Gender Diversity on Corporate Boards and Earnings Management: A Review

2022 ◽  
pp. 340-351
Author(s):  
Zakeya Sanad ◽  
Radha Shiwakoti ◽  
Abdalmuttaleb Al-Sartawi
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Corporate Boards

Female board directorship and earnings management

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yosra Mnif ◽  
Imen Cherif
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Women Directors ◽  
Homogeneous Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Gender Diverse ◽  
Gender Quota ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to examine the impact of female board directorship on the extent of earnings management. Design/methodology/approach The research hypotheses have been tested using both univariate and multivariate analyzes based on a sample of 198 firm-year observations from closely-held family firms listed on the SBF 120 over the period 2010–2018. Findings The empirical results first indicate that female board participation reduces the level of earnings management. When looking at women positions in the companies’ boardrooms, the authors reveal that the negative linkage between female board directorship and earnings management remains constant for independent female directors while the opposite holds for their family-affiliated counterparts. Further, the gender quota reform is shown to mitigate the adverse relationship between gender-diverse corporate boards and the extent of earnings management. These results seem sound, as they hold unchanged for the several measures of, both, boardroom gender diversity and earnings management used in the empirical study. In a supplementary analysis, the authors provide evidence that the association between the presence of women directors on the companies’ boards and earnings management depends, in a different way, on the size of the audit firm in a joint auditing context. Originality/value The country and the period considered in this paper are noteworthy characteristics that enhance the value of this research. The present study is relevant because it examines the relationship between female boardroom participation and earnings management using a homogeneous sample of family-owned and -managed companies within which shareholders and board members share identical motives for manipulating earnings in one of the leading countries in the world with regard to family ownership dominance (i.e. France). Moreover, this paper is considered to be very timely, as it explores, contrarily to previous related studies, the years following the implementation of a mandatory gender quota reform in one of the less available countries, to date, that have amended a gender quota law. To the knowledge, besides France, there are a few markets (Norway, Belgium, Finland and Iceland) that have implemented such legislation.

scholarly journals Corporate governance, Islamic governance and earnings management in Oman

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 190-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed I. Elghuweel ◽  
Collins G. Ntim ◽  
Kwaku K. Opong ◽  
Lynn Avison
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Audit Firm ◽  
Beliefs And Values ◽  
Corporate Earnings ◽  
Board Gender Diversity ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of corporate (CG) and Islamic (IG) governance mechanisms on corporate earnings management (EM) behaviour in Oman. Design/methodology/approach The authors employ one of the largest and extensive data sets to-date on CG, IG and EM in any developing country, consisting of a sample of 116 unique Omani listed corporations from 2001 to 2011 (i.e. 1,152 firm-year observations) and a broad CG index containing 72 CG provisions. The authors also employ a number of robust econometric models that sufficiently account for alternative CG/EM proxies and potential endogeneities. Findings First, the authors find that, on average, better-governed corporations tend to engage significantly less in EM than their poorly governed counterparts. Second, the evidence suggests that corporations that depict greater commitment towards incorporating Islamic religious beliefs and values into their operations through the establishment of an IG committee tend to engage significantly less in EM than their counterparts without such a committee. Finally and by contrast, the authors do not find any evidence that board size, audit firm size, the presence of a CG committee and board gender diversity have any significant relationship with the extent of EM. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is a first empirical attempt at examining the extent to which CG and IG structures may drive EM practices that explicitly seek to draw new insights from a behavioural theoretical framework (i.e. behavioural theory of corporate boards and governance).

scholarly journals Gender diversity and earnings management: the case of female directors with financial background

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alaa Mansour Zalata ◽  
Collins G. Ntim ◽  
Mostafa Hussien Alsohagy ◽  
John Malagila
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Earnings Quality ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Female Directors ◽  
Social Theories

AbstractPast evidence generally suggests that the presence of female directors on corporate boards tends to improve earnings quality due to these directors’ superior monitoring abilities. However, it is not clear which characteristics and skills of female directors drive such abilities. In this paper, we focus on the financial background of female directors, an area which remains largely unexplored in existing literature. The results show that the participation of female directors with relevant financial background improves earnings quality more than the participation of female directors without such background. In addition, our findings suggest that only female directors possessing relevant financial background and having fewer outside directorships are able to mitigate earnings management and therefore overcommitting expert female directors with more outside directorships would diminish their monitoring ability. We did not find any evidence suggesting that female directors without relevant financial background are able to mitigate earnings management, irrespective of their outside directorships or tenure. We interpret our findings within a theoretical framework that draws on a number of economic and social theories. The results are generally robust after controlling for potential endogeneity problems.

scholarly journals Women on Boards and Firm Performance: A Microeconometric Search for a Connection

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 218
Author(s):  
Marek Gruszczyński
Keyword(s):  
Firm Performance ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Company Performance ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Econometric Evidence ◽  
Women On Boards ◽  
Modern Business ◽  
Improved Performance ◽  
Female Presence

This paper discusses questions of the gender diversity of corporate boards vis-à-vis firm performance. Typically, researchers have asked if a female presence is associated with improved performance and more transparent governance. The paper’s first part reports on several econometric attempts in the quest to prove the existence of such an association. The primary outcome is that the results vary over geographical, cultural, and time settings. The study presented in the second part examines European firms’ annual reports from 2015. Binomial models, multiple regression, and quantile regression are applied resulting in the finding that female presence on a board is not significantly related to firm performance for this sample. Together with the picture that emerged from the paper’s first part, this result leads to the possibility that the search for an association between women on boards and company performance is not fundamental. Nevertheless, modern business societies worldwide may need to boost the female presence on managerial bodies. Current econometric evidence indicates that this is not harmful to corporate results.

scholarly journals Determinants of Companies’ Board Composition in Emerging Markets

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Leticia L. N. Bellato
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Market ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Independent Directors ◽  
Board Composition ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Count Data Models ◽  
Private Control ◽  
Women On Boards ◽  
Board Representation

This paper examines the determinants of female board representation for a sample of Brazilian listed companies for the year of 2018. Using count data models, we find that greater firm size, performance and board size lead to higher woman representation on companies’ boards. Also, that private control is associated with a lower number of women on boards. Most studies related to board composition focus on independent directors and are conducted in a developed countries’ setting. This work contributes to the extant literature in understanding what drives woman representation on corporate boards in an emerging market context and also would help to support the definition and implementation of gender diversity policies by showing possible impacts.

scholarly journals Board Diversity: More Than a Gender Issue?

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Adams
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Governance Structure ◽  
Share Price ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Board Diversity ◽  
The World ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
The Right

There has been extensive research conducted on the importance of corporate governance around the world. The research seems to demonstrate that, regardless of whether corporations are based in common law or civil code systems, their longevity and sustainability arise from good corporate governance. However, the evidence does not clearly demonstrate a correlation between a particular organisation’s governance structure and practices and its share price. Around the world the question of board diversity is gaining in importance. The beginning of the debate in the 1960s centred on gender. While it is essential to conduct a debate on gender diversity, other aspects of diversity should also be considered. Race, culture and even age may have a direct impact on the performance of a board. Australian companies, particularly those listed on the ASX, have a poor record of instituting any type of diversity. The USA and European Union have a much wider range of policies to promote diversity on corporate boards. The key question is how best to regulate to promote diversity across gender, race, culture and age. The historical approach of regulating diversity by setting targets and requiring disclosure does not seem to have delivered substantial change. Is it the right time to impose mandatory requirements, or are there other alternative strategies? Without doubt change is required, but there will be opposition.

scholarly journals Presence of Women on Board: Reference to BSE-30 Companies from 2010-2014

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-30
Author(s):  
Nisa S
Keyword(s):  
Boards Of Directors ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Women Directors ◽  
Global Workforce ◽  
Talent Pool ◽  
Women Employees ◽  
Board Performance ◽  
Changing Demographics

The need for gender diversity in the board rooms is getting accepted at corporate levels both national and international. Any change which is brought about voluntarily is more effective and long lasting. Gender representation on corporate boards of directors refers to the proportion of men and women who occupy board member positions. Studies have shown that even though there is no real dearth of talent pool, India, comparatively, has significantly a very low percentage of women representation on boards. No one doubts the importance of diversity in boardrooms, especially in improving corporate governance. With the changing demographics of the global workforce and the fact that women will control 75% of discretionary spending by 2028, globally companies cannot underestimate the importance of improving the gender balance on their boards. Women are increasingly becoming a major driver of the economy, both as contributors and as customers; it is appropriate that they be a part of the team leading companies. Past researches have shown that boards with more women members act as a motivator to other women employees within the organization. Continuing reliance on existing directors is likely to dilute the quality of board members. Broadening the talent pool by including women directors will help boards get skilled and competent members with a diversity of perspectives and leadership styles who can significantly contribute to board performance. The following study was conducted to assess the presence of women on board in BSE 30 listed companies from 2010 to 2014.

scholarly journals Women on corporate boards. The case of ’gender quotas’ in Italy

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 132-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrizia Pastore ◽  
Silvia Tommaso
Keyword(s):  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Gender Quotas ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Female Representation ◽  
Upper Management ◽  
Gender Diverse ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Market Women ◽  
Substantial Progress

This paper investigates whether gender quotas have had success so far in their primary goal of reducing gender disparities in Italian corporate boards. Debate about gender equality on boards gained momentum and global prominence over the last years attracting attention of both researchers and practitioners worldwide. Despite a remarkable progress in education and their participation in the labor market, women still face large barriers to advance into upper management and boardrooms and gaps remain. Women are still under-represented in senior executive and board positions worldwide even if there is wide variation across countries. The present is a qualitative study that aims to contribute to the ongoing international debate about gender diversity on corporate boards (or lack thereof), providing current evidence from Italy, four years after the entry into force of Law 120/2011, establishing legislated quotas in order to ensure gender-balanced corporate boards. Using the samples of Italian listed companies and government-controlled companies tracked by Consob and Cerved respectively, findings show a substantial progress of female representation in Italian corporate boards (including governing and auditing boards) over the period 2008-2015 and reflect the extent to which women are shattering the glass ceiling, right before and after the implementation of the new (although controversial) gender quotas regulation. However, even though the number of women who sit on corporate boards has increased, it is necessary to ensure that the appointment of women is a board’s genuine intention to become gender diverse and more effectiveness rather than evidence of a result driven by tokenism, designed to enhance corporate reputation and image.

scholarly journals The Plight of Women in Positions of Corporate Leadership in the United States, the European Union, and Japan: Differing Laws and Cultures, Similar Issues

2020 ◽  
pp. 279
Author(s):  
Bettina Binder ◽  
Terry Morehead Dworkin ◽  
Niculina Nae ◽  
Cindy Schipani ◽  
Irina Averianova
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
European Union ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Gender Discrimination ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
The United States ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Status

Gender diversity in corporate governance is a highly debated issue worldwide. National campaigns such as “2020 Women on Boards” in the United States and “Women on the Board Pledge for Europe” are examples of just two initiatives aimed at increasing female representation in the corporate boardroom. Several European countries have adopted board quotas as a means toward achieving gender diversity. Japan has passed an Act on Promotion of Women’s Participation and Advancement in the Workplace to lay a foundation for establishing targets for promoting women. This Article examines the status of women in positions of leadership in the United States, several major countries in the European Union, and Japan. We focus on the legal backdrop in each jurisdiction regarding gender discrimination and studies tending to demonstrate the economic benefits of gender diversity. We conclude that although important steps have been taken in the direction of narrowing the gender gap in all jurisdictions examined, progress has been slow and difficult across the board. The issue of too few women at the top will not be resolved until there is a wider acceptance that female leaders can benefit their organizations and contribute to social and economic progress. Moreover, the presence of women on corporate boards is valuable in and of itself and the status quo ought to be further challenged in international business.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document