Finance and Financial Management Commons^™

An Examination Of How Environmental, Social, Governance (Esg) Investing Influences A Company's Stock Return, Sam Marty

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Using a random sample of 184 companies traded on the New York Stock Exchange in 2019, this paper investigates the impact of Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) investing on a company’s stock return. The results show that ESG investing has a positive and statistically significant impact on a company’s stock return. An increase in one ESG rating leads to an increase between 0.4% and 3.6% in the return of a company’s stock. Additionally, the results show that individual ESG factors are each statistically insignificant. This indicates that the three ESG factors need to be viewed together rather than individually. Lastly, the …

Corporate Social Responsibility And Corporate Financial Performance: An Examination Into Fortune 500 And Djsi Firms Within Consumer-Facing Industries, Samantha Lee

CMC Senior Theses

This paper examines the relationship between a firm’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and its Corporate Financial Performance (CFP) in nine consumer-facing industries classified by the Fortune 500. Unlike prior research on the matter, the firms investigated in this study consist only of firms on both the Fortune 500 for the year 2018 and the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) between the years 2005-2018 in order to define a clear measurement of CSR. In order to gauge investor and market sentiment, CFP is measured primarily by the firm’s stock performance in comparison to the S&P 500 as a basis. The results …

Entrepreneurial Intention Towards Sustainable Growth: The Case Of Tourism Msmes, Tia Mare L. Ebdane

DLSU Business & Economics Review

The study aimed at determining the effect of perceived desirability through perceptions on normative, regulatory, and cognitive profile; and perceived feasibility through effectiveness in marketing, innovation, management, risk-taking, and financial control measures to the sustainable growth intention of micro, small, and medium tourism establishments in an untapped tourism destination in the Philippines. Data was gathered through a survey of 95 respondents using a survey questionnaire, and was analyzed through multiple linear regression. Results indicate that only the perception on the cognitive profile was significant among the perceived desirability measures, and the effectiveness of financial control, among the perceived feasibility measures.

Creativity, Innovation, And Sustainability: Insights Of Entrepinays In The Handicrafts Industry, Divina M. Edralin, Maria Victoria P. Tibon, Paz Esperanza T. Poblador, Junius W. Yu

DLSU Business & Economics Review

This study analyzed the insights of Filipina entrepreneurs in the handicrafts industry on creativity and sustainability as they relate to innovation. Specifically, the responses of the EntrePinays in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao pertaining to factors affecting their innovation activities; the degree of implementation of innovation activities; factors hampering innovation activities; and the effects/impact of innovation on sustainability and other outcomes were compared. The study utilized the conceptual framework on creativity and entrepreneurship by Matthews (2007) and the innovation measurement framework of the OECD/Eurostat (2005). Two hundred three Filipina entrepreneurs in the handicrafts industry from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao were interviewed …

Effective Revenue Diversification Strategies In Nonprofit Organizations, Jennifer R. Niswonger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nonprofit organization leaders increasingly encounter social burdens and financial difficulties, jeopardizing ongoing success and organizational sustainability. The purpose of this single-case study was to explore revenue diversification strategies used by 3 leaders of a small nonprofit organization in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States through the conceptual lens of modern portfolio theory. Data were collected via in-depth semistructured interviews, and member checking was used to facilitate accuracy, consistency, and integrity. Methodological triangulation included a document review and analysis of financial statements, tax returns, strategy objectives, the organizational website, social media, and nonprofit data reports. Data from documents and interviews …

Strategies To Sustain A Real Estate Small Business In Postnatural-Disaster Area, Vianka Miranda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many small real estate business leaders lack effective strategies to resume and sustain operations in a postnatural-disaster environment. This multiple case study investigated strategies that 3 small real estate business leaders in southeastern Louisiana used to resume and sustain operations in the aftermath of a natural disaster. The chaos theory and stakeholder theory were the conceptual frameworks for this study. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, and reviews of business continuity plan documents and member checking. The themes that emerged from data analysis were leaders' strategies relating to business planning and innovation, stakeholder engagement, operations management, and disaster responsiveness. Implications …

U.S. Corporate Energy Productivity, Greenhouse Gas Productivity, And Return On Equity, Terry Geonnie Tate

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Corporate leaders are expected to engage in corporate social responsibility by some stakeholders, but there is no consistent evidence that corporate social performance relates to financial performance. Grounded in instrumental stakeholder theory, the purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship among energy productivity, greenhouse gas productivity, and return on equity. The 2016 Newsweek Green Ranking U.S. 500 was the population for this study, which consisted of the largest companies in the United States with the highest corporate social performance scores. The secondary data were collected from Newsweek.com and Morningstar.com for this study. The multiple linear regression was …

Predictors Of Humanistic Sustainability Hrm Practices, Ana Liza Asis-Castro, Divina M. Edralin

DLSU Business & Economics Review

We determined and compared the degree of implementation of humanistic sustainability human resource management (HRM) practices. We analyzed which among the firm demographics, such as the number of years of operation, size, and type of ownership, is its significant predictor. Based on the Motivations of Humanistic “Sustain Ability” framework where the HRM practices were rooted, we used the descriptive, correlational, and causal research designs to analyze the 137 samples responses of various companies who participated in the survey. Our results showed that Philippine companies were moderately implementing humanistic sustainability HRM practices. It also indicated that those that were registered as …

Scarcity In The Twenty-First Century: How The Resource Nexus Affects Management, Simon J. D. Schillebeeckx, Mark Workman, Charles Dean

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Since theadvent of the 21st century and especially since the food andfinancial crisis in 2008, concerns about natural resource availability haveresurfaced. While scarcity concerns date back hundreds of years and arefoundational to economics, how scarcity is interpreted or framed has evolved significantlyin the last two centuries. In this chapter, we recount the evolving scarcity discourseand specifically address the most recent iteration that centres on the idea ofa resource nexus. While significant attention to the nexus has been paid bypolicy-makers and scholars interested in especially water, management scholarshave so far remained absent from these debates. Given recent calls to address grand …

Fossil Fuel Asset Risk Analysis: Clark University Endowment, Travis A. Dodge, B. Maiwand Akbari

Student Works

The environmental and social risks of climate change are well known and perhaps inevitable. The economic and financial risks are less so. The many financial risks associated with climate change embedded in endowment portfolio fossil fuel holdings are leading many institutional stakeholders to enter into dialogue and take action. Divestment is emerging as an effective strategy for limiting portfolio exposure and tackling climate change itself.

Our team’s goals were to assess whether the Clark University endowment portfolio faces any of these risks and evaluate the impacts on asset values. Our findings show that the Clark endowment does face these same …

Leviathan Inc. And Corporate Environmental Engagement, Po-Hsuan Hsu, Hao Liang, Pedro Matos

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In a special report in 2010, The Economist called the resurgence of state-owned mega-enterprises, especially those in emerging economies, “Leviathan Inc.”, and warned about the dangers of the state capitalism model. Traditionally, state-owned firms have been criticized for poor governance and questionable efficiency. In fact, they may be better positioned to deal with market failures and externalities. Our findings based on publicly-listed firms in 45 countries suggest that government-controlled companies engage more in environmental issues, and this engagement does not come at a cost to shareholder value. The effect is more pronounced among firms in emerging market economies and in …

Shareholder Advocacy In Corporate Elections: Case Studies In Proxy Voting Websites For Retail Investors, Robin Miller

Sustainability and Social Justice

One of the key rights shareholders retain is the right to vote on issues affecting the companies in which they invest. This voting right is seen as one of the primary means of exercising diligent corporate governance (Cole 2003, Fairfax 2009). Only 28 percent of individual investors vote in corporate elections compared with 91 percent of institutional investors. Informed voting decisions at corporate elections can be very information intensive, and theories of rational apathy and the free rider problem may explain a lack of participation from individual investors.

Many shareholders cannot attend annual corporate meetings, so they …

Sustainable Architecture Design: Environmental And Economic Benefits, Michael Babcock

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis examines the movement of environmentalism, and its impact on architecture and construction. During an interview with a professional architect, a basis for research of sustainable design was devised, when he explained that “good” architecture attempts to holistically integrate the external and built environment. Presently, the main measurement for sustainability is energy efficiency. Therefore, architects constantly implement new technology in an attempt to unify both the external and built environment in an energy efficient manner. Furthermore, this thesis provides an environmental and financial cost analysis of implementing sustainable design and build. Research shows that the life cycle and up-front …

Food Waste At Retail, Erin G. Killeen Davis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Food waste at retail represents forgone sales and embodies store management and disposal costs. Fresh produce is the largest contributing sector to food waste at retail and bulky, seasonal products are an added challenge when stores experience a high waste event. In order to improve, retailers need to better understand the costs of food waste, as well as how management strategies can impact these costs.

Using pumpkins as an example of bulky, seasonal products, a twofold research project was conducted to better understand contributors to, and costs of food waste at the retail level. In part one, using data from …

Evaluating Banking Agents: A Case Of Brazilian Banking Correspondents, Tania Pereira Christopoulos, Lauro Emilio Gonzales Frias, Tomás Costa De Azevedo Marques

DLSU Business & Economics Review

Financial institutions play an important role in the development of any country’s economy, but there is still an enormous gap between supply and demand of financial services that meet the needs of the poor. Hence, it is important to analyze the role of the traditional financial system in the expansion of proper financial services, and their accessibility to the poor. Within inclusive finance, the most promising topic seems to be branchless banking. One major example of branchless banking is the case of banking correspondents (BC) in Brazil. In order to deepen the comprehension of the subject, this article will present …

Women Empowerment Through Social Initiatives: An Indian Story, Divya Singhal

DLSU Business & Economics Review

It is now proven that the relationship between business and society is integral in the success of any enterprise. With the growing role of business in society, organizations are becoming more “socially responsible” and engaging in various social initiatives. Organizations involve themselves in various kinds of initiatives generally targeted towards a selected underprivileged section of the society or a specific area like education, health, and environment. Women play an important role in building sustainable development. Promoting women empowerment and widening their contribution in decision-making roles are key strategies for sustainable development. The present paper is an attempt to highlight women …

Research Of The Sustainability Of U.S. Public Debt And The Influence For Chinese Economy And Finance, Zikun Xu

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

In the summer of 2010, the U.S. debt ceiling dispute attracted the attention of the world, and financial markets were shocked when Standard & Poor's finally cut the United States AAA rating. But with the increase of the debt ceiling as well as the European sovereign debt crisis intensified, the U.S. national debt problem was temporarily covered up. It must be noted, however, that the U.S. national debt has ballooned to the highest level since World War II, the ratio of national debt to GDP has reached to nearly 100%, coupled with the long-term U.S. fiscal deficit and the continuing …

Development Of A Sustainable Water Resource Financing Mathematical Model For Donors And End-Users, Sahar Zavareh

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Rural villages and underdeveloped communities represent the largest group challenged by poor water supply and sanitation with inequalities in resources to adequately implement potential solutions and even more with their high risk level of financing, funding is particularly challenging for water projects. Innovative financing alone will not eliminate the burdens of rural villages and underdeveloped communities. The purpose of this thesis is to address the lack of sustainable water financing of water projects in rural areas using a novel framework of a mathematical model based on "system dynamics" using optimal feedback control theory to maximize the performance of a water …

The Myth Of Endless Accumulation: A Feminist Inquiry Into Globalization, Growth, And Social Change, Martha Freymann Miser

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This theoretical dissertation examines the concept of growth and its core assumption—that the continual accumulation of wealth is both socially wise and ecologically sustainable. The study challenges and offers alternatives to the myth of endless accumulation, suggesting new directions for leadership and social change. The central question posed in this inquiry: Can we craft a more ethical form of capitalism? To answer this question, the study examines conventional and critical globalization studies; feminist scholarship on standpoint, political economy, and power; and the Enlightenment notions of progress and modernism, drawing on a number of works, including Aristotle on the three intelligences, …

A Cost Benefit Analysis Of Utilizing Solar Panels On Bates Nut Farm, Brandon Walter Ness

Agribusiness

No abstract provided.