Gender diversity and financial performance in an emerging economy: empirical evidencefrom India

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Santi Gopal Maji ◽  
Rupjyoti Saha

Purpose This paper aims to examine the impact of gender diversity both at operational and leadership levels on the financial performance of firms in India. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on a panel data set of 100 large Indian corporate firms. This study uses the Blau index and Shannon index to compute gender diversity. First, this paper uses system generalized method of moments model to deal with the potential endogeneity issue in the association between gender diversity and firm performance. Second, to unveil heterogeneity in such a relationship, the study applies panel data quantile regression model. Finally, the study adopts a generalized estimating equation model to investigate such relationships for group affiliated and standalone firms. Findings This study finds a significant positive impact of workforce gender diversity and board gender diversity on the financial performance of firms. Further, the results of the quantile regression model indicate that the impact of gender diversity (workforce and board) on firm performance is more pronounced at higher quantiles of the conditional distribution of firm performance. However, the study fails to extricate any significant impact of audit committee gender diversity on firm performance. Finally, the study also finds a significant positive impact of gender diversity at both workforce and board level for a group affiliated, as well as standalone firms. Originality/value The present study makes a novel contribution to the extant literature on the association between gender diversity and financial performance of firms by examining such diversity at both operational and leadership levels in the context of an emerging country such as India that captures the complex realities pertaining to gender issues. Further, the study contributes to the empirical literature regarding the heterogeneous impact of gender diversity on firm performance in the Indian context.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Taha Almarayeh

Purpose This study aims to analyze the relationship between board gender diversity, board compensation and firm financial performance in the developing country, Jordan, whose cultural, economic and institutional context is very different from most previously analyzed countries’ context. Design/methodology/approach Ordinary least squares regression was used to examine the association between board gender diversity, board compensation and firm financial performance in a sample of 510 firm-year observations during the years 2009–2018. Generalized least squares estimation method was used to confirm that the results are robust. Findings The author provides new evidence that board gender diversity does not contribute to firm financial performance. The author also detects that there is a positive relationship between board compensation on firm financial performance. Originality/value This paper examines the under-researched relationship between board gender diversity, board compensation and firm financial performance. In so doing, the author tries to provide new insights into this relationship within the developing context, the case of Jordan that has a different environment from that of advanced markets. To the best of the researcher’s knowledge, this is almost certainly the first research to investigate the impact of board gender diversity and board compensation on firm financial performance in the Jordanian market. This manuscript is expected to be used as a reference by the regulators and policymakers – both in Jordan and other countries with a similar institutional, cultural setting – to provide a deep understanding of the impact of board gender diversity and board compensation on the firm performance.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Dery Nyeadi ◽  
Muazu Ibrahim ◽  
Yakubu Awudu Sare

Purpose The paper aims to investigate empirically the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on financial performance in South African listed firms. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses panel corrected standard errors to estimate the effect of CSR on firm financial performance and thus addresses contemporaneous cross-correlations across the panel cross sections. The study uses a broad base measure of CSR created by the Public Investment Corporation data set and the combination of accounting and economic means of measuring firm financial performance. Findings CSR is found to have a strong positive impact on firm financial performance in South Africa. When CSR is decomposed further into its major components, governance performance positively impacts a firm’s financial performance with no evidence of any relationship between social components and firm performance and between environmental components and firm performance. The positive impact of CSR on firm performance is greater in big firms. At the industry level, CSR is noticed to impact positively on financial performance in the extractive industry via good governance and responsible environmental behaviors. It however has no impact on firm performance in the financial sector. Research limitations/implications The results should be interpreted with caution and some limitations. Due to the limiting nature of the Public Investment Corporation data set (the survey was carried out on selected firms on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange for three years spanning from 2011 to 2013). This resulted in a sample of 56 firms. It is therefore very problematic to generalize the findings to a larger population over a long period of time. This is more limiting especially on individual sector studies where the sample has further shrunk to a smaller sample. As a result of the smaller sample size, the authors were unable to explore some other sectors which could have given more revealing findings. The authors recommend that future research should explore other data sets or use primary data approach that can allow for more sample size and elongated time period for a more holistic view and for easy generalization of the findings. The authors also identify an important lacuna necessitating further research effort. It would be interesting to empirically examine the threshold point of firms’ size beyond which CSR damages firms’ performance. Knowledge of this will guide managers of firms in their strategic CSR decision. Practical implications This study does not only serve as a reference work for subsequent investigations into the impact of CSR on firm performance in sub-Saharan Africa but also serves as a guide to policymakers on the financial impact of CSR adoption. Originality/value This study is one of the pioneering works that comprehensively examines the effect of CSR on financial performance amongst South African firms via size and sector and also controls for contemporaneous cross-correlation effects from the firms in the panel set.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert Ochien’g Abang’a ◽  
Venancio Tauringana ◽  
David Wang’ombe ◽  
Laura Obwona Achiro

Purpose This paper aims to report the results of an investigation into the effect of aggregate and individual corporate governance factors on the financial performance of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in Kenya. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses balanced panel data regression analysis on a sample of 45 SOEs in Kenya for a four-year period (2015–2018). Findings The panel data analysis results show that board meetings, board skill and gender diversity individual provisions of corporate governance are significantly and positively associated with capital budget realization ratio (CBRR). Moreover, the study finds that aggregate corporate governance disclosure index, board sub-committees, board size and independent non-executive directors are positive but insignificantly related to CBRR. Research limitations/implications The current study is based on secondary data, other methods of knowledge inquiry such as interviews and questionnaires may provide additional insights on the effectiveness of corporate governance on financial performance. Practical implications Overall, the results imply that corporate governance influences the performance of SOEs in Kenya. The results suggest that Mwongozo Code of Corporate Governance provisions should be changed to increase the number of women representations on board and the number of directors with doctoral qualifications because of their positive impact on the financial performance of SOEs in Kenya. Also, policymakers with remit over SOEs should re-evaluate why other corporate governance appear not to have an impact with a view of making the necessary changes. Originality/value The paper contributes to the dearth of literature on the efficacy of corporate governance on the financial performance of SOEs in developing countries.


2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 414-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Najul Laskar ◽  
Santi Gopal Maji

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the disclosure pattern of corporate sustainability (CS) and the influence of sustainability reporting on firm performance of four countries in Asia – Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and India. Design/methodology/approach The authors have collected the sustainability reports and annual reports of 111 firms from four Asian countries for a period of six years. Based on the framework of Global Reporting Initiatives (GRI, 3 and 3.1), content analysis is used for calculating the disclosure score of corporate sustainability performance (CSP). These scores are further used to examine the impact on firm performance by employing a panel data regression model. Findings The study finds that the average level and quality of disclosure are the highest for Japanese firms, followed by India and South Korea. However, in the case of Indonesia, the average score is very low. Further, the study finds a significant difference in the disclosure of overall sustainability as well as components of sustainability between the countries. The regression results indicate the positive impact of CSP (both in terms of level and quality) on MBR. Specifically, the outcome of the regression model reveals that both the level and quality disclosure of CS are crucial for enhancing firm value for both the developed and developing countries of Asia. Moreover, the relative influence of CSP (both in terms of level and quality) on firm performance is found to be more in developed countries than the developing countries of Asia. Originality/value This is the first comprehensive study in the Asian context to investigate the disclosure pattern of CSP and also examine the association between CSP and firm performance by employing the panel data model. The outcome of this study is useful for policy implication.


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.


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 ◽  
...  

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.


2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olfa Ben Salah ◽  
Anis Ben Amar

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to focus on the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on dividend policy in the French context. In addition, the authors seek to determine if the individual components of CSR influence dividend policy. Design/methodology/approach This study uses panel data methodology for a sample of French non-financial firms between 2008 and 2018. Generalized least squares method is used to estimate the models. Findings Using panel data methodology for a sample of 825 observations for the period 2008–2018, this study finds a positive impact of CSR practices on dividend policy. The authors also find that individual components of CSR positively influence dividend policy. To check the robustness of the results, this study further runs a sensitivity tests, including an alternative measure of dividend policy, all of which confirm the findings. Practical implications This study has examined the impact of CSR on dividend policy in France and may have implications for regulatory, investors, analysts and academics. First, the involvement in CSR best practices encourages companies to pay more dividends to investors. Therefore, investors are more motivated to invest in socially responsible firms than socially irresponsible firms. Second, given the association of CSR with the quality of accounting information and financial markets, regulators should step up recommendations relating to the different societal dimensions of CSR. Originality/value While little previous work has focused on the causal link between CSR and dividend policy, this research is the first, to the authors’ knowledge, to have looked at the impact of CSR on dividend policy in France.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauro Mastella ◽  
Daniel Vancin ◽  
Marcelo Perlin ◽  
Guilherme Kirch

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.


2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1475-1501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Varaporn Pangboonyanon ◽  
Kiattichai Kalasin

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how within-industry diversification affects the financial performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in emerging markets (EMs). The authors draw on both the resource-based view and the institutional perspective and argue that within-industry diversification can enhance the financial performance of SMEs in EMs. Due to institutional voids in emerging economies, SMEs can gain additional benefits from scope economies, as well as from market returns, by filling product market voids and gaps in business ecosystems, while also enjoying low input and labor costs that reduce the coordination costs of diversification. This, in turn, enhances benefits of within-industry diversification, thereby resulting in higher financial profitability. Design/methodology/approach This study employs panel data econometrics to estimate the model. The authors test hypotheses on 195 firms, originating from five countries in Southeast Asia, during the period of 2009–2014. Findings The empirical results support the arguments. Within-industry diversification has a positive impact on the performance of SMEs in EMs. These effects become weaker when the institutional contexts are more developed. Nevertheless, such effects become stronger when SMEs in EMs are more efficient. Research limitations/implications The relationship between within-industry diversification and performance is a positive linear pattern, which differs from the pattern in advanced economies. In addition to unrelated diversification, the related diversification is preferable for firms in EMs. Practical implications The paper provides implications for SMEs that aim to enhance their performance by engaging in single product lines and within-industry diversification. Originality/value This paper examines the different ways within-industry diversification can enhance SMEs performance in EM contexts.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Navaz Naghavi ◽  
Saeed Pahlevan Sharif ◽  
Hafezali Bin Iqbal Hussain

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.


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