Sustainable corporate governance and non-financial disclosure in Europe: does the gender diversity matter?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Nicolò ◽  
Giovanni Zampone ◽  
Giuseppe Sannino ◽  
Serena De Iorio
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Board Of Directors ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Women Directors ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
The Impact

PurposeRecent regulatory changes in Europe have promoted non-financial reporting practices (e.g., Directive, 2014/95/EU) and gender diversity in decision-making positions. Special attention is devoted to promoting the gender balance on corporate boards as a key mechanism to enhance corporate governance effectiveness and better address multiple stakeholders' needs. With this in mind, this study intends to examine the impact of boardroom gender diversity on Environmental Social Governance (ESG) disclosure practices in the European listed firms' context.Design/methodology/approachThe study applies different panel data models on an extended sample of 1,392 firms from 21 European Union (EU) countries for six years (2014–2019).FindingsFindings allow to spotlight the positive role exerted by the presence of women directors on the boards in enhancing ESG disclosure, both at the overall and specific (individual ESG scores) level.Research limitations/implicationsPolicymakers and regulators might consider the study's evidence as a stimulus to continue in promoting strategic actions and reforms that foster gender equality and balance in corporate decision-making positions.Practical implicationsCreating a heterogeneous and diversified board of directors may support implementing a “sustainable corporate governance” recently claimed by the EC.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the literature by disentangling the links between gender diversity and ESG disclosure over a period that covers a long season of European regulations and measures that affected both non-financial reporting practices and the board of directors' composition. Accordingly, it can contribute to enhancing the practical and theoretical understanding of the pivotal role that gender diversity may exert in strengthening corporate governance and, in turn, corporate transparency and accountability behaviours about non-financial issues.

scholarly journals Twenty years of XBRL: what we know and where we are going

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Bartolacci ◽  
Andrea Caputo ◽  
Andrea Fradeani ◽  
Michela Soverchia
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
Financial Disclosure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Reporting ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Governance Choices ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to extend the knowledge of eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) to synthesize what 20 years of accounting and business literature on XBRL suggests about the effective improvement from its implementation in financial reporting. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis of 142 articles resulted in the identification of 5 primary research streams: adoption issues; financial reporting; decision-making processes, market efficiency and corporate governance; audit and assurance issues; and non-financial reporting. Findings The results reveal a scarcity of studies devoted to explicating the consequences of XBRL implementation on financial reporting outside the SEC’s XBRL mandate and listed companies’ contexts. Also, some papers’ results question the usefulness of the language on the decision-making process. The overall lack of literature concerning the impact of XBRL on financial statement preparers, especially with reference to SMEs, is evident. Moreover, the consequences on corporate governance choices and the relevant internal decision-making processes are rarely debated. Research limitations/implications The findings are useful for users of companies’ financial disclosure policies, particularly for regulators who manage XBRL implementation in countries where XBRL has not yet been adopted as well as for others working in specific areas of financial disclosure, such as non-financial reporting and public sector financial reporting. Originality/value This study differs from previous literature on XBRL as it focuses on a wider period of analysis and offers a unique methodology – combination of bibliometric and systematic review – as well as a business perspective for deepening XBRL.

The impact of board gender diversity on financial reporting practices in Kazakhstan

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 45-47
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Board Diversity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Other Information ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Strong Deterrent ◽  
Board Gender Diversity ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings This research paper concentrates on how the presence of women on board of directors in listed companies in Kazakhstan may impact on the quality and trustworthiness of financial reporting. Based on the analysis, women were found to play a key role in mitigating earnings management (EM) and other information failures within these organizations. Furthermore, Board diversity was found to be a particularly strong deterrent to EM in high litigious industries within emerging markets. The results also convey that EM practices are less common in firms that have a higher number of directors, and in profitable companies. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Gender diversity in corporate boardrooms and risk disclosure: Indian evidence

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ridhima Saggar ◽  
Nischay Arora ◽  
Balwinder Singh
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Shannon Index ◽  
Women Directors ◽  
Risk Disclosure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Financial Firms ◽  
Corporate Risk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The study aims to pervade the gap in the domain of risk disclosure and gender diversity, which is comparatively uncharted. Gender diversity being a crucial element of corporate governance can deepen understanding on the issue in the backdrop of a developing country such as India, so this study aims to investigate the relationship between gender diversity on board and corporate risk disclosure. Design/methodology/approach Four measures of gender diversity, i.e. BLAU index, SHANNON index, proportion of women directors on board and female dummies, have been deployed to measure gender diversity. The empirical analysis is premised on a sample of S&P BSE 100 index pertaining to the 2018–2019 financial year; which eventually gets reduced to 70 non-financial firms after eliminating 30 financial firms. To examine the impact of gender diversity on corporate risk disclosure, hierarchical regression has been used. Additionally, two-stage least square regression analysis has been performed for checking the endogeneity issues in data and validating the findings of the study. Findings The main findings unveil that gender diversity positively impacts corporate risk disclosure. Confirming the agency theory and resource dependency theory, its alternative measures like BLAU index, SHANNON index, proportion of women directors and female dummy divulged to positively impact corporate risk disclosure. When women dummy has been used, analysis unmasked that firms electing more than one female director on board has a higher positive impact on corporate risk disclosure as compared to firms engaging only one women director on board. Research limitations/implications The study is undertaken in the Indian settings, which has its own set of legislative laws, whereas there is need to reaffirm the relationship applying cross-country analysis. Furthermore, there is huge hollowness in the domain of gender diversity and risk disclosure that calls for empirical evidence to unearth futuristic vision. Practical implications The research presents managerial implications for the managers to promote gender egalitarianism by electing higher quantum of women directors on board to achieve global standards of maintaining higher risk disclosure. Adequate risk disclosure on a gender-diverse board further assures the investors that their interest will remain intact in the organization that meets legal requirements by embracing gender equality in employment. A woman in the boardrooms incarnates transparency through divulgence of risk information, which suffices the informational needs of investors. In addition, the findings insists the regulators towards staunch enforcement of effective corporate governance practice through increasing the proportion of women directors on board as they assist in dispelling risk disclosure, which will avert sceptical ambitions of managers and deconstruct their stereotype attitude towards women. Originality/value This study is a novel contribution in expanding the risk disclosure literature by analyzing the unexplored impact of gender diversity on the extent of corporate risk disclosures in India.

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.

The role of national culture in the impact of board gender diversity on firm performance: evidence from a multi-country study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Navaz Naghavi ◽  
Saeed Pahlevan Sharif ◽  
Hafezali Bin Iqbal Hussain
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Firm Performance ◽  
Generalized Method Of Moments ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Governance Structure ◽  
Corporate Governance Structure ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Board Gender Diversity ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis study seeks to add more insights to the debate on “whether”, “how”, and “under which condition” women representation on the board contributes to firm performance. More specifically, the current study aims to investigate if the effect of board gender diversity on firm performance is dependent on macro factors of national cultures.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used the generalized method of moments regression and a data set consists of 2,550 company year observations over 10 years.FindingsThe results indicated that cultural variables interact with board diversity to influence firm performance. Having women on the board in countries with high power distance, individualist, masculine and low-uncertainty avoidance culture influences the firm performance negatively.Originality/valueThe findings indicate that the effects of corporate governance structure on firm performance depends on culture-specific factors, providing support for the argument that institutional norms that are governed by cultural norms affect the effectiveness of corporate governance structure.

Financial soundness of Islamic banks: does the structure of the board of directors matter?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Afef Khalil ◽  
Imen Ben Slimene
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Board Of Directors ◽  
Islamic Banks ◽  
Z Score ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Additional Hypothesis ◽  
The Board Of Directors ◽  
Financial Soundness ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the Board of Directors’ characteristics and their impact on the financial soundness of Islamic banks. Design/methodology/approach Regression analysis is applied to test the impact of the Board of Directors’ characteristics on the financial soundness of Islamic banks, using a panel data set of 67 Islamic banks covering 20 countries from 2005 to 2018. The Z-score indicator is used to evaluate the Islamic banks’ soundness. To check the robustness of the results, this paper uses other dependent variables (CAMEL) than the Z-score. Findings The main results show that the presence of an independent non-executive director negatively impacts the financial soundness of Islamic banks, while the chief executive officer duality practice has a positive effect on it. Other characteristics of the Board of Directors do not significantly impact the financial soundness of Islamic banks (foreign director, institutional director, chairman with a Shari’ah degree, interlocked chairman and the Board of Directors’ size). Practical implications This study aims to fill the gaps in the literature that discuss the Board of Directors’ role in corporate governance and its impact on the financial soundness of Islamic banks. In other words, it shows the role played by the Board of Directors and improves the knowledge of the corporate governance-financial soundness relationship. Plus, managers, investors and regulators may gain evocative insights, particularly those looking to improve their Islamic banks’ soundness by restructuring their boards’ composition. Originality/value This study sheds new light on the literature on Islamic banking by clarifying the relationship between the Board of Directors and the financial soundness of Islamic banks. Contrary to previous research, this paper uses an additional hypothesis stating that a chairman with a Shari’ah degree (Fiqh Muamalt) has a positive impact on the financial soundness of Islamic banks.

scholarly journals Impact of governance structures on environmental disclosures in the Middle East and Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 739-763 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erhan Kilincarslan ◽  
Mohamed H. Elmagrhi ◽  
Zezeng Li
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Governance Structures ◽  
Environmental Disclosure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Environmental Disclosures ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This study aims to investigate the impact of corporate governance structures on environmental disclosure practices in the Middle East and Africa (MEA). Design/methodology/approach The research model uses a panel data set of 121 publicly listed (non-financial and non-utility) firms from 11 MEA countries over the period 2010-2017, uses alternative dependent variables and regression techniques and is applied to various sub-groups to improve robustness. Findings The empirical results strongly indicate that MEA firms with high governance disclosures tend to have better environmental disclosure practices. The board characteristics of gender diversity, size, CEO/chairperson duality and audit committee size impact positively on MEA firms’ voluntary environmental disclosures, whereas board independence has a negative influence. Research limitations/implications This study advances research on the relationship between corporate governance structures and environmental disclosure practices in MEA countries, but is limited to firms for which data are available from Bloomberg. Practical implications The results have important practical implications for MEA policymakers and regulators. The positive impact of board gender diversity on firms’ environmental disclosures, policy reforms should aim to increase female directors. MEA corporations aiming to be more environmentally friendly should recruit women to top managerial positions. Originality/value This is thought to be the first study to provide insights from the efficiency and legitimation perspectives of neo-institutional theory to explain the relationship between MEA firms’ internal governance structures and environmental disclosures.

Board independence, gender diversity and CEO compensation

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 845-860 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramzi Benkraiem ◽  
Amal Hamrouni ◽  
Faten Lakhal ◽  
Nadia Toumi
Keyword(s):  
Ceo Compensation ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Joint Effect ◽  
Independent Directors ◽  
Board Independence ◽  
Women Directors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Managers ◽  
Board Decision Making ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the joint effect of board independence and gender diversity on the effectiveness of boards in monitoring CEO compensation in a continental European context, i.e. France. Design/methodology/approach Fixed-effect regressions are used to study the impact of board independence, gender diversity and their interaction, i.e. the proportion of female independent directors on the different components of CEO compensation (total, fixed and variable). Findings The authors observe that both the proportions of independent directors and women sitting on the boards positively influence the various components of CEO compensation. However, the interaction of these factors, i.e. the proportion of female independent directors, is negatively associated with CEO compensation. These results suggest that independent women directors improve board effectiveness in monitoring CEO compensation, especially its fixed component. Originality/value The results of this research help to elucidate the importance of women being appointed to boards as independent directors to properly monitor managerial pay. These results provide support to the approach of the French Cope-Zimmerman law of January 2011, which promotes female representation on boards as independent directors to enhance board decision-making. Thus, evidence presented and discussed in this paper should provide useful insights for academics, corporate managers and regulators.

Women representation on boards: a South African perspective

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gizelle Willows ◽  
Megan van der Linde
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Board Of Directors ◽  
Boards Of Directors ◽  
Critical Mass ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Company Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Board Of Directors

Purpose By looking at both theoretical and empirical findings, this study aims to investigate whether gender diversity results in improved corporate governance and financial performance for companies. Design/methodology/approach An analysis of the board composition of the Johannesburg Securities Exchange Top 40 companies as at 30 June 2013 and a comparison of the financial performance of the company were conducted. Findings Female directors were found to make up, on average, 18.78 per cent of the board of directors, with the majority of these women being in non-executive positions. Women representation appears to influence company performance positively when using accounting-based measures of performance (such as return on assets and return on equity), but negatively when using market-based measures (such as Tobin’s Q). The critical mass concept is also assessed and is found to have a positive effect. Originality/value These findings are of relevance to the boards of directors adhering to corporate governance requirements by challenging the role of women on the board of directors, as well as that of investors and those in practice, to understand the current status of women representation.

scholarly journals The extent of compliance with FRS 101 standard: Malaysian evidence

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Azhar Abdul Rahman ◽  
Mohd Diah Hamdan
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Compliance ◽  
Financial Reporting Standards ◽  
Compliance Level ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Analysis Models ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate Malaysian companies’ compliance with mandatory accounting standards. Specifically, this study examines the efficacy of agency-related mechanisms on the degree of compliance with Financial Reporting Standards (FRS) 101, Presentation of Financial Statements. It so proceeds by focussing on corporate governance parameters (board characteristics and ownership structure) and other firm characteristics. Design/methodology/approach Using data drawn from a sample of 105 Malaysian companies listed on the ACE market in 2009, the authors employ multiple regression analysis models to establish whether selected corporate governance and company-specific characteristics (proxying for agency-related mechanisms) are related to the degree of disclosure compliance. Findings The results indicate that the overall disclosure compliance is high (92.5 per cent). Furthermore, only firm size is positively associated with the degree of compliance. The other variables, those consisting of board independence, audit committee independence, CEO duality, the extent of outside blockholders’ ownership and leverage, do not show any significant relationship with the degree of compliance. Research limitations/implications This study focusses on only one accounting standard (FRS 101) that is mandatory in Malaysia. FRS 101 is both structured and rigid, leaving no room for companies to conceal any particular information. The sample of Malaysian companies selected is restricted to those listed only on the ACE market. As such, the results cannot be generalised to every company in Malaysia. Practical implications These results have important implications for policy makers because they suggest that whilst agency-related mechanisms may motivate compliance with mandatory standards, full compliance may be unattainable without regulations. Originality/value This is the only study in Malaysia to investigate the impact of regulatory requirements on corporate compliance level by companies listed on the new ACE market, which was introduced by the Bursa Malaysia in August 2009. This study contributes to the literature by examining the effects of both company-specific characteristics (such as company size, company age, liquidity, etc.) and corporate governance parameters on the degree of corporate compliance with mandatory disclosure, simultaneously, in contrast with prior studies which have examined them in isolation.

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