企業如何協調永續轉型的長期、主動性需求與市場競爭中短期、效率導向的壓力，以設計其環境、社會與治理（ESG）治理結構？現有文獻缺乏對企業 ESG 治理結構前因的系統性實證分析，對驅動或抑制 ESG 權責集中化的壓力來源及其影響力尚無明確結論，更遑論深入探討不同性質的壓力對此決策的差異化作用。為填補上述缺口，本研究探討兩類關鍵壓力-「轉型迫切性」（提升 ESG 表現以符合內外部期望的內生動力）與「市場壓力」（維持市場競爭地位與應對營運環境複雜性的外在壓力）-如何共同影響企業 ESG 權責向上集中化的決策。本研究使用 2016–2022 年台灣 50 指數成分股大型上市公司樣本，以追蹤資料有序邏輯斯迴歸模型進行實證分析。結果顯示，「轉型迫切性」無論源自企業內部對更高 ESG 績效的追求或外部環境變動，均顯著促使其提高 ESG 權責集中化程度，而外部市場壓力（環境複雜度）則顯著降低企業ESG 權責集中化的傾向。值得注意的是，永續轉型的迫切性是驅動企業提升 ESG 治理層級的主要動力，其正向作用不僅強於市場壓力的抑制作用，且呈現隨時間推移增強的趨勢。本研究聚焦過往少探討的 ESG 權責集中化組織設計，系統檢驗不同壓力來源的異質性影響，也為企業在多重壓力下如何制定永續策略提供實務參考。;This study addresses how corporations reconcile the long-term, proactive demands of sustainability transformation with the short-term, efficiency-oriented pressures of market competition in designing their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) governance structures. The existing literature lacks a systematic empirical analysis of the antecedents of corporate ESG governance structures. There is no clear consensus on the pressures that drive or inhibit the centralization of ESG responsibilities, nor a definitive understanding of their respective impacts. Furthermore, the differential effects of various pressures on this decision remain underexplored.To address this gap, this research investigates how two key types of pressure—"transformational urgency" (the endogenous drive to enhance ESG performance to meet internal and external expectations) and "market pressure" (the external imperative to maintain a competitive position and navigate operational environmental complexity)—jointly influence a firm′s decision toward the upward centralization of its ESG responsibilities. Using a sample of large public companies constituent in the Taiwan Top 50 Index from 2016 to 2022, we conduct an empirical analysis with a panel data ordered logistic regression model.The findings indicate that "transformational urgency," whether originating from an internal pursuit of superior ESG performance or from external environmental shifts, significantly promotes a higher degree of centralization in ESG responsibilities. Conversely, external market pressure, represented by environmental complexity, significantly curtails this tendency. Notably, the urgency for sustainability transformation emerges as the primary driver for elevating ESG governance levels. Its positive impact not only outweighs the inhibiting effect of market pressure but also demonstrates a strengthening trend over time.By focusing on the underexplored organizational design of ESG responsibility centralization, this study systematically examines the heterogeneous impacts of different pressure sources. It also offers practical implications for firms on how to formulate sustainability strategies amidst multiple, competing pressures.
