Journals / Iğdır Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi / 2026 / Sayı: 14

An Examination of ESG Performance Across Dimensions, Subthemes, and Firm Characteristics: Evidence from the BIST Sustainability Index

ESG Performansının Boyut, Alt Tema ve Firma Özellikleri Açısından İncelenmesi: BIST Sürdürülebilirlik Endeksinden Bulgular

Nurettin Özdemir(BOZOK ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0001-6101-3030
Pages
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Publication Date
2026-10-30
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

A sensitivity analysis based on equally weighted theme scores preserves the firm-size and multivariate sector patterns, but not the association between the assurance-provider block and S.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:This study examines how the environmental (E), social (S), governance (G), and composite ESG scores of firms in the Borsa Istanbul Sustainability Index are associated with sector, firm size, and sustainability assurance provider.
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Key Findings & Data:The sample comprises 95 firms included in the index for 1 July-30 September 2026 with LSEG scores for 2025.
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Conclusion & Impact:A sensitivity analysis based on equally weighted theme scores preserves the firm-size and multivariate sector patterns, but not the association between the assurance-provider block and S.
🔬Design:Modeling & Simulation
📍Scope:2026 · 2025 sample
⚙️Variables:ESG performansı · sürdürülebilirlik raporlaması · sektörel farklılaşma

Abstract

This study examines how the environmental (E), social (S), governance (G), and composite ESG scores of firms in the Borsa Istanbul Sustainability Index are associated with sector, firm size, and sustainability assurance provider. The sample comprises 95 firms included in the index for 1 July-30 September 2026 with LSEG scores for 2025. Kruskal-Wallis, Friedman, Wilcoxon, and Spearman tests are used for analyses at the dimension and twelve-subtheme levels. In addition, four linear regression models for E, S, G, and ESG are estimated with HC3 robust standard errors, jointly including firm size, sector, and assurance-provider indicators. In unadjusted sector comparisons, only the composite ESG score differs significantly. In the multivariate models, however, the sector indicators are jointly associated with E, S, and ESG, but not with G. Firm size is positively associated with all four scores. Assurance-provider indicators are jointly significant only in the S model, although this result is sensitive to influential observations. In the 2025 sample, G scores are lower than E and S scores. The findings show the value of examining composite and disaggregated scores together and of evaluating sector, firm size, and assurance provider in the same model. Given the cross-sectional design, the results are interpreted as statistical associations rather than causal effects. A sensitivity analysis based on equally weighted theme scores preserves the firm-size and multivariate sector patterns, but not the association between the assurance-provider block and S.

Özet

Bu çalışma, Borsa İstanbul Sürdürülebilirlik Endeksinde yer alan firmaların çevresel (E), sosyal (S), yönetişim (G) ve bileşik ESG puanlarının sektör, firma büyüklüğü ve sürdürülebilirlik güvence sağlayıcısıyla ilişkisini incelemektedir. Örneklem, endeksin 1 Temmuz-30 Eylül 2026 döneminde yer alan ve 2025 yılı için LSEG puanı bulunan 95 firmadan oluşmaktadır. Boyut ve 12 alt tema düzeyindeki çözümlemelerde Kruskal-Wallis, Friedman, Wilcoxon ve Spearman testleri kullanılmıştır. Ayrıca E, S, G ve ESG puanları için firma büyüklüğü, sektör ve güvence sağlayıcısını eş zamanlı içeren dört doğrusal regresyon modeli HC3 dirençli standart hatalarla tahmin edilmiştir. Düzeltilmemiş sektör karşılaştırmalarında yalnızca bileşik ESG puanı anlamlı biçimde farklılaşırken çok değişkenli modellerde sektör göstergeleri E, S ve ESG puanlarıyla birlikte ilişkili bulunmuş, G puanı için anlamlı bir ortak ilişki saptanmamıştır. Firma büyüklüğü dört modelde de pozitif ilişki göstermiştir. Güvence sağlayıcısı göstergeleri yalnızca S modeli için ortaklaşa anlamlı bulunmuş ancak bu bulgunun etkili gözlemlere duyarlı olduğu görülmüştür. 2025 yılı örnekleminde G puanı E ve S puanlarından daha düşük gözlenmiştir. Bulgular, bileşik ve ayrıştırılmış puanların birlikte incelenmesinin yanı sıra sektör, büyüklük ve güvence sağlayıcısının aynı modelde değerlendirilmesinin önemine işaret etmektedir. Kesitsel tasarım nedeniyle sonuçlar nedensel etki olarak değil gözlenen istatistiksel ilişkiler olarak yorumlanmalıdır. Eşit ağırlıklı puanlarla yapılan duyarlılık analizinde firma büyüklüğü ve çok değişkenli sektör örüntüsü korunmuş olup güvence sağlayıcısına ilişkin S bulgusu korunmamıştır.

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Cite This Article

Özdemir, N. (2026). An Examination of ESG Performance Across Dimensions, Subthemes, and Firm Characteristics: Evidence from the BIST Sustainability Index. Iğdır Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, Sayı: 14. https://doi.org/10.58618/igdiriibf.2012657

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