese listed companies," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(3), pages 2829-2848, July.
    20. Qian, Shuitu & Yang, Zhenyu & Yang, Lingxiao & Zhang, Yun, 2025. "Institutional investors’ green attention and corporate greenwashing: The effectiveness of external governance," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 2192-2206.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:plo:pone00:0312247. 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: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    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.