Search

This study investigates the impact of women directors on a firm’s sustainable growth rate. Using data from 2003 to 2017 for Chinese listed firms, we found a positive relationship between women directors and a sustainable growth rate. Our study also contributes to institutional theory by providing evidence that this positive relationship is more effective in legal-person-controlled firms than state-controlled firms. In comparison, women independent directors have a stronger influence than women executive directors on sustainable growth. Similarly, board gender diversity with three or more female directors substantially affects firms’ sustainable growth, consistent with critical mass theory. Our study’s findings are robust in terms of alternative estimations techniques, variable specifications, and different identification strategies, such as two-stage least squares and propensity score matching. Our study provides novel evidence on women directors’ role in increasing firms’ sustainable growth rate by adding a new dimension to the ongoing debate in the gender diversity literature.

Board diversity has become a major topic in a developed context, yet its impact has not been examined by scholars in emerging economies where the liberalization of women is not equally popular. Based on upper echelons theory, this study explores the impact of female board directors on corporate environmental investment (CEI), as well as its boundary conditions under different institutional backgrounds. Taking 463 A-share listed corporations in Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchange from 2008–2017 as examples, we reveal that female board directors are positively related to CEI. In addition, provincial pollution level and regional legal development strengthen the positive relationship between female board directors and CEI. These findings contribute to upper echelons theory that board diversity facilitates corporate pro-social behaviors, especially under pressure from the external environment, emphasizing the influence of female directors’ characteristics. Our research also has managerial implications that corporations may enhance their representation of female directors for better environmental actions and subsequent better marketing performance as well as improved reputation. Moreover, the government is suggested to put forward regulations that increase the proportion of female directors in order to enhance corporate environmental investment.

This study investigates the relationship between gender diversity on the board and dividend payouts in China using a large sample over the period 2003–2017. Our results provide robust and strong evidence showing that gender diversity on the board is positively associated with cash payments of dividends. The empirical outcomes confirm that gender diversity on the board facilitates corporate governance and subsequently promotes dividend payouts. We demonstrate that gender diversity on the board has the greatest effect when the board has critical mass participation (three or more female directors) compared with only their token participation. However, independent female directors increase dividend payouts, while female executive directors do not have a significant impact. Furthermore, we extend the literature on the relationship between dividend payments and government ownership by providing evidence that gender diversity has a higher impact on dividend payouts for state-owned enterprises than non-state-owned enterprises. After controlling the endogeneity problems, our findings are reliable and robust. JEL classifications: G30, G35

Kvinnor är underrepresenterade i svenska bolagsstyrelser i förhållande till EUkommissionens rekommendation på 40 %. År 2016 kommer regeringen att föreslå en lag om kvotering om representationen av kvinnor i bolagsstyrelser vid denna tidpunkt inte är minst 40 %. Riksdagen har tidigare avslagit ett lagförslag om kvotering med motiveringen att det är ägarnas ansvar att säkerställa mångfald, kompetens och en jämn könsfördelning i styrelserna. Det är ägarna som via valberedningar tillsätter styrelseledamöter. Vi undersöker i denna uppsats om det finns något samband mellan andelen kvinnor i valberedningar och andelen kvinnor i bolagsstyrelser. Om det finns ett samband kan det vara ett sätt att uppnå en jämnare könsfördelning i bolagsstyrelser utan en kvoteringslagstiftning. Vi undersöker också om det finns något samband mellan andelen kvinnor i bolagsstyrelser och företags börsvärden. I Spanien har andelen kvinnor i styrelser ett positivt samband med företags börsvärden, medan norska företags börsvärden har minskat sedan kvoteringslagstiftningen infördes. Hur svenska företags börsvärden skulle påverkas av en kvoteringslagstiftning är svårt att förutse. Vår studie visar att det inte finns något positivt samband mellan andelen kvinnor i valberedningar och andelen kvinnor styrelser. Däremot indikerar resultatet ett svagt negativt samband. Vi finner därmed inga belägg som styrker att Socio-Psychological Dimensions, det vill säga att människor tenderar att kategorisera andra människor samt interagera och förespråka människor som liknar dem själva, påverkar valberedningars nomineringar av styrelseledamöter. Vidare visar vår studie att andelen kvinnor i styrelser har ett positivt samband med företags börsvärden. In contrast to the recommendation of the EU-commission, women are presently underrepresented in Swedish corporate boards. In the year of 2016 it is possible that a gender quota on Swedish corporate boards will be imposed by the government. This law will require a 40 % representation of female board directors. In Spain women on corporate boards had a positive effect on firm value, before the law of gender quota. However, the gender quota in Norway led to a decline in firm value. It is uncertain how a gender quota would effect Swedish firm values. In this report we investigate an option to the gender quota by analyzing if the fraction of women in nominating committees effect the fraction of women on corporate boards. We also investigate the effect on Swedish firm values, meassured as Marketto- Book, when women are represented on corporate boards. Our results indicate that women in nominating committees not result in an increase of the fraction of women on corporate boards, the results rather indicate a weak decrease in the fraction of women. Our results also reveal that the firm values of Swedish firms increase with the fraction of women on corporate boards.