Characteristics of the Audit Committee and the Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) Performance in Indonesian Companies

Abstract

This study intends to experimentally demonstrate the impact of audit committee features on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance in companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange. The study specifically looks at how the number, tenure, independence, expertise, and frequency of audit committee meetings can impact ESG performance. A sample of the companies comprised in the Bloomberg database was used to gather information on the audit committee’s composition and ESG performance. With a total of 288 observations covering the years 2018 to 2021, the sample consists of 72 firms. According to the study’s conclusions, the size of audit committees and their level expertise have a positive impact on ESG performance. However, the length of the audit committee’s term, independence, and the frequency of audit committee meetings do not significantly impact ESG performance. These findings highlight the critical oversight functions that audit committees perform in maintaining a company’s commitment to all stakeholders and show that businesses typically follow social norms and international standards.


Keywords: audit committee characteristics, ESG performance, corporate governance

References
[1] Abbott LJ, Parker S, Peters GF. Audit committee characteristics and restatements. Auditing. 2004;23(1):69–87.

[2] Adams CA, Abhayawansa S. Critical Perspectives on Accounting Connecting the COVID-19 pandemic, environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing and calls for ‘ harmonisation ’ of sustainability reporting. Crit Perspect Account. 2022;82:102309.

[3] Al Amosh H, Khatib SF. ESG performance in the time of COVID-19 pandemic: Crosscountry evidence. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2023;30(14):39978–93.

[4] Appuhami R, Tashakor S. The impact of audit committee characteristics on CSR disclosure: An dnalysis of Australian firms. Aust Account Rev. 2017;27(4):400–20.

[5] Arif M, Sajjad A, Farooq S, Abrar M, Joyo AS. The impact of audit committee attributes on the quality and quantity of environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosures. Corp Gov (Bradford). 2020;21(3):497–514.

[6] Bansal P. Evolving sustainably: A longitudinal study of corporate sustainable development. Strateg Manage J. 2005;26(3):197–218.

[7] Bravo F, Reguera-Alvarado N. Sustainable development disclosure: Environmental, social, and governance reporting and gender diversity in the audit committee. Bus Strategy Environ. 2019;28(2):418–29.

[8] Buallay A, Al-Ajmi J. The role of audit committee attributes in corporate sustainability reporting: Evidence from banks in the Gulf Cooperation Council. Journal of Applied Accounting Research. 2020;21(2):249–64.

[9] Compact TG. (2004). Who cares wins: connecting financial markets to a changing world. In United Stated.

[10] Delgado-Ceballos J, Ortiz-De-Mandojana N, Antolín-López R, Montiel I. Connecting the Sustainable Development Goals to firm-level sustainability and ESG factors: The need for double materiality. BRQ Business Research Quarterly; 2022. https://doi.org/10.1177/23409444221140919.

[11] Fatemi A, Glaum M, Kaiser S. ESG performance and firm value: The moderating role of disclosure. Glob Finance J. 2018;38:45–64.

[12] Ghozali I, Ratmono D. (2017). Analisis Multivariat Dan Ekonometrika (Teori, Konsep, dan Aplikasi dengan Eviews 10). In Edisi 2 (2nd ed.). Badan Penerbit Universitas Diponegoro.

[13] Gladwin TN, Krause TS, Kennelly JJ. Beyond eco-efficiency: Towards socially sustainable business. Sustain Dev (Bradford). 1995;3(1):35–43.

[14] Jensen MC, Meckling WH. Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure. J Financ Econ. 1976;3(4):305–60.

[15] Josua R, Septiani A. Analisis Pengaruh Karakteristik Komite Audit Terhadap Pengungkapan Laporan Keberlanjutan (Studi Empiris pada Perusahaan yang Terdaftar pada BEI Tahun 2015- 2018). Diponegoro Journal of Accounting. 2020;9(3):1–9.

[16] Khalid F, Razzaq A, Ming J, Razi U. Firm characteristics, governance mechanisms, and ESG disclosure: How caring about sustainable concerns? Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2022;29(54):82064–77.

[17] Klassen RD, McLaughlin CP. The impact of environmental management on firm performance. Manage Sci. 1996;42(8):1199–214.

[18] MacNeil I, Esser I. marié. (2022). From a financial to an entity model of ESG. In European Business Organization Law Review (Vol. 23, Issue 1). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40804-021-00234-y.

[19] Marnilin F, Mulyadi JM, Darmansyah. Analisis Determinan Terhadap Persistensi Laba Pada Perusahaan Jasa Di Bei. Media Riset Akuntansi. Auditing & Informasi. 2017;15(1):89–102.

[20] Mohammadi S, Saeidi H, Naghshbandi N. The impact of board and audit committee characteristics on corporate social responsibility: Evidence from the Iranian stock exchange. Int J Prod Perform Manag. 2021;70(8):2207–36.

[21] Pozzoli M, Pagani A, Paolone F. The impact of audit committee characteristics on ESG performance in the European Union member states: Empirical evidence before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Clean Prod. 2022;371(August):133411.