scholarly journals Executives' pay–performance link in China: evidence from independent and gender-diverse compensation committees

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Usman ◽  
Muhammad Abubakkar Siddique ◽  
Muhammad Abdul Majid Makki ◽  
Ammar Ali Gull ◽  
Ali Dardour ◽  
...  

PurposeIn this paper, the authors investigate whether an independent and gender-diverse compensation committee strengthens the relationship between top managers' pay and firm performance in Chinese companies. The authors also investigate whether the independent compensation committee composed of all male directors is effective in designing the optimal contract for executives.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use data from A-share listed companies on the Shenzhen and Shanghai stock exchanges from 2005 to 2015. As a baseline methodology, the authors use pooled ordinary least square (OLS) regression to draw inferences. In addition, cluster OLS regression, two-stage least square regression, the two-stage Heckman test and the propensity score matching method are also used to control for endogeneity issues.FindingsThe authors find evidence that an independent or gender-diverse compensation committee strengthens the link between top managers' pay and firm performance; that the presence of a woman on the compensation committee enhances the positive influence of committee independence on this relationship; that a compensation committee's independence or gender diversity is more effective in designing top managers' compensation in legal-person-controlled firms than they are in state-controlled firms; that gender diversity on the compensation committee is negatively associated with top managers' total pay; and that an independent compensation committee pays top managers more.Practical implicationsThe study results highlight the role of an independent compensation committee in designing optimal contracts for top managers. The authors provide empirical evidence that a woman on the compensation committee strengthens its objectivity in determining top managers' compensation. The study finding supports regulatory bodies' recommendations regarding independent and women directors.Social implicationsThe study findings contribute to the recent debate about gender equality around the globe. Given the discrimination against women, many regulatory bodies mandate a quota for women on corporate boards. The study findings support the regulatory bodies' recommendations by highlighting the economic benefit of having women in top management positions.Originality/valueThis study contributes to literature by investigating the largely overlooked questions of whether having a gender-diverse or independent compensation committee strengthens the relationship between top managers' pay and firm performance; whether an independent compensation committee is more efficient in setting executives' pay when it is gender-diverse; and whether the effect of independent directors and female directors on top managers' compensation varies based on the firm's ownership structure. Overall, the main contribution of the study is that the authors provide robust empirical evidence in support of the managerial power axiom.

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 1065-1087 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Usman ◽  
Junrui Zhang ◽  
Fangjun Wang ◽  
Junqin Sun ◽  
Muhammad Abdul Majid Makki

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address whether gender diversity on compensation committees ensures objective determination of CEOs’ compensation. Design/methodology/approach The authors use a sample of companies listed in China from 2006 to 2015. The authors use pooled ordinary least square regression as the baseline methodology, and two-stage least square regression and propensity score matching to control for endogeneity. Findings The authors find evidence that gender-diverse compensation committees limit CEOs’ total cash compensation and strengthen the link between CEO pay and firm performance, but only independent female directors have a significant impact, indicating that the monitoring effect outweighs the executive effect. Moreover, compensation committees with a critical mass of female directors have more impact on CEOs’ total pay and the link between CEO pay and firm performance than do committees with a single female director. Finally, gender-diverse compensation committees are more effective in setting CEOs’ compensation in state-controlled firms, where agency issues are more severe. Practical implications Female directors can improve firm-level governance by monitoring management actions, such as setting CEOs’ compensation. The study contributes to the debate on gender diversity in the boardroom, finding a positive economic effect. The study sheds light on China’s diversity practices at the director level and provides empirical guidance to China’s regulatory bodies. Originality/value The authors extend earlier studies by providing the first empirical evidence that gender-diverse compensation committees strengthen the link between CEO pay and firm performance; that independent female directors are more effective in the monitoring role than executive female directors; that compensation committees with a critical mass of female directors are more effective in setting CEOs’ pay than are committees with a single female director; and that the influence of gender-diverse compensation committees on CEOs’ pay varies by type of ownership.


2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (8) ◽  
pp. 841-856 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kwee Pheng Lim ◽  
Chun-Teck Lye ◽  
Yee Yen Yuen ◽  
Wendy Ming Yen Teoh

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between women on board and the financial performance of Malaysian listed companies. Design/methodology/approach Panel generalised method of moments (GMM) analysis was used over 928 public-listed companies listed on the Malaysian Stock Exchange from 2010 to 2016. GMM overcomes the problem of endogeneity and simultaneity bias. The dependent variable was firm performance, measured by Tobin’s Q. The explanatory variable was gender diversity, proxied by the percentage of women on board, the presence of women and gender heterogeneity indices, Blau and Shannon indices. Findings More gender diversification leads to declining firm performance possibly due to issues of tokenism and gender stereotypes. Research limitations/implications Further studies should look into the impact of various types of ownership structures on firm value and also by sectors. Practical implications As women represent half the population in Malaysia, more positive affirmative policies must be introduced to enhance their contributions to society. Social implications As women progress in society, their contributions towards nation building will be significant. Women not only play a nurturing role, but also can shape the destiny of a country. Originality/value Studies on the relationship between board gender diversity and financial performance have been conducted in the context of a few developed economies. This study contributes to the literature by examining such an issue in a developing economy that has a different environment from that of developed economies.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Elmarzouky ◽  
Khaldoon Albitar ◽  
Khaled Hussainey

Purpose This paper aims to investigate whether Covid-19 related information is associated with a higher level of performance disclosure in the annual reports. Furthermore, it examines the moderating effect of corporate governance on the relationship between Covid-19 and the performance disclosure by using three governance mechanisms: board size, board independence and gender diversity. Design/methodology/approach The authors use quantitative content analysis. The authors applied an automated textual analysis technique to measure the level of Covid-19 information and performance disclosure for the UK Financial Times Stock Exchange all-share non-financial firms. Findings The authors found a significant positive relationship between the Covid-19 disclosure and the firm performance disclosure in the annual reports. The authors also find that both board independence and gender diversity moderate the relationship between the Covid-19 related information and the level of performance disclosure in the annual reports. The authors further run a robustness analysis, which confirms the main results. Practical implications The finding is beneficial for the regulatory setters to better understand whether firms provide generic or meaningful Covid-19 information linked to the firm’s performance. The unique findings of this paper are relevant to regulators, governments, management, shareholders and academics. Originality/value The authors contribute to the literature in a unique and core research area not researched previously. The paper links the Covid-19 disclosure with the firm performance from the corporate narrative perspective. The paper underlines governance factors as a moderating role in this relationship by considering three main mechanisms: board size, board independence and gender diversity.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rabiatu Kamil ◽  
Kingsley Opoku Appiah

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.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (02) ◽  
pp. 2072-2180
Author(s):  
Dai Long Khuc ◽  
Thi Thu Bui ◽  
Quynh Mai Ha

The study was conducted to investigate the relationship between diversification on Board and firm performance. The investigation has been performed using panel data procedure for a sample of 204 Vietnamese listed companies in two different groups: Large cap and Mid cap, listed in HOSE and HNX during the period of five years from 2015 to 2019. The study uses three performance measures (including return on equity, return on asset, Tobin’s Q) as dependent variable. The independent variables for measurement of diversification on Board are the number of females and the diversification for Supervisory Board are the number of females only. Other independent variables are average age of Board member, CEO duality and the number of independent directors. The results indicated that firm performance have positive relationship with nationality diversity on Board and gender diversity on Supervisory Board. CEO duality shows a significant result of negative effect on firm performance.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Murat Ocak

Purpose This study aims to contribute to the literature by offering a different sector and emphasising the importance of females in audit firm (AF) governance on audit firm performance (AFP). Design/methodology/approach Ordinary least squares (OLS) and instrument variables regression (IVREG) with two-stage least squares are used to test the paper’s hypotheses. Findings Both OLS and IVREG estimation results show that both the proportion of females and gender diversity at board and owner levels and the total number of shares of female owners seem to enhance the performance of AFs. Practical implications These results may be important for policymakers and regulators to set a quota for women’s representation on AF governance or decide arrangements for women in AFs as in the regulations for the high hierarchical levels of other corporate firms. Originality/value This paper extends the current literature in the context of AFs in Turkey, positing that females in AF governance might enhance performance to a great extent.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hüseyin Temiz

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of firms’ disclosure practices on firm value and firm performance. Design/methodology/approach Firms’ disclosure scores were calculated based on unique hand-collected data by using the S&P transparency and disclosure index (S&P TD index). Ordinary least squares with year/firm fixed effects and two-stage least square methods were used to test the hypothesis. Findings It is observed that firms’ disclosure scores have positive and statistically significant effects on firm value. However, firms’ disclosure scores do not have significant effects on firm performance. This result is mostly observed in sub-categories of the index. Practical implications Results show that disclosed information has an impact on firm value. Therefore, standardization and increasing the reliability of this information are necessary for both information users and firms. It is important to standardize the information published by the firms and to increase their reliability by implementing new regulations by regulatory bodies in Turkey. Social implications Firms bear the costs due to their disclosure practices. However, the benefits derived from this situation may be higher than the cost incurred. Hence, it is suggested that firms that are traded in Turkey consider this in the determination of their disclosure policy. Originality/value This is the first study that investigates the effects of firms’ disclosure scores on both firm value and firm performance by using the S&P TD index in the Turkish context.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mejbel Al-Saidi

Purpose This paper aims to reduce the knowledge gap by using a large sample and different regressions while controlling the endogeneity and causality issues. Design/methodology/approach This study used the ordinary least square (OLS) and two stage least squares (2SLS) regressions to control the endogeneity and causality problems; this estimation strategy allows for comparison of both estimates to identify any inconsistency and biases in the parameters. Findings General speaking, this study found that board independence negatively affected firm performance based on Tobin’s Q only and the relationship between the two variables ran from board independence to firm performance but not vice versa. Originality/value The current independent directors are not adding value to Kuwait’s listed firms. Some directors who represent large shareholders and the conflict between large shareholders and small shareholders could affect the role of independent directors in Kuwait. To best of the researchers’ knowledge, this study is the first to consider board independent after controlling the issues of endogeneity and causality in Kuwait; thus, the results could be useful for Kuwaiti firms, regulators and policymakers.


2017 ◽  
pp. 1162-1189
Author(s):  
J. R. Smith ◽  
Andrea Tillman-Hawkins ◽  
Alisa L. Mosley ◽  
Jean-Claude Assad

The study purpose is to examine the relationship between cultural diversity and firm performance from the perspective of the investors. Stock values were used to test the hypothesized relationships between the components of cultural diversity (i.e. racio-ethnicity and gender impact on firm performance) using an event study methodology with regression analysis techniques. The findings indicate that the influences of racio-ethnicity and gender diversity on firm performance were mixed. However, significant relationships were found between the components of cultural diversity and firm performance. New directions for future research are offered.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tesfaye Leta Tufa ◽  
Aselefech Hailgiorgis Belete ◽  
Ashwinkumar A. Patel

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the direct and indirect role of autonomy on firm performance. It also determines the role of professional experience in the relationship.Design/methodology/approachThe authors analyzed data collected from 124 small firms in Addis Ababa city using the ordinary least square (OLS) regression and hierarchical regression analysis.FindingsThe result of the OLS regression revealed that autonomy directly and indirectly (through entrepreneurial engagement) influences the firm's performance. Besides, professional experience moderates the relationship between autonomy and performance, as well as the relationship between autonomy and entrepreneurial engagement.Practical implicationsEntrepreneurs should tend to engage in the works that they have professional experience than involving in jobs that they have no experience.Originality/valueThis study examines the relationship between autonomy and firm performance in established firms. It is among the first studies that tested the moderation influence in the relationship. That is, determining the role of professional experience is a novel contribution of this study, which is forgotten previously.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document