BACKGROUND AND LITERATURE REVIEW
Several studies have examined different aspects of corporate pollution performance. Some of these studies focused on measurement problems or on association between pollution and economic performance, while others have examined investors' reaction to pollution disclosures. The measurement of corporate pollution performance has primarily been the focus of studies sponsored by the Council on Economic Priorities (CEP), a non-profit organization. The CEP sponsored studies on oil refining, steel, pulp and paper, and electric utility industries. Though all of these studies deal with pollution performance of firms from respective industries, their results differ in quality. Some quality differences were caused by the differences in the sample size or methodology used in the study, or by the availability of data. For example, the study on steel used an extensive pollution data set and a sophisticated model for measuring pollution emissions, but the sample size was very small, only seven firms were included in the sample. On the other hand, the study on pulp and paper firms used a sample of 24 firms but the data set was incomplete and the technique used for evaluating the pollution performance
POLLUTION: PULP AND PAPER FIRMS 699
was much simpler than that used for steel. Moreover, raw data on pollution performance for pulp and paper firms was gathered indirectly rather than using actual pollution emissions. The association between pollution and economic performance has primarily been the focus of three research studies. The first study was conducted by Bragdon and Marlin (1972), which reported that there was a positive correlation between pollution control and economic performance of pulp and paper companies. The measures of EPS growth, average return on equity and average return on capital were used to measure economic performance. The second study was conducted by Spicer (1978), and it included some market variables in the analysis. According to the results of this study, '. . . for the 1968—73 period, it appears that the most profitable large companies in the sample tend to have the best pollution control records and that these companies in general, were judged by investors to be less risky in terms of both total and systematic risk (p. 108).' Bragdon-Marlin's as well as Spicer's study were based on the pollution performance data set developed by the CEP. Because both studies used the same data base, similarity in their test results are not surprising. Christainsen and Haveman (1981) analyzed the contribution of environmental regulations to slowdown in productivity growth by reviewing studies which estimated pollution control costs and their impact on productivity growth. They concluded that 'environmental regulations can have major adverse output and productivity impacts on certain sectors or industries.' They, however, pointed out that these impacts were localized and did not have a significant impact on macroeconomic performance. Though their analysis did not consider the environmental regulations to be primarily responsible for economic slowdown, it indicated that the pollution performance in certain industries had a negative impact on economic performance. A number of studies have been conducted to examine investors' reaction to pollution disclosures (for example, see Belkaoui, 1976; Ingram, 1978; Anderson and Frankle, 1980; Jaggi and Freedman, 1982; and Shane and Spicer, 1983). The results of these studies have indicated that disclosure of social information, especially pollution information, triggered investor reaction as reflected in stock price movements
النتائج (
العربية) 1:
[نسخ]نسخ!
استعراض الخلفية والأدبقد فحص دراسات عدة جوانب مختلفة من أداء الشركات من التلوث. وبعض هذه الدراسات تركز على مشاكل القياس أو على رابطة بين التلوث والأداء الاقتصادي، بينما الآخرين قد درس رد فعل المستثمرين للكشف عن التلوث. قياس أداء الشركات التلوث أساسا محط اهتمام الدراسات برعاية المجلس في الأولويات الاقتصادية (CEP) هي منظمة غير ربحية. برعاية المجلس الانتخابي المؤقت الدراسات المتعلقة بتكرير النفط، والصلب، ولب الورق والورق وصناعات الطاقة الكهربائية. على الرغم من جميع هذه الدراسات التعامل مع التلوث أداء الشركات من الصناعات الخاصة بكل منها، ونتائجها تختلف في الجودة. وقد تسبب بعض الاختلافات النوعية بالاختلافات في حجم العينة أو المنهجية المستخدمة في الدراسة، أو بمدى توافر البيانات. على سبيل المثال، دراسة بشأن الصلب تستخدم مجموعة بيانات تلوث واسع النطاق ونموذج متطور لقياس انبعاثات التلوث، ولكن كان حجم العينة صغيرة جداً، سوى سبع شركات أدرجت في العينة. من ناحية أخرى، واستخدمت الدراسة على شركات لب الورق والورق على عينة شركات 24 ولكن مجموعة البيانات غير مكتملة والتقنية المستخدمة لتقييم أداء التلوثالتلوث: شركات لب الورق والورق 699was much simpler than that used for steel. Moreover, raw data on pollution performance for pulp and paper firms was gathered indirectly rather than using actual pollution emissions. The association between pollution and economic performance has primarily been the focus of three research studies. The first study was conducted by Bragdon and Marlin (1972), which reported that there was a positive correlation between pollution control and economic performance of pulp and paper companies. The measures of EPS growth, average return on equity and average return on capital were used to measure economic performance. The second study was conducted by Spicer (1978), and it included some market variables in the analysis. According to the results of this study, '. . . for the 1968—73 period, it appears that the most profitable large companies in the sample tend to have the best pollution control records and that these companies in general, were judged by investors to be less risky in terms of both total and systematic risk (p. 108).' Bragdon-Marlin's as well as Spicer's study were based on the pollution performance data set developed by the CEP. Because both studies used the same data base, similarity in their test results are not surprising. Christainsen and Haveman (1981) analyzed the contribution of environmental regulations to slowdown in productivity growth by reviewing studies which estimated pollution control costs and their impact on productivity growth. They concluded that 'environmental regulations can have major adverse output and productivity impacts on certain sectors or industries.' They, however, pointed out that these impacts were localized and did not have a significant impact on macroeconomic performance. Though their analysis did not consider the environmental regulations to be primarily responsible for economic slowdown, it indicated that the pollution performance in certain industries had a negative impact on economic performance. A number of studies have been conducted to examine investors' reaction to pollution disclosures (for example, see Belkaoui, 1976; Ingram, 1978; Anderson and Frankle, 1980; Jaggi and Freedman, 1982; and Shane and Spicer, 1983). The results of these studies have indicated that disclosure of social information, especially pollution information, triggered investor reaction as reflected in stock price movements
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