TARU PUBLICATIONS
 Journal of Statistics and Management Systems cover
Open Access ·Peer-reviewed·ISSN (Online): 2169-0014·ISSN (Print): 0972-0510

Monthly Journal: Publishes peer-reviewed aticles on theoretical and applied statistics and management systems, expoloring industrial statistics, actuarial and decision sciences.

Issues up to 2022 co-published with and available at:Taylor & Francis Online
submissions@tarupublications.com
Open Access Research Article

Does ESG affect firm performance : A study with reference to select Indian companies

, , *

* Corresponding author · click or hover a name for details

pp. 1083–1091Vol. 29Issue 9September 2026DOI: 10.47974/JSMS-1712XML
Received:
01 Apr 2026
Published Online:
30 Sep 2026
Article type:
Research Article
Language:
EN
Article no.:
JSMS-1712
Pages:
1083–1091

Abstract

In modern times, the significance of sustainability and ESG considerations haveincreased for stakeholders, who now factor them into their valuable decisions. The primary object of this paper is to find out the connection between ESG and firm performance, specifically in terms of profitability, capital structure, and cost of capital. We selected NSE 500 companies for our study. For this analysis, static panel data model has been used. We have observed a positive link with ROCE whereas, ESG has a considerable adverse effect on WACC and DER. Firms that disclose ESG information boost their reputation additionally, bolster investor confidence, leading to a competitive advantage.

Keywords

Subject Classifications

Primary 91B05Secondary 62P20

References

[1] C. Baah, D. Opoku-Agyeman, I. S. K. Acquah, Y. Agyabeng-Mensah, E. Afum, D. Faibil, and F. A. M. Abdoulaye, “Examining the correlations between stakeholder pressures, green production practices, firm reputation, environmental and financial performance: Evidence from manufacturing SMEs,” Sustain. Prod. Consum., vol. 27, pp. 100–114 (2021).

[2] P. Aggarwal, “Impact of sustainability performance of company on its financial performance: A study of listed Indian companies,” Global J. Manage. Bus. Res. C Finance, vol. 13, pp. 61–70 (2013).

[3] F. E. Garcia-Muiña, R. González-Sánchez, A. M. Ferrari, L. Volpi, M. Pini, C. Siligardi, and D. Settembre-Blundo, “Identifying the equilibrium point between sustainability goals and circular economy practices in an Industry 4.0 manufacturing context using eco-design,” Soc. Sci., vol. 8, no. 8, Art. no. 241 (2019), doi: 10.3390/socsci8080241.

[4] E. Aracil, J. J. Nájera-Sánchez, and F. J. Forcadell, “Sustainable banking: A literature review and integrative framework,” Finance Res. Lett., vol. 42, Art. no. 101932 (2021), doi: 10.1016/j.frl.2021.101932.

[5] M. K. Jha and K. Rangarajan, “Analysis of corporate sustainability performance and corporate financial performance causal linkage in the Indian context,” Asian J. Sustain. Soc. Responsib., vol. 5, Art. no. 10 (2020), doi: 10.1186/s41180-020-00038-z.

[6] K.-H. Lee, B. C. Cin, and E. Y. Lee, “Environmental responsibility and firm performance: The application of an environmental, social and governance model,” Bus. Strategy Environ., vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 40–53 (2016), doi: 10.1002/bse.1855.

[7] A. H. N. Burhan and W. Rahmanti, “The impact of sustainability reporting on company performance,” J. Econ. Bus. Account. Ventura, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 257–272 (2012), doi: 10.14414/jebav.v15i2.79.

[8] E. Saygili, S. Arslan, and A. O. Birkan, “ESG practices and corporate financial performance: Evidence from Borsa Istanbul,” Borsa Istanbul Rev., vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 525–533 (2022), doi: 10.1016/j.bir.2021.07.001.

[9] F. García, J. González-Bueno, F. Guijarro, and J. Oliver, “Forecasting the environmental, social, and governance rating of firms by using corporate financial performance variables: A rough set approach,” Sustainability, vol. 12, no. 8, Art. no. 3324 (2020), doi: 10.3390/su12083324.

[10] M. A. Hamid, A. Abdullah, and N. A. Kamaruzzaman, “Capital structure and profitability in family and non-family firms: Malaysian evidence,” Procedia Econ. Finance, vol. 31, pp. 44–55 (2015), doi: 10.1016/S2212-5671(15)01130-2.

[11] A. Y. Putri, C. Sukmadilaga, and A. G. Cempaka, “The effect of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance and capital structure on firm value in manufacturing companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange for the 2019–2023 period,” J. Account. Audit. Bus., vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 50–67 (2025).

[12] H. Radhakrishna and K. T. Lappay, “Capital structure decisions influencing non-financial performance of companies (ESG),” in Intersecting Environmental Social Governance and AI for Business Sustainability. Hershey, PA, USA: IGI Global, pp. 143–163 (2024), doi: 10.4018/979-8-3693-1151-6.ch006.

[13] S. Shaw and D. Rakshit, “Determinants of target capital structure and adjustment speed: Evidence from India,” Universal J. Account. Finance, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 160–169 (2021), doi: 10.13189/ujaf.2021.090203.

[14] F. Zhang, X. Lai, and C. Guo, “ESG disclosure and investment-financing maturity mismatch: Evidence from China,” Res. Int. Bus. Finance, vol. 70, Art. no. 102312 (2024), doi: 10.1016/j.ribaf.2024.102312.

[15] D. Rakshit and A. Paul, “Redefining the pathway towards sustainable growth: The ESG way,” Manag. Accountant, pp. 31–35 (2022).

[16] Z. Feng and Z. Wu, “ESG disclosure, REIT debt financing and firm value,” J. Real Estate Finance Econ., vol. 67, no. 3, pp. 388–422 (2023), doi: 10.1007/s11146-021-09857-x.

[17] J. S. Harrison and R. E. Freeman, “Stakeholders, social responsibility, and performance: Empirical evidence and theoretical perspectives,” Acad. Manage. J., vol. 42, no. 5, pp. 479–485 (1999), doi: 10.5465/256971.

[18] M. Z. Frank and V. K. Goyal, “Capital structure decisions: Which factors are reliably important?,” Financial Manage., vol. 38, no. 1, pp. 1–37 (2009), doi: 10.1111/j.1755-053X.2009.01026.x.

[19] M. A. Khalil, M. K. Khalil, and R. Khalil, “Passive but defiant: The role of innovative capabilities in knowledge management and corporate entrepreneurship,” J. Entrep. Emerg. Econ., vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 422–448 (2022), doi: 10.1108/JEEE-08-2020-0300.

[20] J. Galbreath, “ESG in focus: The Australian evidence.” Journal of business ethics, vol. 118, no. 3, pp. 529-541 (2013).

Views: 50Downloads: 35Citations: 0