Iranian Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Finance

Iranian Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Finance

The Relationship Between Managerial Overconfidence and ESG: Emphasizing The Role of Environmental Costing

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Postgraduate Institute for Accounting and Financial Studies, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq
10.22067/ijaaf.2026.48300.1675
Abstract
This study aimed to examine the relationship between managerial overconfidence and ESG, emphasizing the moderating role of environmental costing in Iraqi firms and assessing whether environmental costing moderates the relationship between managerial overconfidence and ESG reporting among Iraqi companies. A multivariate regression model was employed to test the research hypotheses. The hypotheses were tested using panel data techniques with a fixed-effects model for firms listed on the Iraq Stock Exchange (ISE) from 2014 to 2023. The results showed a strong positive link between managerial overconfidence and ESG reporting. In addition, the findings suggested that environmental costing played a moderating role in the relationship between managerial overconfidence and ESG reporting. This study is unique in that it was the first to explore the interaction among environmental cost-effectiveness, managerial overconfidence, and corporate ESG reporting among firms on the ISE. The unique characteristics of Iraq’s emerging market environment created a distinctive context for this research. This study also examines the moderating role of environmental costing in the relationship between managerial overconfidence and ESG reporting. The research provided a fresh perspective on corporate financial management, particularly under crisis conditions. The results not only illustrated useful insights for managers, analysts, and regulatory institutions in Iraq but also enriched the existing literature in this regard.
Keywords
Subjects

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