Examining the Impact of ESG on Organizational Performance: The Literature Review on Investment Sectors of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)

Authors

  • Ahmed Elidrisy ESG & Sustainability Manager, Qatar Free Zone Authority, l Salata, PO box 258,6th floor, General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers Building, Doha, Qatar

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54536/ajebi.v3i1.2377

Keywords:

Financial Stability, Investment Decision, ESG, MENA, Social Factor, Environmental Factor, Governance Factor

Abstract

ESG pertains to integrating environmental, social, and governance concerns into the operations of corporations and investors. The integrated and collective impact of ESG practices on value creation and sustainability for all stakeholders is considered in every available investigation into ESG performance. However, to make more informed ESG investment decisions, it is necessary to comprehend how different ESG components influence value creation for organizations. The Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA) region mostly consists of countries that have abundant natural resources. ESG implementation in the MENA investment sector would likely be influential in boosting its economic growth. In MENA, more research needs to be performed to highlight the significance of ESG in boosting the financial development of the investment sectors. This literature review has highlighted the research papers, reports, and articles from 2019 to 2023 that depicted the ESG growth in the investment sector by emphasizing the examples of the MENA region and the international market. The literature review has shed light on the role and trend of ESG in MENA investment sectors. Further, it comprehensively discussed the ESG financial stability, ESG implementation barriers, and opportunities, ESG role in risk mitigation, and innovation and employee engagement driven by ESG. This discussion would help the MENA investors and the other organizational bodies make educated decisions before any investment.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Abdelli, S., & Abdelli, A. A. (2023). The Guarantee Pricing and the Analysis of the Automotive Branch Insurance Profitability in Tunisia. American Journal of Economics and Business Innovation, 2(3), 145-157.

Adams, S., & Klobodu, E. K. M. (2018). Financial development and environmental degradation: does political regime matter? Journal of cleaner production, 197, 1472-1479.

Alsayegh, M. F., Abdul Rahman, R., & Homayoun, S. (2020). Corporate economic, environmental, and social sustainability performance transformation through ESG disclosure. Sustainability, 12(9), 3910.

Alsuhaibani, A. (2023). The Impact of Financial Development on Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) Performance: The Case of MENA Countries Effat University].

Amel-Zadeh, A., & Serafeim, G. (2018). Why and how investors use ESG information: Evidence from a global survey. Financial analysts journal, 74(3), 87-103.

Atan, R., Alam, M. M., Said, J., & Zamri, M. (2018). The impacts of environmental, social, and governance factors on firm performance: Panel study of Malaysian companies. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 29(2), 182-194.

Atef, N. A. (2022). Scaling up sustainable finance and investment in the Middle East and North Africa. Scaling Up Sustainable Finance and Investment in the Global South, 4.

Bahabbaz, M. A., & Karim, K. (2023). Qualitative Characteristics of Accounting Information (Declared with IFRS Standards) and Financial Performance: Statistical Study and Correlation Test. American Journal of Economics and Business Innovation, 2(2), 93-100.

Bank, W. (2018). Incorporating environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into fixed income investment. https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/913961524150628959/pdf/Incorporating-environmental-social-and-governance-factors-into-fixed-income-investment.pdf

Ben Ali, A., & Chouaibi, J. (2023). Mediating effect of ESG performance on executive incentive compensation-financial performance relationship: evidence from MENA banking sector. Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society.

Borghesi, S., & Ticci, E. (2019). Climate change in the MENA region: environmental risks, socioeconomic effects and policy challenges for the future. MED., 289-292.

Buallay, A. (2019). Is sustainability reporting (ESG) associated with performance? Evidence from the European banking sector. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 30(1), 98-115.

Buallay, A., Fadel, S. M., Al-Ajmi, J. Y., & Saudagaran, S. (2020). Sustainability reporting and performance of MENA banks: is there a trade-off? Measuring Business Excellence, 24(2), 197-221.

Cannon, J. N., Ling, Z., Wang, Q., & Watanabe, O. V. (2020). 10-K disclosure of corporate social responsibility and firms’ competitive advantages. European Accounting Review, 29(1), 85-113.

Dmuchowski, P., Dmuchowski, W., Baczewska-Dąbrowska, A. H., & Gworek, B. (2023). Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) model; impacts and sustainable investment–Global trends and Poland’s perspective. Journal of Environmental Management, 329, 117023.

Donia, M. (2021). Employees want genuine corporate social responsibility, not greenwashing. In Caribbean business. https://phys.org/news/2020-01-employees-genuine-corporate-social-responsibility.html

Ellili, N. O. D. (2022). Impact of ESG disclosure and financial reporting quality on investment efficiency. Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society, 22(5), 1094-1111.

Espahbodi, L., Espahbodi, R., Juma, N., & Westbrook, A. (2019). Sustainability priorities, corporate strategy, and investor behavior. Review of financial economics, 37(1), 149-167.

Esteban-Sanchez, P., de la Cuesta-Gonzalez, M., & Paredes-Gazquez, J. D. (2017). Corporate social performance and its relation with corporate financial performance: International evidence in the banking industry. Journal of cleaner production, 162, 1102-1110.

Fakih, A., Haimoun, N., & Kassem, M. (2020). Youth unemployment, gender and institutions during transition: evidence from the Arab Spring. Social Indicators Research, 150, 311-336.

Farah, B., Elias, R., Aguilera, R., & Abi Saad, E. (2021). Corporate governance in the Middle East and North Africa: A systematic review of current trends and opportunities for future research. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 29(6), 630-660.

Gangi, F., Meles, A., D’Angelo, E., & Daniele, L. M. (2019). Sustainable development and corporate governance in the financial system: are environmentally friendly banks less risky? Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 26(3), 529-547.

Gannon, G., & Hieker, C. (2022). Employee Engagement and a Company‟ s Sustainability Values: A Case Study of a FinTech SME. Management, 10(3), 201-210.

Gao, S., Meng, F., Wang, W., & Chen, W. (2023). Does ESG always improve corporate performance? Evidence from firm life cycle perspective. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 11, 103.

Gil, C. (2022). What can we learn from the financial market about sustainability? Environment Systems and Decisions, 42(1), 1-7.

Gillan, S. L., Koch, A., & Starks, L. T. (2021). Firms and social responsibility: A review of ESG and CSR research in corporate finance. Journal of Corporate Finance, 66, 101889.

Håkansson, C., & Salu, K. (2021). Sustainability in the European Union: The Role of Financial Development in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Performance. In.

Halid, S., Rahman, R. A., Mahmud, R., Mansor, N., & Wahab, R. A. (2023). A Literature Review on ESG Score and Its Impact on Firm Performance. International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting Finance and Management Sciences, 13(1), 272-282.

Henisz, W., Koller, T., & Nuttall, R. (2019). Five ways that ESG creates value.

Ibrahim, M. D., & Alola, A. A. (2020). Integrated analysis of energy-economic development-environmental sustainability nexus: Case study of MENA countries. Science of the Total Environment, 737, 139768.

IMF. (2019). Promoting inclusive growth in the Middle East and North Africa, Challenges and Oppertunites in a Post-Pandemic World

In, S. Y., Rook, D., & Monk, A. (2019). Integrating alternative data (also known as ESG data) in investment decision making. Global Economic Review, 48(3), 237-260.

Inderst, G., & Stewart, F. (2018). Incorporating environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into fixed income investment. World Bank Group publication, April.

Kassouri, Y., & Altıntaş, H. (2020). Human well-being versus ecological footprint in MENA countries: a trade-off? Journal of environmental management, 263, 110405.

Kotsantonis, S., Pinney, C., & Serafeim, G. (2016). ESG integration in investment management: Myths and realities. Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, 28(2), 10-16.

Kumar, S. (2023). A Review ESG Performance as a Measure of Stakeholders Theory. Academy of Marketing Studies Journal, 27(S3).

Landi, G. C., Iandolo, F., Renzi, A., & Rey, A. (2022). Embedding sustainability in risk management: The impact of environmental, social, and governance ratings on corporate financial risk. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 29(4), 1096-1107.

Mertzanis, C., Basuony, M. A., & Mohamed, E. K. (2019). Social institutions, corporate governance and firm-performance in the MENA region. Research in International Business and Finance, 48, 75-96.

Miralles-Quirós, M. M., Miralles-Quirós, J. L., & Valente Gonçalves, L. M. (2018). The value relevance of environmental, social, and governance performance: The Brazilian case. Sustainability, 10(3), 574.

Miralles‐Quirós, M. M., Miralles‐Quirós, J. L., & Redondo‐Hernández, J. (2019). The impact of environmental, social, and governance performance on stock prices: Evidence from the banking industry. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 26(6), 1446-1456.

Mrabet, Z., & Alsamara, M. (2017). Testing the Kuznets Curve hypothesis for Qatar: A comparison between carbon dioxide and ecological footprint. Renewable and sustainable energy reviews, 70, 1366-1375.

Ng, T.-H., Lye, C.-T., Chan, K.-H., Lim, Y.-Z., & Lim, Y.-S. (2020). Sustainability in Asia: The roles of financial development in environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance. Social Indicators Research, 150, 17-44.

Odell, J., & Ali, U. (2016). ESG investing in emerging and frontier markets. Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, 28(2), 96-101.

Pedersen, L. H., Fitzgibbons, S., & Pomorski, L. (2021). Responsible investing: The ESG-efficient frontier. Journal of Financial Economics, 142(2), 572-597.

QFZ. (2021). Guidance | Qatar Free Zone Authorities, Companies Regulations. https://qfz.gov.qa/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2021/02/FAQ-Companies-Regulations-EN.pdf

Raimo, N., Caragnano, A., Zito, M., Vitolla, F., & Mariani, M. (2021). Extending the benefits of ESG disclosure: The effect on the cost of debt financing. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 28(4), 1412-1421.

Rumyantseva, A., & Tarutko, O. (2022). Impact of the ESG Principles on the Corporate Financial Strategy. Challenges and Solutions in the Digital Economy and Finance: Proceedings of the 5th International Scientific Conference on Digital Economy and Finances (DEFIN 2022), St. Petersburg 2022,

Saleh, S., & Fouad, F. M. (2022). Political economy of health in fragile and conflict-affected regions in the Middle East and North Africa region. Journal of global health, 12.

Salman, M., & Laouisset, J. (2020). The governance in the corporate excellence model–The 4th generation model. International Journal of Business Ethics and Governance, 71-91.

Șerban, R.-A., Mihaiu, D. M., & Țichindelean, M. (2022). Environment, social, and governance score and value added impacts on market capitalization: A sectoral-based approach. Sustainability, 14(4), 2069.

Sheehan, N. T., Vaidyanathan, G., Fox, K. A., & Klassen, M. (2023). Making the invisible, visible: Overcoming barriers to ESG performance with an ESG mindset. Business Horizons, 66(2), 265-276.

Smolo, E., Ibrahim, M. H., & Dewandaru, G. (2021). Impact of bank concentration and financial development on growth volatility: the case of selected OIC countries. Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, 57(7), 2094-2106.

Sridharan, V. (2018). Bridging the disclosure gap: investor perspectives on environmental, social & governance (ESG) disclosures. Social & Governance (ESG) Disclosures (May 11, 2018).

Sultana, S., Zulkifli, N., & Zainal, D. (2018). Environmental, social and governance (ESG) and investment decision in Bangladesh. Sustainability, 10(6), 1831.

Tagliapietra, S. (2019). The impact of the global energy transition on MENA oil and gas producers. Energy Strategy Reviews, 26, 100397.

Ting, I. W. K., Azizan, N. A., Bhaskaran, R. K., & Sukumaran, S. K. (2019). Corporate social performance and firm performance: Comparative study among developed and emerging market firms. Sustainability, 12(1), 26.

Tok, E. (2020). The incentives and efforts for innovation and entrepreneurship in a resource-based economy: a survey on perspective of Qatari residents. Sustainability, 12(2), 626.

UNEP-FI. (2022). A New Approach to Unlocking Private Finance for Climate and the

SDGs in Egypt and Morocco, March. . https://www.unepfi.org/knowledge-platform/news-and-insight/

UNPRI. (2018). Principal of Responsible Investment. Annual Report. https://d8g8t13e9vf2o.cloudfront.net/Uploads/g/f/c/priannualreport_605237.pdf

Wilmoth, M. J., Menozzi, M. C., & Bassarsky, M. L. (2022). Why population growth matters for sustainable development.

Yan, Y., Ibrahim, R. L., Al-Faryan, M. A. S., & Oke, D. M. (2023). Embracing Eco-Digitalization and Green Finance Policies for Sustainable Environment: Do the Engagements of Multinational Corporations Make or Mar the Target for Selected MENA Countries? Sustainability, 15(15), 12046.

Yilmaz, I. (2022). ESG-based sustainability performance and its impact on cost of capital: International evidence from the energy sector. International Journal of Applied Economics, Finance and Accounting, 12(2), 21-30.

Downloads

Published

2024-01-31

How to Cite

Elidrisy, A. (2024). Examining the Impact of ESG on Organizational Performance: The Literature Review on Investment Sectors of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). American Journal of Economics and Business Innovation, 3(1), 40–49. https://doi.org/10.54536/ajebi.v3i1.2377