Gendering Corporate Boards and Conditional Effectiveness of Board Processes: Insights from a Sub-Saharan African Country

2021 ◽  
pp. 097215092110362
Author(s):  
Obi Berko O. Damoah ◽  
Yvonne Ayerki Lamptey ◽  
Alex Anlesinya ◽  
Barbara Naa Amanuah Tetteh
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
African Country ◽  
Board Members ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Corporate Board ◽  
Board Processes ◽  
Board Directors ◽  
Women On Corporate Boards ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Board Level

This study explored how and when female board members make effective contribution to board processes in a sub-Saharan African country (Ghana), a context characterized by low female representation on corporate boards, but highly under-researched with respect to the gender and corporate governance literature. The study is based on interview data from 25 female board directors in Ghana. The results show that women on corporate boards contribute to effective board processes and outcomes when their proposed ideas during board meetings are accepted by other board members, implemented by management and impact positively on organizational outcomes such as enhanced financial, product and staff outcomes. These effective contributions of female board directors to corporate board processes can further be enhanced by suitable female directors’ personal-level conditions such as their human capital (advanced degree and professional qualification, and past board membership experience) and family support (supportive husbands, and having grown up children), as well as board-level conditions like occupying chairperson/leadership position on the board or committees, and regular attendance at board meetings. Consequently, this research study contributed to the gender and corporate governance literature by providing new evidence from under-researched geographical context on how women on corporate boards contribute to effective board processes. It further highlights personal and board-level conditions that are necessary for greater contributions of female directors to corporate board processes and outcomes in male-dominated societies and boards.

scholarly journals Aligning Information Technology Within The Framework Of Corporate Governance To Increase Corporate Value In Mexico

2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Fernando Estrada
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
Board Members ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Corporate Board ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Stakeholder Interests

This research focuses on the potential benefits of aligning corporate Information Technologies (IT) with the information needs of Board members to provide pertinent and timely information under good Corporate Governance (CG) practices.  The recent near collapse of some major corporations evidences poor regulatory supervision by all parties, both public and private.  An abundance of regulations notwithstanding, stakeholder interests (both internal and external) have not been protected or served by many corporate boards.  Many shareholders have virtually lost their capital, workers have been unemployed, and government and taxpayers have had to foot steep bills.   Well informed Board members should, in theory, make decisions that benefit their stakeholders and society as well.  Thus, corporate board members should focus on IT as a key resource and ally in monitoring their business strategies and operations. IT permeates throughout business processes and across functional areas in most businesses, so if IT reporting is aligned with corporate governance objectives as well as operational objectives, it has the potential to aid greatly in governance.  An important consideration of course, is what information is provide, and how the Board utilizes it for the stakeholders' benefit.

scholarly journals Invigorate corporate board through Indian scriptures

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 73-83
Author(s):  
Mridula Sahay ◽  
Kuldeep Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Fiduciary Duty ◽  
Board Members ◽  
Corporate Board ◽  
Corporate Failure ◽  
The World ◽  
Board Level

There have been scores of corporate failure all over the world due to poor corporate governance or lapse in well manage corporation at the board level; due to this transparency, accountability, fiduciary duty, interest of shareholders, etc. are impinged on. Erosion of values, wisdom, righteousness, fairness, equanimity in judgment, etc. are appear to be possible attributes responsible for accelerating to corporate turpitude. Hence, this paper attempt to draw attention of the board members to look into Indian scriptures and harmonize them to achieve sustainable and effective good governance and accentuate on their potential in helping to fulfill board’s responsibilities effectively. It also discusses about principles and guidelines of Indian scriptures for good governance that can be adopted in today’s time

scholarly journals Emperical Data on the Correlation between CEO Duality and the Performance of a Corporate

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emira Spahaj
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Chief Executive ◽  
Significant Implication ◽  
Corporate Board ◽  
Essential Information ◽  
Ceo Duality ◽  
Panoramic Analysis ◽  
Board Directors ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Cost

An independent CEO’s discipline is greatly influenced by the way a corporate is managed, hence improving the firm’s value in those corporate that are developing and the ones that have already developed. Additionally, the shareholders’ interest can as well be safeguarded by the CEO and the board through creation of more safeguard guidelines. Macro-economic and micro-economic level corporate experiences significant implication from the governance, whereby corporate governance that is poor may lead to corporations’ failure, for instance Worldcom and Enron experienced this type of failure. This paper scrutinizes the connection between dual and separated Chairs-CEOs structures and implications in the performance of corporate. The interest of CEO Duality emanates from the idea that CEO duality would make a difference to the performance of a firm and corporate governance . There exists controversy in the manner which the company is affected by the CEO duality. The most commonly used instruments in the implementation of corporate governance include independent directors, board size, board directors, chief executive officer, political administration, judiciary, regulatory authority and the government itself. Corporate governance also gives a specific structure via which objectives of the firm are set. Corporate governance also provides the means of accomplishing these objectives and also how to monitor the firm’s performance. Corporate success and board performance does not solely depend on the chief executive’s position or the position held by the chief. It does matter whether these two positions are held by one or two people. This Lack of adequate evidence in the scientific research in order to support the argument concerning separate or combined roles of a CEO, result in management dilemma. A theory supporting joint positions, is that integrating the positions of CEO and Chair minimizes the cost of transferring information which should take place if different persons hold the position of CEO and Chair. Since the transfer of information might be expensive, imperfect or untimely, having essential information reside in one joint CEO and Chair might enhance the individual’s ability to carry out the responsibilities of management. In the other side a theory that supporting of split CEO and Chair positions propose that the board also carry out its supervisory duty better when the Chair is a non-executive individual. The paper aims at introducing and giving a panoramic analysis of the relevant perceptions of management and corporate governance like the CEO Duality and the implications it has in the performance of corporate. Should a CEO take action simultaneously as the Corporate Board Chairman? Would the CEO Duality hamper or improve the performance of a corporate?

scholarly journals Implementing the board of directors’ mechanism – An empirical study of the listed firms in Libya

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill Atkins ◽  
Mohamed Zakari ◽  
Ismail Elshahoubi
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Board Of Directors ◽  
Boards Of Directors ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Board Members ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
Stakeholder Groups ◽  
The Board Of Directors ◽  
Executive Managers

This paper aims to investigate the extent to which board of directors’ mechanism is implemented in Libyan listed companies. This includes a consideration of composition, duties and responsibilities of the board directors. This study employed a questionnaire survey to collect required data from four key stakeholder groups: Boards of Directors (BD), Executive Managers (EM), Regulators and External Auditors (RE) and Other Stakeholders (OS). The results of this study provided evidence that Libyan listed companies generally comply with the Libyan Corporate Governance Code (LCGC) requirements regarding the board composition: the findings assert that most boards have between three and eleven members, the majority of whom are non-executives and at least two or one-third of whom (whichever is greater) are independent. Moreover, the results indicate that general assemblies in Libyan listed companies are practically committed to the LCGC’s requirements regarding the appointment of board members and their length of tenure. The findings provide evidence that boards in Libyan listed companies are carrying out their duties and responsibilities in accordance with internal regulations and laws, as well as the stipulations of the LCGC (2007). Furthermore, the stakeholder groups were broadly satisfied that board members are devoting sufficient time and effort to discharge these duties and responsibilities properly. This study helps to enrich our understanding and knowledge of the current practice of corporate boards as a significant mechanism of corporate governance (CG) by being the first to address the board of directors’ mechanism in Libyan listed companies.

Perceived roles of women directors on supervisory boards: Insights from a qualitative study

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasmin Joecks ◽  
Kerstin Pull ◽  
Katrin Scharfenkamp
Keyword(s):  
Critical Incident ◽  
Critical Incident Technique ◽  
Board Members ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Women Directors ◽  
The Public ◽  
Representation Of Women ◽  
Potential Problems ◽  
Supervisory Boards ◽  
Women On Corporate Boards

The (under-)representation of women on corporate boards is much debated among the public as well as in academia. In our exploratory article, we contribute to the literature by investigating women directors’ perceived roles by interviewing female as well as male board members and by employing the critical incident technique to address potential problems of social acceptancy. In the perception of board members, women directors fulfil three roles: they widen the boards’ perspectives and thus act as (unique) experts, they objectify discussions and they act as mediators.

scholarly journals Critical mass theory and women directors’ contribution to board strategic tasks

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 42-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariateresa Torchia ◽  
Andrea Calabrò ◽  
Morten Huse ◽  
Marina Brogi
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Test ◽  
Critical Mass ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Women Directors ◽  
Corporate Board ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Public ◽  
Women On Corporate Boards ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Legislative Measures

In this article we offer an empirical test of the critical mass arguments in the discussion of women on corporate boards. The literature in the women on corporate board debate concludes that there must be at least three women on a board before the women really make a difference. These arguments are frequently used in the public debate about the understanding the impact of women on corporate boards, but they have never really been empirically tested on a large sample. In this paper we use a sample of 317 Norwegian firms. Our dependent variable is board strategic involvement. The findings support the critical mass arguments. This study offers useful insights to policy-makers interested in defining legislative measures mandating the presence of women directors in corporate boards by showing that “at least three women” may be particularly beneficial in terms of contribution to board strategic tasks.

scholarly journals COVID-19 and Corporate Governance Performance: Beyond the Financial Metrics

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ifeanyi Onuka Onwuka
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Corporate Board ◽  
Return On Equity ◽  
Analytical Technique ◽  
Ex Post ◽  
Financial Metrics ◽  
Post Measure

Corporate governance and, more broadly, the performance of corporate boards have traditionally been measured using financial metrics. These financial metrics such as Return on Investment (ROI), Return on Assets (ROA), Return on Equity (ROE), Earnings and Profitability Ratio (E and P) are ex post measure of organizations performance arising from corporate board activities. These financial metrics are largely one-dimensional measure of corporate performance and do not fully account for the other dimensions of organization responsibilities. The COVID-19 and the changing organizational dynamics have made the case for corporate board’s performance to be assessed beyond the usual financial metrics. In this study, we provide a framework that accounts for the various dimensions of organization activities: finance, social and environmental, the Triple-Bottom (TBL) approach. A TBL-compliance metric was constructed, which tracked the performance of selected manufacturing firms in Nigeria using a content analytical technique. The result showed that the majority of the firms performed remarkably well in areas of profitability and economic value creation but less satisfactorily in areas of social and environmental sustainability. On aggregate, the sampled firms committed less than 1% of their profit after tax on corporate social responsibility, while less than 5% of the sampled firms scored above average on the TBL-adoption matrix.

Benefits of Women on Corporate Boards of Directors as Reported by Male CEOs

1994 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 329-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald J. Burke
Keyword(s):  
Boards Of Directors ◽  
Potential Benefit ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Board Directors ◽  
Women On Corporate Boards

Women currently represent only five percent of members of corporate boards of directors. This study examined views of 66 male CEOs, each with women on their boards of directors, regarding benefits of having women as members of boards. Areas of potential benefit from having women as board directors and their influence were positively correlated.

scholarly journals Corporate Governance Code and Corporate Governance Implications for Business: A Critique of Nigeria’s 2016 and 2018 Codes

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-96
Author(s):  
S. E. Ojogbo ◽  
T. C. Nwano
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Board Of Directors ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Corporate Accountability ◽  
Corporate Board ◽  
Minority Shareholders ◽  
Corporate Governance Code ◽  
Good Corporate Governance ◽  
Corporate Governance Codes ◽  
Code Of Corporate Governance

Corporate governance is the system by which companies are directed and controlled. Board of directors are responsible for the governance of a Nigerian company. However, the shareholders of a Nigeria company have power of oversight over the board. This power is exercised by a majority of shareholders. It is this separation of ownership and control that makes good corporate governance imperative to protect shareholders against corporate board misbehaviour, as well as to protect minority shareholders against the opportunism of corporate insiders (board of directors and majority shareholders). Even though corporate law is the primary legislation that regulates the corporation, corporate governance codes have become important corporate governance standards that helps to guide the board and promote effective managerial engagement with shareholders to promote corporate accountability. The Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) issued two corporate governance codes in two years - the National Code of Corporate Governance 2016 and the Nigerian Code of Corporate Governance 2018. This shows a clear intention to promote good corporate governance in the country. This essay identifies the peculiar corporate governance challenges in Nigeria, and reviews the two corporate governance codes to show how they address the peculiar challenges. The paper undertakes a criticism of the 2018 and compares to the 2016 Code and corporate governance regulations in other regulations. This criticism highlights the weaknesses in the code and the need for a review. The essay thus suggests a review of the 2018 to provide for Independent Non-Executive Directors dedicated to the interest of minority shareholders as an important first step towards providing access to corporate boards for minority shareholders, as a strategy for promoting corporate accountability. The paper concludes that since the very essence of a corporate governance code is to promote good corporate governance and accountability, any corporate governance Code for Nigeria must address the peculiarity of the Nigerian corporate environment for it to be able to achieve this purpose.

scholarly journals Enhancing Board Monitoring Tasks: The Effect of Minority-Elected Directors

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. 85
Author(s):  
Sara De Masi ◽  
Andrea Zorzi
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
Governance Mechanism ◽  
Minority Shareholders ◽  
Controlling Shareholder ◽  
Agency Relationship ◽  
Management Behaviour ◽  
Board Monitoring ◽  
Board Directors

In companies with a controlling shareholder the agency relationship between controlling shareholders and minority shareholders poses significant issue. Managers may pursue, rather than the interests of the company as a whole, the interest of the controlling shareholder. When there is a controlling shareholder, independent directors may not prove sufficient to monitor the management behaviour, given that they are ultimately appointed by the same controlling shareholder whose possible opportunistic behaviour they are meant to constrain. Therefore, minority shareholders may be given appointment rights to the board: directors elected by minority shareholders may work as a corporate governance mechanism that fosters the board’s willingness and ability to monitor managers’ behaviour, on the assumption that managers are appointed by the controlling shareholder. This paper examines empirically whether having a minority-elected director on corporate boards increases the ability of the board to monitor management behaviour. Using a sample of the largest listed Italian companies in years 2008-2017, we find that minority-elected directors have a positive and statistically significant effect on board monitoring tasks. We also document that this effect is higher when they are elected by institutional investors. Our results have important implications for policy makers and, more generally, corporate governance best practice in all contexts in which companies have a concentrated ownership structure.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document