CEO Career Horizon, Firm Age, and Market Value Growth: Determinants of Corporate Sustainability

ABSTRACT The aim of this investigation is to expand the understanding of the effect of chief executive officer (CEO) horizon on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices using an unbalanced panel data set of Saudi‐listed companies from 2016 to 2024. This study provides new evidence that CEOs' approach to retirement has a positive and significant impact on environmental, social, and governance practices. Two justifications support these findings: first, CEOs may seek to protect their legacy and reputation before leaving their position; second, the Saudi Capital Market Authority encourages listed companies to produce annual ESG reports by providing public guidelines for ESG. Additionally, our study finds that firm size and firm age are positively and significantly associated with environmental, governance, and social disclosures. It also reveals a significant positive relationship between firm growth and environmental and governance disclosures, while no significant association is found between firm growth and social disclosures. The results are robust to various tests and alternative explanations.