Does board gender diversity affect capital structure decisions?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sourour Ben Saad ◽  
Lotfi Belkacem
Keyword(s):  
Capital Structure ◽  
Risk Taking ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Structural Equations ◽  
Firm Risk ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Information Transparency ◽  
Women's Participation ◽  
Board Gender Diversity ◽  
The Capital Structure

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the indirect relationship between board gender diversity and capital structure decisions and to examine whether the capital structure is affected by the type of approach used to promote women’s participation in the boardroom. Design/methodology/approach Based on a sample of French non-financial listed companies over the period 2006–2019, this paper uses structural equations modeling, difference-in-differences using propensity score matching and chow test to highlight these effects. Findings This paper finds that the relationship between the board gender diversity and the capital structure is mediated through the information transparency channel and firm risk taking channel. Furthermore, the results show that the effect of board gender diversity on capital structure decisions varies through the approach adopted (voluntary, enabling or coercive). Originality/value This paper contributes to the literature in several ways. First, the study is to the knowledge the first to examine whether and how board gender diversity affects capital structure decisions through two mediations channels, namely, the information transparency and the firm risk taking. Second, the study is one of the first to examine whether the capital structure is affected by the type of approach used to promote women’s participation in the boardroom: coercive, enabling or voluntary approach.

Board gender diversity: performance and risk of Brazilian firms

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauro Mastella ◽  
Daniel Vancin ◽  
Marcelo Perlin ◽  
Guilherme Kirch
Keyword(s):  
Firm Performance ◽  
Boards Of Directors ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Firm Risk ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Female Presence ◽  
Board Gender Diversity ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This study aims to intend to check if female board representation affects performance and risk and to analyse the evolution of the demographic aspects of the presence of women on boards in Brazil. Design/methodology/approach The authors used a sample of 150 Brazilian publicly traded companies from 2010–2018, with different measures of firm performance, firm risk and women’s presence on the board. The study approach is based on a set of ordinary least squares, quantile and panel data regressions. Findings The presence of women on the board has a positive effect on all of our accounting and market performance measures. However, the result of the impact on risk is not conclusive. The study also found that the number of females on the board has a more significant effect at the lower levels of firm performance measured by return on equity, but at the higher levels when measured by Tobin’s Q. Regarding return on assets, the more significant effect happened on the extremes of the performance distribution. The study findings point that market investors place more value in female presence on the board than in director positions. Originality/value By estimating the impact of women’s presence on the boards of directors in firm performance and risk, this study aimed to verify this impact in different aspects of the company. In addition, the authors did so in a sample with many years, making it possible to evaluate the historical evolution of the feminine presence in the boards of administration as well as in the groups of directors, assisting Brazilian legislators with new evidence about the possible impacts of Draft Law 7179/2017.

Tax avoidance: do board gender diversity and sustainability performance make a difference?

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 1389-1408
Author(s):  
Anis Jarboui ◽  
Maali Kachouri Ben Saad ◽  
Rakia Riguen
Keyword(s):  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Tax Avoidance ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Structural Equations ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainability Performance ◽  
Academic Researchers ◽  
Board Gender Diversity ◽  
The Uk

Purpose This study aims to investigate whether board gender diversity and sustainability performance influence tax avoidance. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on a sample consisting of 300 UK firms over the 2005-2017 period. This study is motivated by structural equations and system models that specify both a direct and an indirect link between board gender diversity and tax avoidance. Findings The results show that the level of tax avoidance decrease when the level of women on the board increase. Therefore, we find that sustainability performance is generally associated with greater tax avoidance. In combination, the results suggest that board gender diversity and sustainability performance play a significant role in corporate tax avoidance. Practical implications The findings may be of interest to the academic researchers, investors and regulators. For academic researchers, it is interested in discovering board gender diversity, sustainability performance and tax avoidance. For investors, the results show that the existence of female directors on the board reduces the tax avoidance. For regulators, the results advise the worldwide policy makers to give the importance of female roles to improve the engagement firms in sustainability reporting. Originality/value This study extends the existing literature by examining the mediating effect of sustainability performance on the relationship between board gender and tax avoidance in the UK context.

Corporate governance and risk taking: the role of board gender diversity

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heba Abou-El-Sood
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Risk Taking ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Capital Adequacy ◽  
Bank Risk ◽  
Regulatory Capital ◽  
Government Ownership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Board Gender Diversity

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the association between board gender diversity and bank risk taking in an emerging market context. Design/methodology/approach The association between female board directorship and bank risk taking is examined, while controlling for board characteristics, managerial, concentrated, family and government ownership. Two-stage regression with instrumental variables is used for a sample of banks listed in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries during 2002-2014. Findings Results show that banks with more female board directors invest in less risky positions; the association is attenuated when the regulatory capital is larger, providing protection against risky investments, and female directors tend to invest less in risky asset positions in Islamic banks relative to conventional banks. Practical implications The relevance of the findings stems from the recent initiatives undertaken by the Basel Committee to address deficient corporate governance structures that lead to bank breakdowns and the diversified economy of the fast-growing GCC market, relying on banking services in the aftermath of the oil price drop. Originality/value This paper provides novel evidence on the influence of board gender diversity on bank risk taking in an emerging market context. This paper fills a gap in prior research by examining bank-specific regulatory capital adequacy and Islamic banking aspects.

Does board gender diversity affect firm risk-taking? Evidence from the French stock market

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 915-938 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Giuseppina Bruna ◽  
Rey Dang ◽  
Marie-José Scotto ◽  
Aymen Ammari
Keyword(s):  
Stock Market ◽  
Risk Taking ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Firm Risk ◽  
Board Gender Diversity

Board gender diversity and firms’ equity risk

2017 ◽  
Vol 36 (7) ◽  
pp. 590-606 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Issam Jizi ◽  
Rabih Nehme
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Stock Return ◽  
Generalized Method Of Moments ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Return Volatility ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Stock Return Volatility ◽  
Women's Participation ◽  
Board Gender Diversity

Purpose There is a growing attention toward the importance of women’s participation on corporate boards in enhancing board governance and decision-making quality. The literature lacks sufficient empirical evidence on the relationship between women’s involvement on boards and firms’ risk. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of board gender diversity on firms’ risk. Design/methodology/approach This paper explores the influence of women’s participation on corporate boards on firms’ stock return volatility. The examined firms are all non-financial firms listed on the FTSE 350 index between 2008 and 2013. The Bloomberg database is used to collect the needed variables. Panel data are employed through a regression model to estimate relationships. One-step Arellano and Bond and the generalized method of moments are used to control for reverse causality and the existence of endogenous variables. Findings The results suggest that women’s participation on corporate boards favorably impacts firms’ risk by reducing firms’ stock return volatility. The authors also find that the influence of women on reducing stock return volatility is higher in four particular industries recognized by their close proximity to consumers (consumer goods, consumer services, health care, and utilities). Originality/value The study contributes to the growing literature on women on boards and offers solid empirical evidence of the correlation between board gender diversity and firms’ risk. The empirical results provide economical and statistical validity to the “voluntary business-led” approach of Davies reports and to the recommendation by the UK Corporate Governance Code 2014 on the favorable influence of board gender diversity for effective functioning.

scholarly journals Gender diversity on corporate boards: How Asian and African women contribute on sustainability reporting activity

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (7) ◽  
pp. 801-820
Author(s):  
Antonella Francesca Cicchiello ◽  
Anna Maria Fellegara ◽  
Amirreza Kazemikhasragh ◽  
Stefano Monferrà
Keyword(s):  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
African Women ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Women's Participation ◽  
Sustainability Disclosure ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Board Gender Diversity ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This study aims to investigate the influence of organisations’ board gender diversity on the adoption of the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs) and on the use of external assurance. Design/methodology/approach The paper combines data from the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Disclosure Database and the Orbis database from Bureau van Dijk. The study uses logit models based on a sample of 366 large Asian and African companies which have addressed the SDGs in their sustainability reports published in 2017. Findings The results reveal that board gender diversity is positively associated with sustainability reporting and the involvement of an external assurance provider. Originality/value This study adds to the growing literature on the relationship between women’s participation on corporate boards and SDG reporting. Additionally, it addresses the understudied question of how the gender diversity of board resources affects the adoption of the external assurance of sustainability reporting.

scholarly journals Institutional quality and the capital structure of microfinance institutions: the moderating role of board gender diversity

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Michael Adusei ◽  
Beatrice Sarpong-Danquah
Keyword(s):  
Capital Structure ◽  
Institutional Environment ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Institutional Quality ◽  
Microfinance Institutions ◽  
Female Representation ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Board Gender Diversity ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract We test the effect of institutional quality on capital structure in the microfinance setting. In doing this, we rely on data from 532 microfinance institutions (MFIs) located in 73 countries dotted across the six microfinance regions in the world. We observe that institutional quality exhibits a robust negative and statistically significant relationship with capital structure in both the short and long run, implying that MFIs in countries with a better institutional environment are less likely to utilize more debt. Our moderation analysis furnishes us with evidence that the presence of women on the board of an MFI significantly moderates the relationship between institutional quality and its capital structure. We show that in the presence of more female representation on the boards of MFIs, the tendency of MFIs using less debt is higher.

Corporate governance practices and capital structure decisions: the moderating effect of gender diversity

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 939-964
Author(s):  
Mohammad A.A Zaid ◽  
Man Wang ◽  
Sara T.F. Abuhijleh ◽  
Ayman Issa ◽  
Mohammed W.A. Saleh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Panel Data ◽  
Capital Structure ◽  
Generalized Method Of Moments ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Board Structure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Financing Decisions ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Motivated by the agency theory, this study aims to empirically examine the nexus between board attributes and a firm’s financing decisions of non-financial listed firms in Palestine and how the previous relationship is moderated and shaped by the level of gender diversity. Design/methodology/approach Multiple regression analysis on a panel data was used. Further, we applied three different approaches of static panel data “pooled OLS, fixed effect and random effect.” Fixed-effects estimator was selected as the optimal and most appropriate model. In addition, to control for the potential endogeneity problem and to profoundly analyze the study data, the authors perform the one-step system generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator. Dynamic panel GMM specification was superior in generating robust findings. Findings The findings clearly unveil that all explanatory variables in the study model have a significant influence on the firm’s financing decisions. Moreover, the results report that the impact of board size and board independence are more positive under conditions of a high level of gender diversity, whereas the influence of CEO duality on the firm’s leverage level turned from negative to positive. In a nutshell, gender diversity moderates the effect of board structure on a firm’s financing decisions. Research limitations/implications This study was restricted to one institutional context (Palestine); therefore, the results reflect the attributes of the Palestinian business environment. In this vein, it is possible to generate different findings in other countries, particularly in developed markets. Practical implications The findings of this study can draw responsible parties and policymakers’ attention in developing countries to introduce and contextualize new mechanisms that can lead to better monitoring process and help firms in attracting better resources and establishing an optimal capital structure. For instance, entities should mandate a minimum quota for the proportion of women incorporation in boardrooms. Originality/value This study provides empirical evidence on the moderating role of gender diversity on the effect of board structure on firm’s financing decisions, something that was predominantly neglected by the earlier studies and has not yet examined by ancestors. Thereby, to protrude nuanced understanding of this novel and unprecedented idea, this study thoroughly bridges this research gap and contributes practically and theoretically to the existing corporate governance–capital structure literature.

Board Gender Diversity and Cost of Debt: Do Firm Size and Industry type matter?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rabiatu Kamil ◽  
Kingsley Opoku Appiah
Keyword(s):  
Firm Size ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Cost Of Debt ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Industry Type ◽  
Gender Diverse ◽  
Board Gender Diversity

Purpose This study aims to investigate the nexus between gender-diverse boards and cost of debt in the developing economies context. Specifically, the authors examine whether firm size moderates the relationship between female board representation and cost of debt, regardless of the industry type. Design/methodology/approach The authors use panel data from 17 non-financial listed Ghanaian firms over the period 2007–2017, ordinary least square, two-stage least square and generalised method of moments estimations to test the hypothesis. Findings The authors find that board gender diversity is positively related to cost of debt. Further evidence suggests the interaction of firm size and board gender diversity displays a negative association with cost of debt. Practical implications The study evidence suggests larger non-manufacturing firms with gender-diverse boards attract lower cost of capital in an environment with lax enforcement of rules and regulations in corporate governance. Social implications Lenders consider the size and industry of firms in pricing debt. This has implications on UN Goal 5, highlighting that shareholders of larger non-manufacturing firms benefit immensely from board gender diversity in the context of debt. Originality/value The authors contribute to the board gender diversity and cost of debt literature by demonstrating that firm size and industry type matter in the developing economies context.

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