Table 2.

Explanation of the variables

VariablesTypeDescription
EVAFinancial performance related variablesNOPAT – (WACC* Invested capital)
Tobin’s QTotal Market value of firm/ Total Asset value of firm
ESG scoreSustainability related variablesESG performance score on firm’s environmental. social and governance activities
Beta (systematic risk)Firm-specific control variableBeta factor firm’s systematic risk
Firm leverageTotal debt/equity in ratio represents firm’s leverage (unsystematic) risk
Firm’s sizeNatural logarithm of total assets
Institutional Quality
(IQ)_Overall
IQ specific variableAverage value of three chosen IQ indicators
Political stabilityLikelihood of political instability and/or politically motivated violence. including terrorism
Rule of LawExtent to which agents have confidence in and abide by society’s rules. especially the quality of contract enforcement. property rights. the police. the courts. and the likelihood of crime and violence
Control of corruptionImplies a reduction in the use of public resources for private gain
Economic growthMacroeconomic specific control variableRate of change of real GDP
GDP per capitaGross domestic product divided by
midyear population (in Euro)
InflationPercent change in the Consumer Price Index
***IQ overall*Economic
Growth
Interactional variable**Moderating between IQ and Economic growth

Notes:

**Moderator is the interaction of the variable’s standardized values; NOPAT = Net operating profit after taxes; *WACC = Weighted average cost of capital; GDP = Gross domestic product

Source: Authors’ own creation

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