Digital inclusive finance and corporate ESG performance: The moderating role of executives with financial backgrounds.

• Digital inclusive finance can significantly enhance corporate ESG performance. • Executives with financial backgrounds may impede the positive impact of digital inclusive finance on corporate ESG performance. • The positive impact of digital inclusive finance on corporate ESG performance is particularly pronounced in mid-western enterprises and non-state-owned enterprises. Utilizing empirical data from A-share listed corporations on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges of China between 2011 and 2021. It empirically examines the impact of digital inclusive finance (DIF) on corporate ESG performance and explores the mediating function of executives with financial backgrounds. The research findings are below: (1) DIF considerably improves corporate ESG performance, consistently validated across a spectrum of robustness tests; (2) DIF's beneficial impact on business ESG performance is reduced by the influence of executives with financial backgrounds (3) The positive influence on corporate ESG performance is particularly evident for mid-western enterprises and non-state-owned enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]