Determinants of environmental, social, and governance disclosure: A systematic literature review

Abstract

The popularity of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing or socially responsible investing is pushing private sectors to improve their ESG performance. Stakeholders, namely, investors, are relying on firms' environmental, social, and governance disclosures (ESGD) to evaluate their ESG performance and strategize their investment decision-making. Since firms have substantial discretionary power in deciding the quantity and quality of ESGD, understanding the drivers and motivations of ESGD is paramount. This study examines the literature on the determinants of ESGD, and 36 articles published in a period spanning from 2006 to 2022 were analyzed and synthesized via a systematic literature review approach. Ninety-one researchers from 30 countries contributed to these studies. Of these studies, 28% perform cross-country investigations. This study found that although there is no single underpinning theory for ESGD, ESGD determinant studies are well supported by multiple theoretical frameworks, such as stakeholder theory, legitimacy theory, and institutional theory. This study reveals many factors that have an impact on ESGD, such as natural disasters, political and legal systems, ownership structure, board characteristics, and the CEO's characteristics. This study contributed to the burgeon of literature on ESG by offering valuable insights into the antecedents to ESG performance and facilitating future enhancements of a better ESGD framework. Lastly, this study also reveals future research directions for scholars to enrich the burgeoning literature in ESG.