Abstract

In response to escalating global imperatives for sustainable development and intensifying stakeholder demands for Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) implementation, ESG management has emerged as a pivotal organizational strategy transcending traditional for-profit boundaries. This empirical investigation examines the influence of ESG management on organizational performance within social welfare institutions, analyzing the mediating functions of organizational commitment and innovative behavior through theoretical frameworks of institutional isomorphism and public service motivation. Analysis of comprehensive survey data collected from 425 employees across social welfare institutions in metropolitan regions (Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon) revealed that environmental responsibility (p<.001) and governance structure (p<.001) components significantly and positively influenced organizational performance, while the social responsibility dimension demonstrated no significant direct effect (p>.05). This pattern was consistent for organizational commitment, while for innovative behavior, environmental (p<.001) and governance (p<.001) factors showed significant effects, with social responsibility exhibiting a marginally significant relationship (p=.061). The research confirms that organizational commitment and innovative behavior significantly mediate the relationship between all ESG dimensions and organizational performance, with innovative behavior demonstrating stronger mediating effects. This study contributes to ESG literature by extending theoretical application to non-profit contexts and demonstrates that social welfare institutions require contextualized measurement approaches. Future research should develop specialized ESG measurement instruments that establish clearer conceptual boundaries between inherent social missions and supplementary social responsibility actions, ultimately enhancing both organizational effectiveness and social value creation.