Main Article Content
Abstract
Purpose: This study explores the role of corporate governance in shaping financing project decisions and executive compensation policies by examining the interconnections among governance mechanisms, financial decision-making, and incentive structures. The research also highlights the significance of transparency, accountability, and sustainability as drivers of organizational resilience and stakeholder trust.
Research Method: A systematic literature review (SLR) approach was employed to synthesize findings from recent studies on governance frameworks, financing strategies, and executive compensation. Relevant academic articles from leading journals were selected using specific inclusion criteria, with emphasis on empirical evidence and conceptual advances published after 2018. The review process involved thematic analysis to identify patterns and draw insights across governance configurations in various sectors and regions.
Results and Discussion: The findings reveal that independent board structures and risk committees enhance financial decision-making by promoting accountability and risk mitigation. Incorporating ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) indicators into executive compensation strengthens stakeholder confidence and fosters long-term sustainability. However, governance effectiveness varies depending on board composition, regulatory environments, and market dynamics. The discussion emphasizes the need for an integrated approach that balances financial performance, risk management, and sustainability objectives.
Implications: The study offers practical recommendations to strengthen governance practices, including enhancing the roles of audit and risk committees, improving transparency in financial reporting, and integrating ESG metrics into executive compensation policies. The findings underscore the importance of adaptive governance models that respond to regulatory changes and market demands. Future research should consider comparative and longitudinal analyses to further validate governance frameworks across diverse organizational contexts.
Keywords
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References
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- Akuffo, J. A. (2020). A Review of Corporate Governance and Accountability Mechanisms in UK Financial Institutions—What Is Working and What Is Not? BT - Corporate Governance and Accountability of Financial Institutions: The Power and Illusion of Quality Corporate Disclosure (J. A. Akuffo (ed.); pp. 197–222). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64046-0_7
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- Alodat, A. Y., Salleh, Z., Hashim, H. A., & Sulong, F. (2022). Corporate governance and firm performance: empirical evidence from Jordan. Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting, 20(5), 866–896. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFRA-12-2020-0361
- Alzeban, A. (2020). The impact of audit committee, CEO, and external auditor quality on the quality of financial reporting. Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society, 20(2), 263–279. https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-07-2019-0204
- Behrmann, V., Hornuf, L., Vrankar, D., & Zimmermann, J. (2021). The Deregulation of Quarterly Reporting and Its Effects on Information Asymmetry and Firm Value. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3943027
- Bui, H., & Krajcsák, Z. (2024). The impacts of corporate governance on firms’ performance: from theories and approaches to empirical findings. Journal of Financial Regulation and Compliance, 32(1), 18–46. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFRC-01-2023-0012
- Carrothers, A. G. (2019). The impact of public scrutiny on executive compensation. Journal of Financial Regulation and Compliance, 27(3), 303–323. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFRC-07-2017-0060
- Cohen, S., Kadach, I., Ormazabal, G., & Reichelstein, S. (2023). Executive compensation tied to ESG performance: International evidence. Journal of Accounting Research, 61(3), 805–853. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-679X.12481
- Dewi, M. S. (2023). Integrating Corporate Governance Practices into New Financing Projects and Executive Pay Structures. Advances in Management & Financial Reporting, 1(3 SE-Articles), 145–156. https://doi.org/10.60079/amfr.v1i3.237
- Dongol, P., & Shrestha, S. K. (2024). Exploring the role of corporate governance in driving financial performance: An empirical investigation of Nepalese commercial banks. Investment Management & Financial Innovations, 21(1), 373. https://doi.org/10.21511/imfi.21(1).2024.28
- Eisenhardt, K. M. (1989). Agency theory: An assessment and review. Academy of Management Review, 14(1), 57–74. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1989.4279003
- Elhabib, M. A. A. (2024). Corporate governance and capital market development in the GCC: a comparative literature review. Journal of Capital Markets Studies, 8(2), 255–274. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCMS-06-2024-0027
- Habib, A. M., & Mourad, N. (2024). The Influence of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Practices on US Firms’ Performance: Evidence from the Coronavirus Crisis. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 15(1), 2549–2570. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-023-01278-w
- Hong, B., Li, Z., & Minor, D. (2016). Corporate Governance and Executive Compensation for Corporate Social Responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, 136(1), 199–213. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2962-0
- Jensen, M. C., & Meckling, W. H. (1979). Theory of the Firm: Managerial Behavior, Agency Costs, and Ownership Structure BT - Economics Social Institutions: Insights from the Conferences on Analysis & Ideology (K. Brunner (ed.); pp. 163–231). Springer Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-9257-3_8
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- Manginte, S. Y. (2024). Fortifying Transparency: Enhancing Corporate Governance through Robust Internal Control Mechanisms. Advances in Management & Financial Reporting, 2(2 SE-Articles), 72–84. https://doi.org/10.60079/amfr.v2i2.173
- Mensah, L., Arhinful, R., & Bein, M. A. (2024). The Impact of Corporate Governance on Financial Decision-making: Evidence from Non-financial Institutions in the Australian Stock Exchange. Asian Academy of Management Journal of Accounting and Finance, 20(1), 41–95. https://doi.org/10.21315/aamjaf2024.20.1.2
- Merendino, A., & Melville, R. (2019). The board of directors and firm performance: empirical evidence from listed companies. Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society, 19(3), 508–551. https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-06-2018-0211
- Mumu, J. R., Saona, P., Russell, H. I., & Azad, M. A. K. (2021). Corporate governance and remuneration: a bibliometric analysis. Journal of Asian Business and Economic Studies, 28(4), 242–262. https://doi.org/10.1108/JABES-03-2021-0025
- Musallam, S. R. M. (2018). The direct and indirect effect of the existence of risk management on the relationship between audit committee and corporate social responsibility disclosure. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 25(9), 4125–4138. https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-03-2018-0050
- Needles, B. E., Powers, M., & Frigo, M. L. (2008). Performance measurement and executive compensation: Practices of high-performance companies. In M. J. Epstein & J.-F. Manzoni (Eds.), Performance Measurement and Management Control: Measuring and Rewarding Performance (Vol. 18, pp. 303–322). Emerald Group Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1479-3512(08)18013-3
- Nienhaus, M. (2022). Executive equity incentives and opportunistic manager behavior: new evidence from a quasi-natural experiment. Review of Accounting Studies, 27(4), 1276–1318. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11142-021-09633-5
- Principale, S. (2023). Corporate Governance and Strategic Management BT - Fostering Sustainability in Corporate Governance : Analysis of the EU Sustainable Corporate Governance and Due Diligence Directives (S. Principale (ed.); pp. 1–17). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-30354-8_1
- Quang Trinh, V. (2022). Theories in Corporate Governance BT - Fundamentals of Board Busyness and Corporate Governance (V. Quang Trinh (ed.); pp. 1–17). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-89228-9_1
- Reid, A., Ringel, E., & Pendleton, S. M. (2024). Transparency reports as CSR reports: motives, stakeholders, and strategies. Social Responsibility Journal, 20(1), 81–107. https://doi.org/10.1108/SRJ-03-2023-0134
- Salehi, M., Ammar Ajel, R., & Zimon, G. (2023). The relationship between corporate governance and financial reporting transparency. Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting, 21(5), 1049–1072. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFRA-04-2021-0102
- Salehi, M., & Shirazi, M. (2016). Audit committee impact on the quality of financial reporting and disclosure. Management Research Review, 39(12), 1639–1662. https://doi.org/10.1108/MRR-09-2015-0198
- Sarhan, A. A., & Al‐Najjar, B. (2023). The influence of corporate governance and shareholding structure on corporate social responsibility: The key role of executive compensation. International Journal of Finance & Economics, 28(4), 4532–4556. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijfe.2663
- Shabbir, M. F., Hanaysha, J. R., Oon, E. Y. N., Asif, M., & Aslam, H. D. (2024). Aligning CEO compensation with sustainability performance: the role of CEO duality, board size, and compensation committees. Discover Sustainability, 5(1), 447. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-024-00491-0
- Shan, X., Song, Y., & Song, P. (2024). How ESG performance impacts corporate financial performance: a DuPont analysis approach. International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print). https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCCSM-07-2024-0125
- Sunny, S. A., & Hoque, M. (2025). The impact of board characteristics on financial performance in an emerging economy: the moderating role of nomination and remuneration committee. European Journal of Management and Business Economics, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print). https://doi.org/10.1108/EJMBE-06-2024-0195
- Tewari, S., & Bhattacharya, B. (2023). Financial resources, corporate social responsibility, and ownership type: Evidence from India. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 40(3), 1093–1132. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10490-022-09810-3
- Torres, P. (2024). Configurations of corporate governance mechanisms and sustainable development. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.2729
- Umar, U. H., Abduh, M., & Besar, M. H. A. (2023). Standalone risk management committee, risk governance diversity and Islamic bank risk-taking. Risk Management, 25(3), 17. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41283-023-00123-3
- Urcan, O., & Yoon, H. (2024). Properties of accounting performance measures used in compensation contracts. Review of Accounting Studies, 29(4), 3679–3712. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11142-023-09806-4
- Wirawan, P. (2023). Leveraging Predictive Analytics in Financing Decision-Making for Comparative Analysis and Optimization. Advances in Management & Financial Reporting, 1(3 SE-Articles), 157–169. https://doi.org/10.60079/amfr.v1i3.209
- Xi, W. (2024). Regulatory Changes and Compliance Challenges. In M. Ali, L. Choi-Meng, C.-H. Puah, S. A. Raza, & P. Sivanandan (Eds.), Strategic Financial Management (pp. 119–134). Emerald Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83608-106-720241008
- Yitshaki, R., Gimmon, E., & Khavul, S. (2021). Enterprise survival in the high-tech community: persuasion and power in board decisions. Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, 15(4), 567–587. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEC-08-2020-0152
- Younas, Z. I., Klein, C., Trabert, T., & Zwergel, B. (2019). Board composition and corporate risk-taking: a review of listed firms from Germany and the USA. Journal of Applied Accounting Research, 20(4), 526–542. https://doi.org/10.1108/JAAR-01-2018-0014
- Zhu, C., Liu, X., Chen, D., & Yue, Y. (2024). Executive Compensation and Corporate Sustainability: Evidence from ESG Ratings. Heliyon. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32943
References
Affes, W., & Jarboui, A. (2023). The impact of corporate governance on financial performance: a cross-sector study. International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, 20(4), 374–394. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41310-023-00182-8
Akuffo, J. A. (2020). A Review of Corporate Governance and Accountability Mechanisms in UK Financial Institutions—What Is Working and What Is Not? BT - Corporate Governance and Accountability of Financial Institutions: The Power and Illusion of Quality Corporate Disclosure (J. A. Akuffo (ed.); pp. 197–222). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64046-0_7
Ali, A., Ma, L., Shahzad, M., Musonda, J., & Hussain, S. (2024). How various stakeholder pressure influences mega-project sustainable performance through corporate social responsibility and green competitive advantage. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 31(60), 67244–67258. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-29717-w
Alodat, A. Y., Salleh, Z., Hashim, H. A., & Sulong, F. (2022). Corporate governance and firm performance: empirical evidence from Jordan. Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting, 20(5), 866–896. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFRA-12-2020-0361
Alzeban, A. (2020). The impact of audit committee, CEO, and external auditor quality on the quality of financial reporting. Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society, 20(2), 263–279. https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-07-2019-0204
Behrmann, V., Hornuf, L., Vrankar, D., & Zimmermann, J. (2021). The Deregulation of Quarterly Reporting and Its Effects on Information Asymmetry and Firm Value. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3943027
Bui, H., & Krajcsák, Z. (2024). The impacts of corporate governance on firms’ performance: from theories and approaches to empirical findings. Journal of Financial Regulation and Compliance, 32(1), 18–46. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFRC-01-2023-0012
Carrothers, A. G. (2019). The impact of public scrutiny on executive compensation. Journal of Financial Regulation and Compliance, 27(3), 303–323. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFRC-07-2017-0060
Cohen, S., Kadach, I., Ormazabal, G., & Reichelstein, S. (2023). Executive compensation tied to ESG performance: International evidence. Journal of Accounting Research, 61(3), 805–853. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-679X.12481
Dewi, M. S. (2023). Integrating Corporate Governance Practices into New Financing Projects and Executive Pay Structures. Advances in Management & Financial Reporting, 1(3 SE-Articles), 145–156. https://doi.org/10.60079/amfr.v1i3.237
Dongol, P., & Shrestha, S. K. (2024). Exploring the role of corporate governance in driving financial performance: An empirical investigation of Nepalese commercial banks. Investment Management & Financial Innovations, 21(1), 373. https://doi.org/10.21511/imfi.21(1).2024.28
Eisenhardt, K. M. (1989). Agency theory: An assessment and review. Academy of Management Review, 14(1), 57–74. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1989.4279003
Elhabib, M. A. A. (2024). Corporate governance and capital market development in the GCC: a comparative literature review. Journal of Capital Markets Studies, 8(2), 255–274. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCMS-06-2024-0027
Habib, A. M., & Mourad, N. (2024). The Influence of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Practices on US Firms’ Performance: Evidence from the Coronavirus Crisis. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 15(1), 2549–2570. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-023-01278-w
Hong, B., Li, Z., & Minor, D. (2016). Corporate Governance and Executive Compensation for Corporate Social Responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, 136(1), 199–213. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2962-0
Jensen, M. C., & Meckling, W. H. (1979). Theory of the Firm: Managerial Behavior, Agency Costs, and Ownership Structure BT - Economics Social Institutions: Insights from the Conferences on Analysis & Ideology (K. Brunner (ed.); pp. 163–231). Springer Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-9257-3_8
Le, T. D., & Ngo, J. T. D. (2024). Linking executive pay to ESG goals: the role of board gender diversity. International Journal of Managerial Finance, 20(5), 1342–1367. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMF-10-2023-0546
Lee, J., Koh, K. (Rachel), & Shim, E. D. (2024). Managerial incentives for ESG in the financial services industry: direct and indirect association between ESG and executive compensation. Managerial Finance, 50(1), 10–27. https://doi.org/10.1108/MF-03-2023-0149
Maas, K. (2018). Do Corporate Social Performance Targets in Executive Compensation Contribute to Corporate Social Performance? Journal of Business Ethics, 148(3), 573–585. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2975-8
Manginte, S. Y. (2024). Fortifying Transparency: Enhancing Corporate Governance through Robust Internal Control Mechanisms. Advances in Management & Financial Reporting, 2(2 SE-Articles), 72–84. https://doi.org/10.60079/amfr.v2i2.173
Mensah, L., Arhinful, R., & Bein, M. A. (2024). The Impact of Corporate Governance on Financial Decision-making: Evidence from Non-financial Institutions in the Australian Stock Exchange. Asian Academy of Management Journal of Accounting and Finance, 20(1), 41–95. https://doi.org/10.21315/aamjaf2024.20.1.2
Merendino, A., & Melville, R. (2019). The board of directors and firm performance: empirical evidence from listed companies. Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society, 19(3), 508–551. https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-06-2018-0211
Mumu, J. R., Saona, P., Russell, H. I., & Azad, M. A. K. (2021). Corporate governance and remuneration: a bibliometric analysis. Journal of Asian Business and Economic Studies, 28(4), 242–262. https://doi.org/10.1108/JABES-03-2021-0025
Musallam, S. R. M. (2018). The direct and indirect effect of the existence of risk management on the relationship between audit committee and corporate social responsibility disclosure. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 25(9), 4125–4138. https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-03-2018-0050
Needles, B. E., Powers, M., & Frigo, M. L. (2008). Performance measurement and executive compensation: Practices of high-performance companies. In M. J. Epstein & J.-F. Manzoni (Eds.), Performance Measurement and Management Control: Measuring and Rewarding Performance (Vol. 18, pp. 303–322). Emerald Group Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1479-3512(08)18013-3
Nienhaus, M. (2022). Executive equity incentives and opportunistic manager behavior: new evidence from a quasi-natural experiment. Review of Accounting Studies, 27(4), 1276–1318. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11142-021-09633-5
Principale, S. (2023). Corporate Governance and Strategic Management BT - Fostering Sustainability in Corporate Governance : Analysis of the EU Sustainable Corporate Governance and Due Diligence Directives (S. Principale (ed.); pp. 1–17). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-30354-8_1
Quang Trinh, V. (2022). Theories in Corporate Governance BT - Fundamentals of Board Busyness and Corporate Governance (V. Quang Trinh (ed.); pp. 1–17). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-89228-9_1
Reid, A., Ringel, E., & Pendleton, S. M. (2024). Transparency reports as CSR reports: motives, stakeholders, and strategies. Social Responsibility Journal, 20(1), 81–107. https://doi.org/10.1108/SRJ-03-2023-0134
Salehi, M., Ammar Ajel, R., & Zimon, G. (2023). The relationship between corporate governance and financial reporting transparency. Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting, 21(5), 1049–1072. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFRA-04-2021-0102
Salehi, M., & Shirazi, M. (2016). Audit committee impact on the quality of financial reporting and disclosure. Management Research Review, 39(12), 1639–1662. https://doi.org/10.1108/MRR-09-2015-0198
Sarhan, A. A., & Al‐Najjar, B. (2023). The influence of corporate governance and shareholding structure on corporate social responsibility: The key role of executive compensation. International Journal of Finance & Economics, 28(4), 4532–4556. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijfe.2663
Shabbir, M. F., Hanaysha, J. R., Oon, E. Y. N., Asif, M., & Aslam, H. D. (2024). Aligning CEO compensation with sustainability performance: the role of CEO duality, board size, and compensation committees. Discover Sustainability, 5(1), 447. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-024-00491-0
Shan, X., Song, Y., & Song, P. (2024). How ESG performance impacts corporate financial performance: a DuPont analysis approach. International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print). https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCCSM-07-2024-0125
Sunny, S. A., & Hoque, M. (2025). The impact of board characteristics on financial performance in an emerging economy: the moderating role of nomination and remuneration committee. European Journal of Management and Business Economics, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print). https://doi.org/10.1108/EJMBE-06-2024-0195
Tewari, S., & Bhattacharya, B. (2023). Financial resources, corporate social responsibility, and ownership type: Evidence from India. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 40(3), 1093–1132. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10490-022-09810-3
Torres, P. (2024). Configurations of corporate governance mechanisms and sustainable development. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.2729
Umar, U. H., Abduh, M., & Besar, M. H. A. (2023). Standalone risk management committee, risk governance diversity and Islamic bank risk-taking. Risk Management, 25(3), 17. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41283-023-00123-3
Urcan, O., & Yoon, H. (2024). Properties of accounting performance measures used in compensation contracts. Review of Accounting Studies, 29(4), 3679–3712. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11142-023-09806-4
Wirawan, P. (2023). Leveraging Predictive Analytics in Financing Decision-Making for Comparative Analysis and Optimization. Advances in Management & Financial Reporting, 1(3 SE-Articles), 157–169. https://doi.org/10.60079/amfr.v1i3.209
Xi, W. (2024). Regulatory Changes and Compliance Challenges. In M. Ali, L. Choi-Meng, C.-H. Puah, S. A. Raza, & P. Sivanandan (Eds.), Strategic Financial Management (pp. 119–134). Emerald Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83608-106-720241008
Yitshaki, R., Gimmon, E., & Khavul, S. (2021). Enterprise survival in the high-tech community: persuasion and power in board decisions. Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, 15(4), 567–587. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEC-08-2020-0152
Younas, Z. I., Klein, C., Trabert, T., & Zwergel, B. (2019). Board composition and corporate risk-taking: a review of listed firms from Germany and the USA. Journal of Applied Accounting Research, 20(4), 526–542. https://doi.org/10.1108/JAAR-01-2018-0014
Zhu, C., Liu, X., Chen, D., & Yue, Y. (2024). Executive Compensation and Corporate Sustainability: Evidence from ESG Ratings. Heliyon. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32943