When bigger is not always better: exploring the size-dependent nature of the sustainability reporting-firm valuation relationship

Purpose This study aims to understand the relationship between a company’s sustainability (ESG) disclosures and its valuation. In addition, it also seeks to analyse the moderating effect of firm size on the association between ESG disclosures and firm valuation. Design/methodology/approach The NIFTY 200 index comprising India’s top 200 companies by market capitalisation from different industrial sectors was chosen for this study. The sample period was from 2017 to 2022. The fixed effect regression analysis was conducted on the panel data for analysis purposes. Findings A positive influence of ESG disclosures on firm value was observed, primarily owing to the environmental and social disclosures. Interestingly, the moderating impact of firm size on the linkage between ESG disclosures and firm value was found to be negative. Originality/value Most extant literature show a positive association between ESG disclosures and firm valuation, which was also observed in our study. However, the study results indicate that larger firms are less likely to benefit from the ESG – firm valuation relationship rather than small firms. This could have key policy-level implications for smaller firms from emerging nations that usually refrain from sustainability disclosures.