Disclosing information on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) parameters is voluntary for most firms across the world. Companies disclose their performance on ESG datapoints due to two main reasons—(i) to gain the trust of stakeholders through increased transparency and (ii) to comply with regulations imposed by governments and investment houses. Using a dataset of companies disclosing ESG parameters during 2014–2021 from the S&P BSE 500 index, this study investigates the role of ESG disclosure on firm performance. We divide the constituent securities into three factors—size, value, and disclosure to study the premiums generated by firms on each factor using single-, double-, and triple-sorting approaches. We utilize time series regressions along with GRS tests to empirically test the presence of factor premiums. We find the significant role of factors size, value, disclosure, and a dummy variable for the COVID-19 pandemic period to explain the portfolio returns. The study found a negative ESG disclosure premium stating that firms with high levels of disclosure earn less returns compared with the firms with less disclosures. The findings of this study contrast with multiple studies in the past that have found a positive disclosure premium. Our findings help reconcile the mixed evidence on the disclosure–returns relationship.

An agency problem is defined as a conflict of interest arising due to a misalignment of interests among the managers and other stakeholders of the company. This article aims to review the articles addressing the agency problem and their impact on business performance. This article reviews the contributions of prominent theorists on agency problems and agency costs. Using bibliometric attributes of 740 articles from the Scopus database, this study highlights the publishing trend and outlets, along with leading contributors and collaborators in terms of authors, institutions, and countries. This study identifies the clusters through the bibliographic coupling technique and a trend topics analysis. Most researchers have focused on corporate governance and expressed the agency problem as one of the impact areas. This study is unique as no study to date specifically focuses solely on agency theory or the agency problem through the lens of bibliometric analysis. Future research directions on agency problems and their solutions conclude this study.

Purpose: This review study aims to explore the prevalent paradoxes in digital transformation (DTN) of business and provide insights on how businesses can effectively navigate them.Design/methodology/approach: The study conducts a systematic literature review, utilizing findings from a bibliometric analysis. A sample of 229 articles published in top-tier journals, retrieved from the Scopus database, is reviewed to identify nine clusters representing different sectors and paradoxes in DTN.Findings: The review identifies and summarizes studies addressing the paradoxes that arise during DTN in various sectors. Scholars have analyzed the growing need for digital innovations and the benefits they bring, but this study aggregates high-quality research to address the gap in understanding prevalent paradoxes.Originality/value: This study provides valuable insights into the paradoxes of DTN and offers guidance to businesses on effectively managing these challenges. It contributes to the existing literature by consolidating and presenting key research findings in this domain.

The purpose of this article is to examine the academic literature about the function, structure, calculation, and weaknesses of economic value added (EVA). EVA has been used as a measure of economic profit and captures the inadequacies of using traditional rates of return. In addition, this article tackles the main residual earnings (RI) modifications used to calculate EVA. A keyword search for publications was conducted in early 2022. This study couples an inferential analysis with descriptive analyses of the existing research. The articles were sorted into different clusters based on bibliographic coupling analysis. This study identifies the main areas and current dynamics of EVA research while evaluating the quality and impact of the scientific output. Three broad themes emerged from the analysis of the cluster related to the use and application of EVA: residual income and valuation, financial performance, and performance management. In doing so, we hope to enhance the understanding and contributions of EVA research to advance its theory and practice.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of goals designed to be a “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.” Despite being meticulous about achieving the SDGs, India’s overall SDG score is 61.9 out of 100. While multiple models and frameworks have been developed, a new concept that has gained currency is impact investing. Content analysis of academic journal articles was employed to analyze the terminology, definition, and similarities and differences in the use of the term impact investing. Impact investing helps to benefit society and the environment without the need to sacrifice financial returns. It attempts to address the global challenges of access to energy, potable water, basic hygiene, nutrition, health, and education by exploring innovative commercial solutions. The degree of sustainability achieved through impact investing depends upon the efficiency of the multidisciplinary team formed to conduct the due diligence to achieve the social and financial goals by paying equal attention to risk, value addition, impact, and investor expectations. This study builds a case for India, suggesting the execution strategy of impact investing as an answer to India’s sustainability conundrum.