Effect of ESG data on the financial performance of companies: a study on the airline sector

Abstract

Purpose-In recent years, financial markets around the world have faced environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors as one of the tools of investment decision-making. Therefore, ESG scores stand out as an area of increasing interest for researchers in the financial world. In the study, firstly, studies in the literature related to ESG data were examined in order to prepare the theoretical background. In the reviewed literature, there is no study conducted in the airline sector regarding the effect of ESG data on financial performance. For this reason, the airline sector was chosen to differentiate from the studies reviewed in the literature. In this study, it is aimed to test the effect of the ESG scores calculated for companies in the airline industry on the financial performance of companies. Methodology-Which variables were used in studies conducted to test the relationship between ESG data and financial performance in the literature. In the studies reviewed, ESG General Score and ESG individual scores such as environmental (E), social (S) and governance (G) are used as independent variables, while return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE) and Tobin's It has been determined that rates such as Q are used. After the variables were determined, the data set to be used in the study was prepared. All airline companies in the world were determined as the universe, and 26 airline companies whose ESG data and financial data were accessed between 2010-2017, when a balanced panel data set was the longest and largest, were included in the study. The data of the companies subject to research were obtained from Thomson Reuters Eikon Data Terminal and made ready for analysis. Panel regression model was used as the analysis method in the study. Findings-The stationarity of the series was examined by performing panel unit root tests, which is one of the assumptions to be provided in panel data models. The series are stabilized by taking the difference in non-stationary series. Then, in the study, which panel of 6 different models created to measure the effect of the ESG overall score and the environmental (E), social (S) and governance (G) scores used individually on return on equity (ROE), return on assets (ROA) and Tobin's Q ratios. Hausman Test was conducted to determine that it will be tested using the model. In line with the results of the Hausman Test, while random effects model was used in five models, fixed effects model was used in one model. To test the effect of ESG scores on financial performance, a statistically significant effect in models using Environmental (E), social (S) and governance (G) scores and financial performance indicators such as return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE) and Tobin's Q variables While no relationship could be determined, in the model established with the ESG Overall Score, it was concluded that there was only a statistically significant effect on Return on Assets (ROA). Conclusion-It has been determined that the ESG scores do not have a statistically significant effe...

The Effect of ESG Sustainability on Firm Performance: A View Under Size and Age on BIST Bank Index Firms

“…On the contrary, Ruan and Liu (2021) found in their study that ESG activities had a significant negative impact on firm performance for a sample of Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share firms in China in the 2015-2019 period. In contrast, Sisman and Cankaya (2021) examined the relationship between ESG and financial performance for 26 airline firms for the period of 2010 and 2017 and found that ESG scores have no statistically significant effect on the financial performance of airline firms. On the contrary Pulino et al (2022) confirmed the positive relationship between ESG and firm performance between 2011 and 2020 for a sample consisting of some of the largest listed companies in Italy.…”