Hossain, M.; Tahat, Y.A.; AbuGhazaleh, N. Unlocking the Sustainable Workplace Equality Policy (SWEP): Evidence from an Emerging Country. Sustainability2024, 16, 662.
Hossain, M.; Tahat, Y.A.; AbuGhazaleh, N. Unlocking the Sustainable Workplace Equality Policy (SWEP): Evidence from an Emerging Country. Sustainability 2024, 16, 662.
Hossain, M.; Tahat, Y.A.; AbuGhazaleh, N. Unlocking the Sustainable Workplace Equality Policy (SWEP): Evidence from an Emerging Country. Sustainability2024, 16, 662.
Hossain, M.; Tahat, Y.A.; AbuGhazaleh, N. Unlocking the Sustainable Workplace Equality Policy (SWEP): Evidence from an Emerging Country. Sustainability 2024, 16, 662.
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the current status of the Sustainable Workplace Equality Policy (SWEP) in an emerging country—Kuwait—and how it impacts firms’ financial and market performance. The study included companies listed in the Kuwait Boursa (Boursa Kuwait is the operator of the Kuwait Stock Exchange) in the period between 2012 and 2020. A disclosure index was prepared for SWEP based on guidelines provided by a combination of various sources and standards such as the Global Reporting Initiatives (GRI) standard, S&P global corporate sustainability assessment, Dow Jones sustainability index, United Nations global compact, and KPMG sustainability reporting standards. Time series regression analysis was used to examine the study hypotheses. The analysis revealed a strong positive relationship between the SWEP disclosure and firm measures of financial performance. The results indicate that SWEP is value-relevant and affects firms’ market value, suggesting that investors should consider firms’ disclosure of the SWEP when making investment decisions. The results of the current study are of interest to several stakeholders, especially investors and policymakers. Specifically, the study is relevant to the Kuwaiti Government, which has defined a clear path for sustainable growth with the Vision 2035/New Kuwait that is aimed at transforming the country into a financial and commercial hub for the region by 2035.
Business, Economics and Management, Accounting and Taxation
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
