Purpose The study aims to construct a cross-firm corporate governance index to predict firm performance. The index consists of 15 governance elements from a large sample of the Indonesian firms covering the period from 2003 to 2013. Design/methodology/approach This study presents robust results as the findings are tested by applying the generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator to eliminate endogeneity problems and unobservable heterogeneity posed by the relationship between performance and firm-level governance practices. Findings The results indicate that the corporate governance index is associated with enhanced corporate financial performance. Likewise, the findings reported under the pooled ordinary least squares and GMM also indicate corporate governance sub-indexes (elements), which have significant effects on performance: whistleblower mechanism, audit quality, board of director size and blockholders. Research limitations/implications In the emerging market context, this study supports the notion that active and self-regulated governance practices are appreciated by the market and, in the end, can have a positive impact on financial performance. The analysis adds to the empirical literature by providing insights into how governance provisions are being actively implemented in the micro level. With regard to weak governance practices, this study is consistent with previous studies, according to which, firms have the opportunity to use corporate governance as a way of differentiating themselves from other players in countries with poorly regulated investor protection and institutional settings. Originality/value This study makes a positive contribution, as it looks at the impact of Indonesia’s corporate governance compliance on the basis of a set of 15 unique governance provisions, including the findings of the positive influence of corporate governance in family business.

This work is among the first studies to review the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) ESG Leaders Index in Asian countries and other emerging markets, such as Brazil, China, and Russia. The relationships among gross domestic product (GDP), human development index (HDI), and a set of key indicators are the fundamental argument of this study. By applying 2SLS estimation from 2010 to 2018, this research examines the connection between environmental, social, governance (ESG) index, GDP growth, and HDI from nine countries as rated in the MSCI ESG Index. The objective is to test whether the index can be efficiently utilized to justify the notion that the adoption of ESG principles can positively influence sustainable development and inclusive growth. The post estimations reveal close relationships between the ESG index and GDP growth. However, the index is not an effective instrument for measuring the connection between HDI‐ESG because it has not yet had a direct effect on HDI. With this result, the index can be utilized to measure the connections with and investments made by countries and corporations for sustainable development.

PurposeThe objective of this study is to assess the level of corporate governance (CG) compliance and identify determinants of high compliance in Indonesian publicly listed corporations including family and nonfamily firms. The country uses a voluntary disclosure approach to enforce its regulations; thus, it is important to identify the factors affecting compliance.Design/methodology/approachEmploying a logistic regression model, this paper analyzes the CG index of high-compliance vs. poor-compliance companies and emphasizes factors that contribute to better governance compliance. The CG index of high-compliant firms is almost twice as high as that of low-compliant firms.FindingsThe study explores factors that contribute to high CG in an emerging market like Indonesian corporations. The study's findings indicate that family-owned businesses predominate in the low-compliance group. High-compliance firms are older and larger with higher financial performance, free float and leverage, as well as a positive influence of the founder's great leadership. The results support theoretical arguments that concentrated ownership and excessive majority shareholder control are key factors in determining the likelihood of good governance practices by firms. Hence, the market and regulators should devise effective strategies to encourage and reward high compliance.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings of the research offer several implications for the academic community and policymakers. Improving CG at the firm level is a viable goal, even though the agenda to reform minority investor protection laws and increase judicial quality is challenging and may take a long time to show significant results. Moreover, this study has some limitations that could be addressed in future research. The study focuses on a single-country setting, Indonesia. There are cultural aspects and governance settings that may be unique in the Indonesian context, which may limit the applicability of the findings to other countries with their own cultural settings and institutional legal framework.Originality/valueThe study investigates the factors that influence high governance compliance in specific CG regulations designed for the emerging Indonesian market. The study also discovers evidence that the crisis period has a favorable impact on the firm's decision to comply with governance provisions.

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