Strategic Dynamics and Behavioral Drivers of ESG Manipulation in Vietnamese Firms

This research reveals how and why companies exaggerate or withhold sustainability information. By applying artificial intelligence to thousands of ESG reports and market data, it provides new indicators for assessing transparency and helps regulators design better disclosure and anti-greenwashing policies in Vietnam’s green-transition era.

Develop a behavioral–institutional framework explaining why and how firms manipulate ESG information.
Construct two firm-level indices — the Greenwashing Index (GWI) and Greenhushing Index (GHI) — and integrate them into a composite ESG Manipulation Index (ESG-MI) reflecting disclosure credibility across E, S, and G dimensions.
Examine behavioral and institutional determinants of ESG manipulation, focusing on executive incentives, ownership, and regulatory pressures.
Evaluate market and perceptual consequences through financial analyses and behavioral experiments on disclosure framing.
Deliver an open Vietnam ESG Transparency Dataset and policy recommendations supporting regulators and investors in promoting transparent, accountable ESG reporting.