scholarly journals Women in the boardroom and their impact on climate change related disclosure

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 828-855 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Hossain ◽  
Omar Al Farooque ◽  
Mahmood Ahmed Momin ◽  
Obaid Almotairy
Keyword(s):  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Carbon Emission ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Global Perspective ◽  
Women Directors ◽  
Board Size ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the relationship between gender diversity and the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) score/index. Specifically, the study describes extant research on theoretical perspectives, and the impact of women on corporate boards (WOBs) on carbon emission issues in the global perspective. Design/methodology/approach This study uses the carbon disclosure scores of the CDP from 2011 to 2013 (inclusive). A total observation for the three-year periods is 1,175 companies. However, based on data availability for the model, the sample size totals 331 companies in 33 countries with firms in 12 geographical locations. The authors used a model which is estimated using the fixed-effects estimator. Findings The outcomes of the study reveal that there is a positive relationship between gender diversity (WOB) and carbon disclosure information. In addition to establishing a relationship between CDP score and other control variables, this study also found a relationship with Board size, asset size, energy consumption and Tobin’s Q, which is common in the existing literature. Research limitations/implications The limitations of the study mostly revolve around samples and the time period. To further test the generalizability and cross-sectional validity of the outcomes, it is suggested that the proposed framework be tested in more socially responsible firms. Practical implications There are increasing pressures for WOBs from diverse stakeholders, such as the European Commission, national governments, politicians, employer lobby groups, shareholders, Fortune and Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) rankings and best places for women to work lists. The study offers insights to policy makers implementing gender quota legislation. Originality/value The study has important implications for putting into practice good corporate governance and, in particular, gender diversity. The outcomes of the analyses advocate that companies that included women directors and had a smaller board size may expect to achieve a higher level of carbon emission performance and to voluntarily disclose the level of carbon information assessment requested by the CDP.

scholarly journals Relevance of corporate boards in driving performance in the period that covers financial crisis

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 321-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geeta Rani Duppati ◽  
Frank Scrimgeour ◽  
Albert Sune
Keyword(s):  
Financial Crisis ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Global Financial Crisis ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Board Size ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to examine the relevance of boards in driving firm level performance. For this purpose, it considers firms listed on Ireland and Spain stock exchanges for the period 2005 to 2014, over a period that includes the global financial crisis. Design/methodology/approach This study uses panel data regression analysis to analyse the effects of board characteristics on performance and also uses alternate model specifications to test the significance of robustness of relationships. Findings The impact of board size on performance is negative and significant for Irish and Spanish firms for the study period. In general, the board independence has a positive effect on the performance of Spanish firms for the complete study period and suggests consistency with the resource dependency theory. Research limitations/implications The analysis suggests that in general, the non-executive and the board size do not affect the corporate performance of Irish and Spanish firms during the financial crisis. The fixed effects model suggests positive effects of gender diversity on performance for Spanish firms, while the random effects indicates negative relationship between gender diversity and performance for Irish companies. Practical implications The evidence on the Spanish firms suggests that female representation on the boards may be critical during the financial crisis Social implications The quota legislation on female board representation in Spain is yielding superior results over the soft law approach by Irish firms during the times of financial crisis period. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature on the corporate governance practices and performance of two countries that were strongly affected by the crisis in the European Union. As governments increasingly contemplate board gender diversity policies, this study offers useful empirical insights on Spanish and Irish firms.

Impact of trade facilitation reforms on tax revenue

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 765-780 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sena Kimm Gnangnon
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Tax Revenue ◽  
Trade Facilitation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The World ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the empirical literature of the macroeconomic effect of trade facilitation reforms by examining the impact of the latter on tax revenue in both developed and developing countries. The relevance of the topic lies on the fact that at the Bali Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2013, Trade Ministers agreed for the first time since the creation of the WTO (in 1995) on an Agreement to facilitate trade around the world, dubbed Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). The study considers both at-the-border and behind-the border measures of Trade Facilitation. Design/methodology/approach To conduct this study, the authors rely on the literature related to the structural factors that explain tax revenue mobilization. The authors mainly use within fixed effects estimator. The analysis relies on 102 countries (of which 23 industrial countries) over the period 2004-2007 (based on data availability). A focus has also been made on African countries, within the sample of developing countries. Findings The empirical analysis suggests evidence of a positive and significant effect of trade facilitation reforms on non-resources tax revenue, irrespective of the sample of countries considered in the analysis. Research limitations/implications This finding should contribute to dampening the fear of policymakers in developing countries, including Africa that the implementation of the TFA would entail higher costs, without necessarily being associated with higher benefits. An avenue for future research would be to extend the period of the study when data would be available. Originality/value To the best of the authors knowledge, this study had not been performed in the literature of the determinants of tax revenue mobilization, although fact-based analysis was performed.

scholarly journals Corporate governance and dividend pay-out policy in UK listed SMEs

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 459-483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed H. Elmagrhi ◽  
Collins G. Ntim ◽  
Richard M. Crossley ◽  
John K. Malagila ◽  
Samuel Fosu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Corporate Board ◽  
Board Size ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Board Gender Diversity ◽  
Alternative Investment

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which corporate board characteristics influence the level of dividend pay-out ratio using a sample of UK small- and medium-sized enterprises from 2010 to 2013 listed on the Alternative Investment Market. Design/methodology/approach The data are analysed by employing multivariate regression techniques, including estimating fixed effects, lagged effects and two-stage least squares regressions. Findings The results show that board size, the frequency of board meetings, board gender diversity and audit committee size have a significant relationship with the level of dividend pay-out. Audit committee size and board size have a positive association with the level of dividend pay-out, whilst the frequency of board meetings and board gender diversity have a significant negative relationship with the level of dividend pay-out. By contrast, the findings suggest that board independence and CEO role duality do not have any significant effect on the level of dividend pay-out. Originality/value This is one of the first attempts at examining the relationship between corporate governance and dividend policy in the UK’s Alternative Investment Market, with the analysis distinctively informed by agency theoretical insights drawn from the outcome and substitution hypotheses.

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.

scholarly journals Do Gender Diversity Recommendations in Corporate Governance Codes Matter? Evidence from Audit Committees

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 173-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nigar Sultana ◽  
Steven F. Cahan ◽  
Asheq Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Audit Committee ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
Women Directors ◽  
Corporate Governance Codes ◽  
Limited Supply ◽  
The Impact

SUMMARY Motivated by two opposing views, the limited supply view and the discrimination view, we examine the impact of gender diversity guidelines on the strength of the association between the presence of female audit committee members and audit quality. The limited supply view predicts that the effect of female audit committee members on audit quality would decrease after the guidelines were issued because they increased the demand for women directors without a commensurate increase in the supply of qualified women directors. The discrimination view predicts this relation would increase after the guidelines were issued since some firms would have abandoned their suboptimal hiring practices that favored men over better qualified women, resulting in higher quality firm-director matches as opportunities for women increase. Consistent with the limited supply view, we find that the positive association between audit committee gender diversity and audit quality weakened after gender diversity guidelines were introduced in Australia. JEL Classifications: G38; M42; M48. Data Availability: Data are available from the databases cited in the text.

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.

What drives the impact of women directors on firm performance? Evidence from intellectual capital efficiency of US listed firms

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 513-530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faisal Shahzad ◽  
Mushahid Hussain Baig ◽  
Ijaz Ur Rehman ◽  
Fawad Latif ◽  
Bruno S. Sergi
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Performance Measure ◽  
Women Directors ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Capital Efficiency ◽  
Board Gender Diversity ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study whether the presence of women directors on the corporate board influences financial performance (FP). To examine the underlying causal mechanism, the authors modeled firm-level intellectual capital efficiency (ICE) in the relationshipbetween board gender diversity (BGD) and FP. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of 5,879 US firms, a structural model of BGD, IC and FP is conceptualized by accounting for the endogeneity issues and alternative measures of the key variables in the empirical framework. In the model, the percentage of women directors is taken as BGD measures and value-added intellectual coefficient as an IC performance measure, considering governance and corporate performance measures. Findings The authors find a significant impact of BGD on FP. In particular, the results suggest: BGD is linked to IC; the influence of board gender diversity on the FP is indirect; and ICE fully mediates the relationship between BGD and FP. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, no study has empirically investigated whether the firm-level IC performance explains the influence of BGD on FP. Drawing on the resource-based view and organizational learning theory of the firm, the authors empirically modeled the relationship between BGD and FP through a mediation mechanism of firm-level ICE to fill the void in the literature.

The cannabis industry within the USA: the influence of gender on cannabis policy and sales

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1095-1126
Author(s):  
Casey Camors ◽  
Stacy L. Chavez ◽  
Andrea M. Romi
Keyword(s):  
Gender Diversity ◽  
City Council ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Empirical Examination ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Perspective ◽  
Opt Out ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Cannabis Policy ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Motivated by upper echelon theory, this paper aims to examine the association between gender and the cannabis industry in the USA from both policy and an organizational perspective. Design/methodology/approach This paper examines two novel data sets in two legal adult-use cannabis states. First, it examines how city council gender diversity relates to city opt-out measure decisions, barring cannabis operations and forgoing related tax revenues. Second, it examines how management gender diversity relates to organizational performance. Findings Results suggest that, from a policy perspective, cities with higher council gender diversity are less likely to propose an opt-out measure to city taxpayers. From an organizational perspective, results suggest that female representation at the highest level is associated with higher sales in the retail sector of the cannabis industry. Research limitations/implications Findings are somewhat limited by data availability and may not be generalizable to all adult-use legal states. While the study recognizes the possibility of self-selection bias in the results, robust analyses is performed to limit this possibility. Finally, while the study wholly recognizes that gender is not binary, it is limited to a binary gender variable based on the gender recognition software used in this study. It is also understood that this may not accurately capture the richness of a more inclusive examination of gender. Practical implications Results from this study inform communities on the impact of city council gender diversity on policy outcomes and related tax revenue levels. Further, results inform the adult-use cannabis industry on benefits derived from executive-level gender diversity. Social implications Evidence suggests that gender diversity has a significant impact on the adoption of legalized adult-use cannabis policy. Social benefits from legalization potentially include increased revenues from taxes, decreased spending on cannabis enforcement, decreased health costs and decreased drug-related violence. Many of these benefits substantially impact communities disproportionally burdened by former prohibition. Additionally, the results indicate that gender is associated with the level of sales within cannabis organizations, generating debate about the possibility of economic performance in the absence of historical executive gender barriers. Originality/value This paper provides an initial empirical examination of gender diversity within and around the rapidly evolving adult-use cannabis industry in the USA.

scholarly journals Gender diversity and corporate sustainability performance: empirical evidence from India

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ritu Pareek ◽  
Tarak Nath Sahu ◽  
Arindam Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Positive Impact ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Women Directors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainability Performance ◽  
Corporate Sustainability Performance ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This study aims to attempt to evaluate and establish the relationship between gender diversity (GD) on the board and corporate sustainability performance. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 212 non-financial companies listed on the National Stock Exchange has been considered for a period of 2013–2014 to 2018–2019. For the purpose of the analysis, this study has conducted the static panel data model analysis and also some diagnostics tests to arrive at robust results. Findings This study, from its analysis, interprets that GD or the proportion of women directors in the company plays a significant role in the decisions related to the sustainability performance of the company. Alongside GD, the profitability of the company, measured in terms of Tobin’s Q, and firm size are also seen to have a positive impact on the sustainability performance of the company. Practical implications This study from its findings contributes to the existing works of literature by highlighting the impact of GD on the sustainability performance of the firm. This study thus recommends the recruitment of an ample number of females in the top-notch positions of the board to create a gender-diverse management team to reap the benefits of leadership styles of both genders. Originality/value Very few studies have been conducted on the dynamics of women’s directorship, especially in an emerging economy like India. This study thus tries to fill this important gap in the literature by examining the relationship between board GD and sustainability performance of Indian firms.

Women on board: evidence from a masculine industry

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Arena ◽  
Alessandro Cirillo ◽  
Donata Mussolino ◽  
Ingrid Pulcinelli ◽  
Sara Saggese ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Firm Performance ◽  
Educational Level ◽  
Demographic Variable ◽  
Critical Mass ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Women Directors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Board Gender Diversity ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – This paper aims to provide insights on the gender-performance relationship, this paper studies the impact of board gender diversity on firm performance, by taking into account the “critical mass” of women directors and their educational level. Design/methodology/approach – The hypotheses are tested on a unique dataset of 211 European Union publicly listed companies in 2012 belonging to the construction industry from 28 different countries through a set of ordinary least squares regressions. Findings – The evidence shows that the “critical mass” rather than the simple presence of women has an incremental benefit on firm performance. In addition, results show that the educational level of women directors negatively affects firm performance, as it might impact the dynamics within the boardroom. Research limitations/implications – The quantitative nature of the study does not allow drawing strong inferences on behavioral processes and dynamics in and around the boardroom. Nevertheless, this study will open new research insights on exploring the educational level on board. Practical implications – Regulators and policymakers that should be aware of the influence of women as a group on firm performance and that this role is differential across industries. Originality/value – The novelty of this paper is that it investigates the role of women in a high masculine gender-specific industry and explores a still poorly understood demographic variable (i.e. the educational level) of women directors.

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