Contractual arrangements and information consistency: How ESG executive compensation incentives affect corporate AI disclosure

IF 9.8 1区管理学 Q1 BUSINESS

Journal of Business Research Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-31 DOI:10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.116019

Yiqiang Zhou , Lianghua Chen , Fangfang Zhou , Maoran Ye

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

As AI commercialization accelerates, firms are incentivized to engage in “AI washing”—exaggerating AI capabilities to attract capital. We develop an index to measure AI washing, the discrepancy between symbolic AI disclosure and substantive AI investment, and examine the governance effect of ESG-linked executive compensation (ESG compensation). We find that ESG compensation significantly mitigates AI washing, acting as a constraining incentive that curbs symbolic disclosure rather than stimulating substantive investment. The effect is mediated by managerial long-term orientation and employee organizational identification. Additional analyses show that the governance effect of ESG compensation is stronger among firms with higher AI technology dependency, greater media attention, and stronger managerial ability. Moreover, AI washing erodes market value, and firms facing legitimacy loss are more likely to resort to symbolic practices. This study contributes by extending governance theory to the AI context and clarifying the role of ESG compensation in aligning managerial and employee interests.

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契约安排与信息一致性：ESG高管薪酬激励如何影响企业人工智能披露

随着人工智能商业化的加速，企业被激励参与“人工智能清洗”——夸大人工智能的能力以吸引资本。我们开发了一个指数来衡量人工智能清洗、象征性人工智能披露与实质性人工智能投资之间的差异，并研究了与ESG相关的高管薪酬（ESG薪酬）的治理效果。我们发现，ESG薪酬显著缓解了人工智能清洗，作为一种限制性激励，抑制了象征性披露，而不是刺激实质性投资。管理者的长期取向和员工的组织认同在此效应中起中介作用。其他分析表明，在人工智能技术依赖程度高、媒体关注度高、管理能力强的公司中，ESG薪酬的治理效应更强。此外，人工智能清洗会侵蚀市场价值，面临合法性丧失的公司更有可能诉诸于象征性的做法。本研究的贡献在于将治理理论扩展到人工智能背景下，并阐明ESG薪酬在协调管理层和员工利益方面的作用。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Business Research BUSINESS-

CiteScore

20.30

自引率

10.60%

发文量

956

期刊介绍： The Journal of Business Research aims to publish research that is rigorous, relevant, and potentially impactful. It examines a wide variety of business decision contexts, processes, and activities, developing insights that are meaningful for theory, practice, and/or society at large. The research is intended to generate meaningful debates in academia and practice, that are thought provoking and have the potential to make a difference to conceptual thinking and/or practice. The Journal is published for a broad range of stakeholders, including scholars, researchers, executives, and policy makers. It aids the application of its research to practical situations and theoretical findings to the reality of the business world as well as to society. The Journal is abstracted and indexed in several databases, including Social Sciences Citation Index, ANBAR, Current Contents, Management Contents, Management Literature in Brief, PsycINFO, Information Service, RePEc, Academic Journal Guide, ABI/Inform, INSPEC, etc.