Date of Award

2-26-2026

Thesis Type

Masters

Document Type

Dissertation

Divisions

Faculty of Business and Economics

Department

Department of Accounting

Institution

Universiti Malaya

Abstract

Against the backdrop of advancing global sustainable development, corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance has become a key indicator of firms’ long-term sustainability and value creation. As digital transformation accelerates, leveraging digital technologies to enhance ESG performance has become a critical issue for both academia and practice. Integrating Information Asymmetry Theory and Resource Dependence Theory, this study establishes an analytical framework and empirically examines the impact of digital technology adoption on corporate ESG performance. Using a sample of non-technology listed firms in Malaysia from 2018 to 2023, this research employs a fixed-effects model. The study also investigates the moderating roles played by board attributes (independence, size, and gender diversity) and top management team (TMT) attributes (size and gender diversity). The findings reveal that the application of digital technology significantly improves overall corporate ESG performance and its three individual dimensions. However, the results also indicate that giant board and TMT sizes can attenuate this positive effect. Specifically, board independence weakens the positive impact of digital technology on environmental performance but strengthens its effect on governance performance. Meanwhile, board gender diversity diminishes the positive influence of digital technology on social performance. Theoretically, this study extends research on the economic consequences of digital technology. By uncovering the moderating mechanisms of board and TMT characteristics, this study deepens understanding of the complex relationships among digital technology, corporate governance, and ESG performance. In practice, the conclusions provide a basis for firms to optimize their governance structures to enhance the effectiveness of their digital transformation. This research also offers policymakers in the ASEAN region insights for developing and refining ESG-oriented digital governance frameworks.

Initial

khm

Additional Information

Dissertation (M.A.) – Faculty of Business and Economics, Universiti Malaya, 2026.

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