Greenwashing strategy in ESG disclosure: The mediating role of information quality in creating shared value

Type of the article: Research Article AbstractThis study investigates the impact of greenwashing in ESG disclosure on firms’ ability to create shared value (CSV) by focusing on the mediating roles of disclosure quality and information asymmetry across different institutional contexts. The analysis is based on 391 firm-year observations of non-financial companies listed in Indonesia (277) and Malaysia (114) from 2018 to 2023, based on annual reports, sustainability disclosures, and Refinitiv ESG data. Random-effects panel regressions and bootstrapped mediation tests were used to evaluate direct and indirect effects. The results showed that greenwashing does not exert a significant direct influence on CSV in either country. However, in Malaysia, greenwashing significantly reduces information quality, which, in turn, undermines shared-value creation (indirect effect is significant). In Indonesia, although greenwashing negatively affects information quality, the subsequent link between disclosure quality and CSV is insignificant, resulting in no mediation effect. ESG disclosure quality, as a proxy for information asymmetry, does not mediate the greenwashing–CSV relationship in either country. These findings highlight the cross-country differences shaped by institutional environments: stronger regulatory oversight and stakeholder scrutiny in Malaysia amplify the mediating role of disclosure credibility, whereas weaker governance in Indonesia attenuates its relevance. This study contributes to the sustainability accounting literature by integrating symbolic compliance theory with the CSV framework and provides evidence that the credibility of ESG information is a critical determinant of value creation in emerging economies. AcknowledgmentWe express our gratitude to the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Brawijaya, Indonesia, and the Faculty of Business and Economics, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia, for supporting this research collaboration.