Published April 30, 2025 | Version CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0
Journal article Open

Exploring the Determinants of Understanding ESG In Financial Choices: A Linear Regression Approach

  • 1. Associate Professor, Department of Commerce, Government Arts College (Affiliated to Bharathidasan University), Tiruchy (Tamil Nadu), India.

Contributors

Contact person:

Researcher:

  • 1. Associate Professor, Department of Commerce, Government Arts College (Affiliated to Bharathidasan University), Tiruchy (Tamil Nadu), India.
  • 2. Scholar, Department of Commerce, Government Arts College (Affiliated to Bharathidasan University), Tiruchy (Tamil Nadu), India.

Description

Abstract: Purpose of the Study: This study investigates the factors influencing “Understanding ESG in Financial Choices” by examining the impact of various behavioural and perceptual variables related to ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investing. The goal is to identify the key determinants that shape individuals' comprehension of ESG principles in their financial decision-making. Methodology: The research utilizes a structured questionnaire as the primary instrument, targeting a sample of the general population. A total of 130 questionnaires were distributed, with 126 valid responses collected through simple random sampling. The questionnaire measured the dependent variable, Understanding ESG in Financial Choices, alongside nine independent variables: Confidence in ESG Impact on Investments, Likelihood of Social/Environmental Investing, Consideration of Sustainability in Decisions, Importance of Values-Aligned Investments, Perceived Financial Gain from ESG, Perceived Lack of ESG Knowledge, Concern over FinancialEnvironmental Trade-Offs, ESG Investment Allocation and Priority of ESG in Investment Choices. Statistical Analysis: Linear regression analysis was applied to assess the predictive power of the independent variables on the dependent variable. This approach helped identify which factors significantly contribute to ESG understanding among respondents. Major Findings: The analysis revealed that Confidence in ESG Impact on Investments and Likelihood of Social/Environmental Investing were the most significant predictors, both positively influencing ESG understanding. However, Consideration of Sustainability in Decisions had a significant but negative effect on ESG comprehension, suggesting a disconnect between sustainability considerations and ESG knowledge. These findings suggest that ESG understanding is driven by specific attitudes, highlighting areas for improved communication and education in sustainable investing.

Files

G179511070325.pdf

Files (536.4 kB)

Name Size Download all
md5:35237789fb00ce529a840c05303b656e
536.4 kB Preview Download

Additional details

Identifiers

DOI
10.35940/ijmh.G1795.11080425
EISSN
2394-0913

Dates

Accepted
2025-04-15
Manuscript Received on 09 February 2025 | First Revised Manuscript Received on 16 February 2025 | Second Revised Manuscript Received on 25 March 2025 | Manuscript Accepted on 15 April 2025 | Manuscript published on 30 April 2025.

References

  • Sinha, R., Datta, M., & Zioło, M. (2020). ESG awareness and perception in sustainable business decisions: perspectives of Indian investment bankers vis-a-vis selected European financial counterparts. In Finance and Sustainability: Proceedings from the 2nd Finance and Sustainability Conference, Wroclaw 2018 (pp. 261-276). Springer International Publishing.. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34401-6_22
  • Jonwall, R., Gupta, S., & Pahuja, S. (2022). A comparison of investment behavior, attitudes, and demographics of socially responsible and conventional investors in India. Social Responsibility Journal. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/SRJ-08-2021-0358
  • Roy, A. (2014). Corporate governance rating and its impact on firm level performance and valuation. https://www.delhibusinessreview.org/V15n2/v15n2g_pg71-79.pdf
  • Sinha, R., & Datta, M. (2014). Emerging Role of Environmental, Social and Governance Factors in Corporate Finance and Investment: Indian Scenario so Far as Compared to Some of the Developed Economies. https://ideas.repec.org/p/sek/iefpro/0401398.html
  • Park, S. R., & Jang, J. Y. (2021). The impact of ESG management on investment decision: Institutional investors' perceptions of countryspecific ESG criteria. International Journal of Financial Studies, 9(3), 48. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijfs9030048
  • Sood, K., Pathak, P., Jain, J., & Gupta, S. (2023). How does an investor prioritize ESG factors in India? An assessment based on fuzzy AHP. Managerial Finance, 49(1), 66-87. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/MF-04- 2022-0162
  • Eccles, R. G., Kastrapeli, M. D., & Potter, S. J. (2017). How to integrate ESG into investment decision‐making: Results of a global survey of institutional investors. Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, 29(4), 125-133. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jacf.12267
  • Marie, M., Qi, B., Gerged, A. M., & Nobanee, H. (2024). Exploring Environmental, Social and Governance research in the wake of COVID‐ 19: A bibliometric analysis of current trends and recommendations for future research. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 31(6), 6131-6149. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.2909
  • Mandal, S., & Mitra, S. (2023). Investors' perception of their investment decision on the basis of ESG-A case study in Kolkata. Asian Journal of Management, 14(4), 273-282. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.52711/2321- 5763.2023.00045
  • Bose, S., Dong, G., Simpson, A., Bose, S., Dong, G., & Simpson, A. (2019). Impact investing. The financial ecosystem: The role of finance in achieving sustainability, 253-282. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978- 3-030-05624-7_1
  • Khurshid, R., & Islam, A. U. (2024). ESG literature mapping: insights from bibliometric analysis. International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, 1-28. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41310-024-00244-5
  • Haddad, R. H., Haddad, A. E., Haddad, A., & Sawalha, N. (2023). Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure and Stock Market Liquidity: The Case of Jordan. Sustainability, 16(1), 88. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su16010088
  • Agrawal, S., Liu, L. Y., & Rajgopal, S. (2023). ESG Ratings of ESG Index Providers. Available at SSRN 4468531. https://www.saoicmai.in/elibrary/ESG-ratings-of-ESG-indexproviders.pdf
  • Mujumdar, A., & Shadrin, A. (2021). Impact Investment for BRICS Cooperation on Sustainable Development. Asia-Pacific Social Science Review, 21(4). https://www.dlsu.edu.ph/wpcontent/uploads/pdf/research/journals/apssr/2021-December-vol21- 4/10-impact-investment-for-brics-cooperation-on-sustainabledevelopment.pdf
  • Bertassini, A. C. (2023). Proposal of a roadmap for culture change towards a circular economy: application in a product-as-a-service business model (Doctoral dissertation, Universidade de São Paulo). DOI: https://doi.org/10.11606/T.18.2023.tde-22112023-155718
  • Przychodzen, J., Gómez-Bezares, F., Przychodzen, W., & Larreina, M. (2016). ESG Issues among fund managers—Factors and motives. Sustainability, 8(10), 1078. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su8101078
  • Zhang, Y. (2024). ESG Perceptions: Investigating Investor Motivations and Characteristics. Financial Services Review: The Journal of Individual Financial Management, 32(2), 29-52. DOI: https://doi.org/10.61190/fsr.v32i2.3591
  • Sakuma-Keck, K., & Hensmans, M. (2013). A motivation puzzle: Can investors change corporate behavior by conforming to ESG pressures?. In Institutional investors' power to change corporate behavior: international perspectives (pp. 367-393). Emerald Group Publishing Limited. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/S2043-9059(2013)0000005023
  • Olesk, L., & Pedersen, A. (2019). Responsible investments: exploration of investor motives and ESG stock market performance (Master's thesis). https://openaccess.nhh.no/nhhxmlui/bitstream/handle/11250/2610942/masterthesis.PDF?sequence=1
  • Sreekumar Nair, A., & Ladha, R. (2014). Determinants of non-economic investment goals among Indian investors. Corporate Governance, 14(5), 714-727. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-09-2014-0102
  • Thanki, H., Shah, S., Rathod, H. S., Oza, A. D., & Burduhos-Nergis, D. D. (2022). I am ready to invest in socially responsible investments (SRI) options only if the returns are not compromised: individual investors' intentions toward SRI. Sustainability, 14(18), 11377. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su141811377
  • Bodhanwala, S., & Bodhanwala, R. (2019). Do investors gain from sustainable investing? An empirical evidence from India. International Journal of Business Excellence, 19(1), 100-118. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1504/IJBEX.2019.101710
  • Priya, Ms. K., & Lal, Dr. P. (2024). Awareness and Competence in Financial Literacy and Planning: The Financial Journey of Working Women. In International Journal of Management and Humanities (Vol. 10, Issue 8, pp. 17–22). DOI: https://doi.org/10.35940/ijmh.h1700.10080424
  • Bordoloi, A. (2019). Financial Literacy and the Working Women of the Unorganised Sector with Special Reference to Guwahati City. In International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering (Vol. 2, Issue 9, pp. 4350–4354). DOI: https://doi.org/10.35940/ijitee.b7746.129219
  • Bhuvana, Dr. M., & Vasantha, Dr. S. (2019). An Outlook of Financial Inclusion with Mediating Effect of Direct Benefit Transfer in LPG Subsidy towards Actual Usage of Banking Technology. In International Journal of Engineering and Advanced Technology (Vol. 8, Issue 6s, pp. 804–811). DOI: https://doi.org/10.35940/ijeat.f1153.0886s19
  • Khilar, R. P., & Singh, Dr. S. (2019). Influence of Behavioural Biases on Investment Decision Making in Bhubaneswar Region. In International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE) (Vol. 8, Issue 3, pp. 8297–8301). DOI: https://doi.org/10.35940/ijrte.c6592.098319