ISSN: 2222-6990
Open access
This study utilizes data from the Guotai Junan database. It applies the upper echelons and social identity theories to examine the impact of executive characteristics on corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance. The study finds that a larger executive team size significantly improves corporate ESG performance by enhancing resource integration, coordination, and strategy implementation. Older executives positively influence ESG performance through greater experience and long-term strategic insights. However, the average educational level of executives shows no significant impact, and a higher proportion of female executives appears to suppress ESG performance. Executive team size, age, and gender ratio also significantly affect corporate green innovation. Larger teams negatively impact green innovation, while older executives have a positive influence. However, a higher proportion of female executives seems to suppress green innovation. Finally, the scale has a significant positive effect on the dependent variable in state-owned enterprises, while this effect is not substantial in private enterprises. In private enterprises, the average age of the management team positively influences the dependent variable, but this is not the case in state-owned enterprises. The average education level has no significant impact on either type of enterprise, or the gender ratio negatively affects the dependent variable only in private enterprises.
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