The impact of ESG, intellectual capital, and leverage on company value
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24914/jeb.v29i1.16639Keywords:
ESG, company value, intellectual capital, leverageAbstract
This research aims to investigate how environmental, social, and governance (ESG) elements, financial leverage, and intellectual capital (IC) influence the value of companies recognized as ESG Leaders on the Indonesia Stock Exchange. This study adopts a quantitative methodology, analyzing ESG risk scores and secondary data from the annual reports of ESG Leaders listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange between 2018 and 2022, comprising 110 observations. Multiple regression analysis is used for analysis. The results reveal that ESG factors do not significantly affect company value, while IC has a positive and significant effect. Meanwhile, financial leverage does not demonstrate a significant influence. Furthermore, the control variable of firm age was found to have a positive and significant effect on company value, whereas firm size had a negative and significant effect on company value. These findings can contribute to shaping, refining, or challenging existing practices by offering insights into how ESG and IC data support decision-making processes, provided users clearly understand their information needs. The uniqueness of this study stems from its targeted examination of ESG Leaders on the Indonesia Stock Exchange and its incorporation of IC, evaluated across five dimensions: human capital, structural capital, capital employed, relational capital, and innovation capital.
Downloads
References
Aboud, A., & Diab, A. (2018). The impact of social, environmental and corporate governance disclosures on firm value: Evidence from Egypt. Journal of Accounting in Emerging Economies, 8(4), 442–458. https://doi.org/10.1108/JAEE-08-2017-0079
Akpinar, A. T., & Akdemir, A. (2010). Intellectual Capital. In Encyclopedia of Knowledge Management (Vol. 1, Issue December, pp. 452–461). https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-59904-931-1.ch043
Al-Slehat, Z. A. F. (2019). Impact of financial leverage, size and assets structure on firm value: Evidence from industrial sector, Jordan. International Business Research, 13(1), 109. https://doi.org/10.5539/ibr.v13n1p109
Albuquerque, R., Koskinen, Y., & Zhang, C. (2018). Corporate social responsibility and firm risk: Theory and empirical evidence. Management Science, 65(10), 4451–4469. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2018.3043
Aydoğmuş, M., Gülay, G., & Ergun, K. (2022). Impact of ESG performance on firm value and profitability. Borsa Istanbul Review, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bir.2022.11.006
Barney, J., Wright, M., & Ketchen, D. J. (2001). The resource-based view of the firm: Ten years after 1991. Journal of Management, 27, 625–641. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920630102700601
Bontis, N., Keow, W. C. C., & Richardson, S. (2000). Intellectual capital and business performance in Malaysian industries. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 1(1), 85–100. https://doi.org/10.1108/14691930010324188
Bosworth, D., & Rogers, M. (2001). Market value, R&D and intellectual property: An empirical analysis of large Australian firms. Economic Record, 77(239), 323–337. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-4932.t01-1-00026
Br Aritonang, A. M., Safrida, E., & Sibarani, J. L. (2025). Pengaruh leverage dan ukuran perusahaan terhadap nilai perusahaan dengan profitabilitas sebagai variabel moderasi: Studi pada perusahaan sektor industri di Bursa Efek Indonesia periode 2020–2023. Owner: Riset Jurnal Akuntansi, 9(4), 3299–3311. https://doi.org/10.33395/owner.v9i4.2806
Cameron, G. (1996). Innovation and economic growth (Issue 277).
Chandrarin, G. (2021). Metode Riset Akuntansi Pendekatan Kuantitatif (P. P. Lestari (ed.)). Penerbit Salemba Empat.
Chang, Y.-J., & Lee, B.-H. (2022). The impact of ESG Activities on firm value: Multi-level analysis of industrial characteristics. Sustainability, 14(21). https://doi.org/10.3390/su142114444
Chen, M.-C., Cheng, S.-J., & Y, H. (2005). An empirical investigation of the relationship between intellectual capital and firm’s market value and financial performance. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 5(2), 159–170. https://doi.org/10.1108/14691930510592771
Drempetic, S., Klein, C., & Zwergel, B. (2020). The influence of firm size on the ESG score: Corporate sustainability ratings under review. 167, 333–360. Journal of Business Ethics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-019-04164-1
Dsouza, S., Nasseredine, H., Abboud, E., Said, D. S., & Dzenopoljac, V. (2025). Comparative analysis of intellectual capital models: Enhancing financial performance and market value in S&P 500 firms. Social Sciences and Humanities Open, 12(November), 102179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2025.102179
Fatemi, A., Glaum, M., & Kaiser, S. (2017). ESG performance and firm value: The moderating role of disclosure. Global Finance Journal, 38, 45–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfj.2017.03.001
Febe, A., Firmansyah, D., Anny, Y., Kaderi, S., & Imani, L. (2025). Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) impact on corporate financial strategy of energy and utilities companies worldwide. Energy Strategy Reviews, 62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2025.101916
Firer, S., & Williams, S. M. (2003). Intellectual capital and traditional measures of corporate performance. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 4(3), 348–360. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1108/14691930310487806
Friede, G., Busch, T., & Bassen, A. (2015). ESG and financial performance: Aggregated evidence from more than 2000 empirical studies. Journal of Sustainable Finance & Investment, 5(4), 210–233. https://doi.org/10.1080/20430795.2015.1118917
Grasenick, K., & Low, J. (2004). Shaken, not stirred: Defining and connecting indicators for the measurement and valuation of intangibles. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 5(2), 268–281. https://doi.org/10.1108/14691930410533696
Grewal, J., Riedl, E. J., & Serafeim, G. (2018). Market reaction to mandatory nonfinancial disclosure. Management Science, 65(7), 3061–3084. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2657712
Gupta, K., Goel, S., & Bhatia, P. (2020). Intellectual capital and profitability: Evidence from Indian pharmaceutical sector. Vision: The Journal of Business Perspective, 24(2), 204–216. https://doi.org/10.1177/0972262920914108
Indonesia Stock Exchange. (2024). Panduan dan Metodologi Indeks IDX ESG Leaders. https://www.idx.co.id/media/zdebmnry/lampiran-panduan-metodologi-indeks-idxesgl-2-0.pdf
International Monetary Fund. (2023). Global Financial Stability Report 2023. https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/gfsr/2023/october/english/text.pdf
Ioannidis, F., Kosmidou, K., & Zopounidis, C. (2025). International review of financial analysis the effect of national culture and social capital on banking ESG performance: Evidence from Europe. International Review of Financial Analysis, 102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.irfa.2025.104084
Kalkan, A., Bozkurt, Ö. Ç., & Arman, M. (2014). The impacts of intellectual capital, innovation and organizational strategy on firm performance. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 150, 700–707. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.09.025
Kasmir. (2021). Analisis laporan keuangan (cetakan 13). PT. Raja Grafindo Persada.
Kostagiolas, P. (2012). Libraries in the knowledge economy: Introducing intellectual capital concepts. In Managing Intellectual Capital in Libraries (pp. 1–30). Elsevier. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-1-84334-678-4.50001-3
Krüger, P. (2015). Corporate goodness and shareholder wealth. Journal of Financial Economics, 115(2), 304–329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfineco.2014.09.008
Kusnandar, V. B. (2022). Sektor Industri Jadi Penopang Terbesar Ekonomi RI Kuartal II 2022. Databoks. https://databoks.katadata.co.id/ekonomi-makro/statistik/c7a651b0e718f5a/sektor-industri-jadi-penopang-terbesar-ekonomi-ri-kuartal-ii-2022
Lamba, A. B., & Atahau, A. D. R. (2022). Pengaruh leverage terhadap nilai perusahaan yang dimediasi profitabilitas. Reviu Akuntansi Dan Bisnis Indonesia, 6(1), 16–31. https://doi.org/10.18196/rabin.v6i1.12698
Lestari, E. P., Astuti, D., & Abdul Basir, M. (2020). The role of internal factors in determining the firm value in Indonesia. Accounting, 6(5), 665–670. https://doi.org/0.5267/j.ac.2020.6.018
Liu, X., & Zhang, C. (2016). Corporate governance, social responsibility information disclosure, and enterprise value in China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 142, 1075–1084. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.09.102
Martínez, J. B., Fernández, M. L., & Fernández, P. M. R. (2015). Corporate social responsibility: Evolution through institutional and stakeholder perspectives. European Journal of Management and Business Economics, 25(2016), 8–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redee.2015.11.002
Mavridis, D. G. (2004). The intellectual capital performance of the Japanese banking sector. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 5(3), 92–115. https://doi.org/10.1108/14691930410512941
Melinda, A., & Wardhani, R. (2020). the effect of environmental, social, governance, and controversies on firms’ value: Evidence from Asia. In W. A. Sergi & B. B. S. (Eds.), International Symposia in Economic Theory and Econometrics (pp. 147–173). Emerald Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1571-038620200000027011
MSCI. (2024). ESG and climate trends to watch for 2024. MSCI ESG Research. https://www.msci.com/discover-msci/events/sustainability-and-climate-trends-to-watch-for-2024
Nareswari, N., Tarczyńska-Łuniewska, M., & Hashfi, R. U. Al. (2023). Analysis of environmental, social, and governance performance in Indonesia: Role of ESG on corporate performance. Procedia Computer Science, 225, 1748–1756. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2023.10.164
Nazari, A. J., & Herremans, I. M. (2007). Extended VAIC model: Measuring intellectual capital components. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 8(4), 595–609. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1108/14691930710830774
Nguyen, V. C., Nguyen, T. N. L., Tran, T. T. P., & Nghiem, T. T. (2019). The impact of financial leverage on the profitability of real estate companies: A study from Vietnam stock exchange. Management Science Letters, 9, 2315–2326. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.msl.2019.7.023
Noghondari, A. T., & Noghondari, A. T. (2017). The mediation effect of financial leverage on the relationship between ownership concentration and financial corporate performance. Iranian Journal of Management Studies, 10(3), 697–714. https://doi.org/10.22059/ijms.2017.230026.672597
Nuryaman. (2015). The influence of intellectual capital on the firm’s value with the financial performance as intervening variable. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 211, 292–298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.11.037
OECD. (2023). Human Capital Outlook. In OECD Publishing. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/oecd-employment-outlook-2023_08785bba-en.html
OECD. (2024). Behind ESG Ratings. In OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1787/3f055f0c-en
OJK. (2023). Capital Market Fact Book 2023. Otoritas Jasa Keuangan.
Phusavat, K., Comepa, N., Sitko-Lutek, A., & Ooi, K. B. (2012). Intellectual capital: National implications for industrial competitiveness. Industrial Management and Data Systems, 112(6), 866–890. https://doi.org/10.1108/02635571211238491
Piri, M., Jasemi, M., & Abdi, M. (2013). Intellectual capital and knowledge management in the Iranian space industries. Vine: Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems, 43(3), 341–356. https://doi.org/10.1108/VINE-08-2012-0036
Pulic, A. (2000). VAICTM – An accounting tool for intellectual capital management. International Journal Technology Management, 20(5/6/7/8), 702–714. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1504/IJTM.2000.002891
Rajagukguk, W. (2015). Inovasi, modal manusia, dan ekonomi kreatif: Determinan kebangkitan ekonomi Studi kasus negara berkembang. 4th Economics & Business Research Festival Business Dynamics Toward Competitive Economic Region of ASEAN, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.24698.80324
Rejeki, H. T., & Haryono, S. (2021). Pengaruh leverage dan ukuran perusahaan terhadap nilai perusahaan di Indonesia. Invoice: Jurnal Ilmu Akuntansi, 3(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.26618/inv.v3i1.4969
Ruan, L., & Liu, H. (2021). Environmental, social, governance activities and firm performance: Evidence from China. Sustainability, 13(2), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13020767
Salvi, A., Vitolla, F., Giakoumelou, A., Raimo, N., & Rubino, M. (2020). Intellectual capital disclosure in integrated reports: The effect on firm value. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120228
Shara, Y., Kholis, A., & Ikhsan, A. (2024). Pengaruh intellectual capital terhadap kinerja keuangan pada Bank Syariah di Malaysia tahun 2019-2022. Owner: Riset & Jurnal Akuntansi, 8(2), 1722–1731. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.33395/owner.v8i2.2281
Stewart, T. (1997). Intellectual capital: The new wealth of organizations. In Doubleday. Doubleday.
Sumedrea, S. (2013). Intellectual capital and firm performance: A dynamic relationship in crisis time. Procedia Economics and Finance, 6(13), 137–144. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2212-5671(13)00125-1
Susesti, D. A., & Wahyuningtyas, E. T. (2022). Pengaruh profitabilitas, leverage, dan ukuran perusahaan terhadap nilai perusahaan (Studi empiris pada perusahaan LQ45 pada Bursa Efek Indonesia Periode 2018-2020). Accounting and Management Journal, 6(1), 36–49. https://doi.org/10.33086/amj.v6i1.2821
Sveiby, K. (2001). A knowledge-based theory of the firm to guide in strategy formulation. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 2(4), 344–358. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14691930110409651
Tan, H. P., Plowman, D., & Hancock, P. (2007). Intellectual capital and financial returns of companies. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 8(1), 76–95. https://doi.org/10.1108/14691930710715079
Tarjo, T., Anggono, A., Yuliana, R., Prasetyono, P., Syarif, M., Alkirom Wildan, M., & Syam Kusufi, M. (2022). Corporate social responsibility, financial fraud, and firm’s value in Indonesia and Malaysia. Heliyon, 8(12). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11907
Triyani, A., Setyahuni, S. W., & Kiryanto, K. (2020). The Effect Of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Disclosure on firm performance: The role of Ceo Tenure. Jurnal Reviu Akuntansi Dan Keuangan, 10(2), 261. https://doi.org/10.22219/jrak.v10i2.11820
UN PRI. (2024). PRI Market Review 2024. Principles for Responsible Investment. https://public.unpri.org/annual-report-2024/12581.article
Wang, Z., Wang, N., & Liang, H. (2014). Knowledge sharing, intellectual capital and firm performance. Management Decision, 52(2), 230–258. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-02-2013-0064
Williamson, O. E. (1967). Hierarchical Control and Optimum Firm Size. The Journal of Political Economy, 75(2). 123–138. https://doi.org/10.1086/259258
Wu, S., Li, X., Du, X., & Li, Z. (2022). The impact of ESG performance on firm value: The moderating role of ownership structure. Sustainability, 14(21). https://doi.org/10.3390/su142114507
Yoon, B., & Chung, Y. (2018). The effects of corporate social responsibility on firm performance : A stakeholder approach. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 37, 89–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2018.10.005
Zéghal, D., & Maaloul, A. (2010). Analysing value added as an indicator of intellectual capital and its consequences on company performance. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 11(1), 39–60. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1108/14691931011013325
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Jurnal Ekonomi dan Bisnis

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Jurnal Ekonomi dan Bisnis is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License














