Exploring the Attributes of Corporate Governance and Compliance with Corporate Laws to ESG Disclosure: Evidence from Construction & Engineering Sectors in India

The study aims to investigate the impact of board characteristics on environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure in the Construction & Engineering Sectors in India of emerging economies. The findings indicate that governance variables have varying degrees of influence on ESG performance and financial outcomes, with board size showing the strongest positive association with ESG, while CEO Board Member strongly correlates with financial performance. The regression model provides a moderately strong explanatory power for ESG scores, but the lower Adjusted R Square suggests that additional variables or a refined model may improve its predictive ability. Among the independent variables, only Board Size (BS) has a statistically significant positive impact on ESG scores. Other variables, including gender diversity, board meetings, CEO characteristics, and financial performance, do not show significant effects. The study recommends that increasing board size may enhance ESG performance, but further research or a larger sample may be needed to confirm the effects of other governance factors. The study concludes that the importance of board characteristics in influencing ESG performance, with board size emerging as the most significant factor. Other governance variables, including gender diversity, CEO leadership roles, and board meetings, do not show a strong statistical impact on ESG.