The Effect of Sustainable Dimensions on the Financial Performance of Commercial Banks: A Comparative Study in Emerging Markets

The paper examines the impacts of the various sustainability dimensions on the financial performance of commercial banks in three Arab countries. Three dimensions have been considered as constitutive of the term sustainable development (social, economic, and environmental). The relationship between the sustainability dimensions of companies and accounting indicators was analyzed. The main hypothesis posits that the dimensions of sustainability do not have a significant and positive effect on the financial performance of the commercial banks. The study population consisted of commercial banks operating in three Arab countries (Oman, United Arab Emirates, and Jordan); the period of the study is from 2007 to 2018. The data were collected from the financial reports and sustainability reports of each bank through the Internet. The overall results of the study showed a moderately positive relationship between all sustainability dimensions and the banks’ financial performance. The main contribution of the research is to study the dimensions of sustainability reports as contained in the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI-G4) and their impacts on the financial performance of commercial banks. Thus, this research will contribute to increasing the interest of the banks in sustainable development in a context where this research in Arab countries is scarce.