Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T13:30:59.933Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Contextualizing comprehensive board diversity and firm financial performance: Integrating market, management and shareholder’s perspective

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2018

Rohail Hassan*
Affiliation:
Department of Management and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP), Perak, Malaysia
Maran Marimuthu
Affiliation:
Department of Management and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP), Perak, Malaysia
*
Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

The study investigates demographic diversity, cognitive diversity and internal diversity within Islam among top-level management of firms and their impacts on the financial performance of Malaysian-listed companies. In addition, Muslim and non-Muslim women and Islamic religious diversity on corporate boards are investigated. Even though numerous organisations desire to be socially diverse, the significance of diversity for organisational performance remains uncertain. Are profitable companies inclined to improve board diversity or do other characteristics of the company contribute to firm performance? Does the participation of Muslim and non-Muslim women on corporate boards affect firm performance? Does internal diversity within Islam affect firm performance? Data from 330 Malaysian-listed companies in eleven full fledged sectors were used for the period from 2009 to 2013. This study employed econometrics methodology from panel data analysis to fill the research gap in the current management literature. This study used the interaction approach to examine empirically diverse corporate boards and their impacts on firm performance. This discussion included: (1) a combination of gender diversity and ethnic diversity and (2) a combination of gender diversity and foreign participation. The findings suggest that demographic, cognitive and internal diversity within Islam are significant predictors of a firm’s financial performance. Ethnic women on boards have a significant and negative impact on firm performance. Hence, companies having high profits are more accountable for encouraging diversity among top-level management.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abdullah, S. N. (2014). The causes of gender diversity in Malaysian large firms. Journal of Management & Governance, 18(4), 11371159.Google Scholar
Adams, R. B., & Ferreira, D. (2009). Women in the boardroom and their impact on governance and performance. Journal of Financial Economics, 94(2), 291309.Google Scholar
Ahmad, A. C. (2016). Boardroom diversity and audit fees: Director ethnicity, independence and nationality. The Audit Financiar Journal, 14(4), 413423.Google Scholar
Al-Musali, M. A. K. M., & Ku Ismail, K. N. I. (2015). Board diversity and intellectual capital performance: The moderating role of the effectiveness of board meetings. Accounting Research Journal, 28(3), 268283.Google Scholar
Ali, M., Ng, Y. L., & Kulik, C. T. (2014). Board age and gender diversity: A test of competing linear and curvilinear predictions. Journal of Business Ethics, 125(3), 497512.Google Scholar
Barker, V. L. III, & Mueller, G. C. (2002). CEO characteristics and firm R&D spending. Management Science, 48(6), 782801.Google Scholar
Beyer, A., Cohen, D. A., Lys, T. Z., & Walther, B. R. (2010). The financial reporting environment: Review of the recent literature. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 50(2), 296343.Google Scholar
Bhagat, S., Bolton, B. J., & Subramanian, A. (2010). CEO education, CEO turnover, and firm performance. Retrieved May 5, 2017, from https://ssrn.com/abstract=1670219 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.Google Scholar
Boone, A. L., Field, L. C., Karpoff, J. M., & Raheja, C. G. (2007). The determinants of corporate board size and composition: An empirical analysis. Journal of Financial Economics, 85(1), 66101.Google Scholar
Booth, J. R., Cornett, M. M., & Tehranian, H. (2002). Boards of directors, ownership, and regulation. Journal of Banking & Finance, 26(10), 19731996.Google Scholar
Bouma, G., Haidar, A., Nyland, C., & Smith, W. (2003). Work, religious diversity and Islam. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 41(1), 5161.Google Scholar
Campbell, K., & Vera, A. M. (2010). Female board appointments and firm valuation: Short and long-term effects. Journal of Management & Governance, 14(1), 3759.Google Scholar
Cannella, A. A., Park, J.-H., & Lee, H.-U. (2008). Top management team functional background diversity and firm performance: Examining the roles of team member colocation and environmental uncertainty. Academy of Management Journal, 51(4), 768784.Google Scholar
Carpenter, M. A., & Fredrickson, J. W. (2001). Top management teams, global strategic posture, and the moderating role of uncertainty. Academy of Management Journal, 44(3), 533545.Google Scholar
Carson, C. M., Mosley, D. C., & Boyar, S. L. (2004). Performance gains through diverse top management teams. Team Performance Management: An International Journal, 10(5/6), 121126.Google Scholar
Carter, D., D’Souza, F. P., Simkins, B. J., & Simpson, W. G. (2007). The diversity of corporate board committees and firm financial performance. Retrieved June 1, 2017, from https://ssrn.com/abstract=972763 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.972763.Google Scholar
Carter, D. A., D’Souza, F., Simkins, B. J., & Simpson, W. G. (2010). The gender and ethnic diversity of US boards and board committees and firm financial performance. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 18(5), 396414.Google Scholar
Carter, D. A., Simkins, B. J., & Simpson, W. G. (2003). Corporate governance, board diversity, and firm value. Financial Review, 38(1), 3353.Google Scholar
Certo, S. T., Lester, R. H., Dalton, C. M., & Dalton, D. R. (2006). Top management teams, strategy and financial performance: A meta‐analytic examination. Journal of Management studies, 43(4), 813839.Google Scholar
Chen, R., Dyball, M. C., & Wright, S. (2009). The link between board composition and corporate diversification in Australian corporations. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 17(2), 208223.Google Scholar
Cheng, L. T., Chan, R. Y., & Leung, T. (2010). Management demography and corporate performance: Evidence from China. International Business Review, 19(3), 261275.Google Scholar
Choi, S., & Hasan, I. (2005). Ownership, governance, and bank performance: Korean experience. Financial Markets, Institutions & Instruments, 14(4), 215242.Google Scholar
Coles, J. L., Daniel, N. D., & Naveen, L. (2008). Boards: Does one size fit all? Journal of Financial Economics, 87(2), 329356.Google Scholar
Co-Operation, O. F. E., and Development (2004). OECD principles of corporate governance 2004. Paris, France: OECD Publishing.Google Scholar
Core, J. E., Holthausen, R. W., & Larcker, D. F. (1999). Corporate governance, chief executive officer compensation, and firm performance. Journal of Financial Economics, 51(3), 371406.Google Scholar
Darmadi, S. (2013). Board members’ education and firm performance: Evidence from a developing economy. International Journal of Commerce and Management, 23(2), 113135.Google Scholar
Desvaux, G., Devillard-Hoellinger, S., & Baumgarten, P. (2007). Women matter: Gender diversity, a corporate performance driver. Paris: McKinsey.Google Scholar
Dunning, J. H. (1988). Explaining international production. London, Boston: Unwin Hyman.Google Scholar
Eisenberg, T., Sundgren, S., & Wells, M. T. (1998). Larger board size and decreasing firm value in small firms. Journal of Financial Economics, 48(1), 3554.Google Scholar
Erhardt, N. L., Werbel, J. D., & Shrader, C. B. (2003). Board of director diversity and firm financial performance. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 11(2), 102111.Google Scholar
Erkut, S., Kramer, V. W., & Konrad, A. M. (2008). Critical mass: Does the number of women on a corporate board make a difference? In S. Vinnicombe, V. Singh, R. Burke, D. Bilimoria, & M. Huse (Eds.), Women on corporate boards of directors: International research and practice (pp. 350366). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.Google Scholar
Farrer, J. (2004). A practical approach to diversity. Industrial and Commercial Training, 36(4), 175177.Google Scholar
Farrell, K. A., & Hersch, P. L. (2005). Additions to corporate boards: The effect of gender. Journal of Corporate Finance, 11(1), 85106.Google Scholar
Fitzsimmons, S. R. (2012). Women on Canadian boards of directors: Why skirts in seats aren’t enough. Business Horizons, 55(6), 557566.Google Scholar
Gelfeld, M. J., Nishii, L. H., Raver, J. L., & Schneider, B. (2007). Discrimination in organizations: An organizational-level systems perspective (Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies, Working Paper No. 07-08). Ithaca, NY: School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies. Retrieved May 11, 2017, from http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1471&context= cahrswp.Google Scholar
Gregory, B. T., Rutherford, M. W., Oswald, S., & Gardiner, L. (2005). An empirical investigation of the growth cycle theory of small firm financing. Journal of Small Business Management, 43(4), 382392.Google Scholar
Hambrick, D. C., Cho, T. S., & Chen, M.-J. (1996). The influence of top management team heterogeneity on firms’ competitive moves. Administrative Science Quarterly, 41(4), 659684.Google Scholar
Hambrick, D. C., & Mason, P. A. (1984). Upper echelons: The organization as a reflection of its top managers. Academy of Management Review, 9(2), 193206.Google Scholar
Haniffa, R., & Hudaib, M. (2006). Corporate governance structure and performance of Malaysian listed companies. Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, 33(7–8), 10341062.Google Scholar
Haniffa, R. M., & Cooke, T. E. (2002). Culture, corporate governance and disclosure in Malaysian corporations. Abacus, 38(3), 317349.Google Scholar
Harrison, D. A., & Klein, K. J. (2007). What’s the difference? Diversity constructs as separation, variety, or disparity in organizations. Academy of Management Review, 32(4), 11991228.Google Scholar
Härtel, C. E., & O’Connor, J. M. (2014). Contextualizing research: Putting context back into organizational behavior research. Journal of Management & Organization, 20(4), 417422.Google Scholar
Hassan, R., & Marimuthu, M. (2014). Gender diversity on boards and market performance: An empirical investigation on Malaysian listed companies. G PLATFORM – A Journal of Engineering, Science and Society , 10(1), 1725.Google Scholar
Hassan, R., & Marimuthu, M. (2015). Corporate governance effect on ownership and control in firms: An empirical evidence from Pakistan. International Journal of Business and Management, 10(8), 212217.Google Scholar
Hassan, R., & Marimuthu, M. (2016). Corporate governance, board diversity, and firm value: Examining large companies using panel data approach. Economics Bulletin, 36(3), 17371750.Google Scholar
Hassan, R., & Marimuthu, M. (2017). Does corporate diversity really matter in the plantation sector? Empirical evidence from a world Islamic leading country and market reaction. International Journal of Financial Studies, 5(3), 125.Google Scholar
Hassan, R., Marimuthu, M., & Johl, S. K. (2015a). Demographic diversity and firm value: A review on large companies using panel data approach. Paper presented at the 2015 International Symposium on Technology Management and Emerging Technologies (ISTMET), 25–27 August, Langkawai Island, Kedah, Malaysia. Retrieved June 15, 2017, from http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7359028/.Google Scholar
Hassan, R., Marimuthu, M., & Johl, S. K. (2015b). Ethnic diversity on boards and market performance: An empirical investigation in Malaysia. Advanced Science Letters, 21(5), 10991103.Google Scholar
Hassan, R., Marimuthu, M., & Johl, S. K. (2015c). Diversity, corporate governance and implication on firm financial performance. Global Business and Management Research: An International Journal, 7(2), 2836.Google Scholar
Hassan, R., Marimuthu, M., & Johl, S. K. (2016). Women on boards and market performance: An exploratory study on the listed companies. International Business Management, 10(2), 8491.Google Scholar
Hassan, R., Marimuthu, M., & Johl, S. K. (2017). Bridging and bonding: How gender diversity influence organizational performance. Global Business and Management Research: An International Journal, 9(1), 117126.Google Scholar
Hassan, R., Marimuthu, M., Tariq, E., & Aqeel, R. (2017). Ethnic and gender diversity in top level management and firm performance: Shareholder’s perspectives. Journal of International Women’s Studies, 18(4), 112.Google Scholar
Investopedia (2017). Return on assets - ROA. Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/returnonassets.asp.Google Scholar
Islam Online (2007). Rights group says six Malaysians detained for being Shia muslims. Retrieved August 13, 2016, from https://archive.islamonline.net/?p=17694.Google Scholar
Ismail, K., Abdullah, S. N., & Nachum, L. (2013). Women on boards of directors of Malaysia firms: Impact on market and accounting performance. Paper presented at the Academy of Management Proceedings. 73rd Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, August 9-13, Orlando, Florida, USA. Retrieved December, 2014, from https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2145007.Google Scholar
Jalbert, T., Rao, R. P., & Jalbert, M. (2002). Does school matter? An empirical analysis of CEO education, compensation, and firm performance. International Business and Economics Research Journal, 1(1), 8398.Google Scholar
Jensen, M. C., & Meckling, W. H. (1976a). Agency costs and the theory of the firm. Journal of Financial Economics, 3(4), 305360.Google Scholar
Jensen, M. C., & Meckling, W. H. (1976b). Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure. Journal of Financial Economics, 3(4), 305360.Google Scholar
Joskow, P., Rose, N., Shepard, A., Meyer, J. R., & Peltzman, S. (1993). Regulatory constraints on CEO compensation. Brookings Papers on Economic Activity. Microeconomics, 1993(1), 172.Google Scholar
Julizaerma, M., & Sori, Z. M. (2012). Gender diversity in the boardroom and firm performance of Malaysian public listed companies. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 65, 10771085.Google Scholar
Jurkus, A. F., Park, J. C., & Woodard, L. S. (2011). Women in top management and agency costs. Journal of Business Research, 64(2), 180186.Google Scholar
Kang, H., Cheng, M., & Gray, S. J. (2007). Corporate governance and board composition: Diversity and independence of Australian boards. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 15(2), 194207.Google Scholar
Katmon, N., & Al Farooque, O. (2017). Exploring the impact of internal corporate governance on the relation between disclosure quality and earnings management in the UK listed companies. Journal of Business Ethics, 142(2), 345367.Google Scholar
Kaymak, T., & Bektas, E. (2008). East meets West? Board characteristics in an emerging market: Evidence from Turkish banks. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 16(6), 550561.Google Scholar
Khan, H., Hassan, R., & Marimuthu, M. (2017). Diversity on corporate boards and firm performance: An empirical evidence from Malaysia. Humanities, 2(1), 18.Google Scholar
Khan, W. A., & Vieito, J. P. (2013). CEO gender and firm performance. Journal of Economics and Business, 67, 5566.Google Scholar
Kiel, G. C., & Nicholson, G. J. (2003). Board composition and corporate performance: How the Australian experience informs contrasting theories of corporate governance. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 11(3), 189205.Google Scholar
Kim, H., & Lim, C. (2010). Diversity, outside directors and firm valuation: Korean evidence. Journal of Business Research, 63(3), 284291.Google Scholar
Kyaw, K., Olugbode, M., & Petracci, B. (2015). Does gender diverse board mean less earnings management? Finance Research Letters, 14, 135141.Google Scholar
Leckson-Leckey, G. T., Osei, K. A., & Harvey, S. K. (2011). Investments in information technology (IT) and bank business performance in Ghana. International Journal of Economics and Finance, 3(2), 133142.Google Scholar
Lemmon, M. L., & Lins, K. V. (2003). Ownership structure, corporate governance, and firm value: Evidence from the East Asian financial crisis. The Journal of Finance, 58(4), 14451468.Google Scholar
Lin, W.-C., Liu, C.-F., & Chu, C.-W. (2005). Performance efficiency evaluation of the Taiwan’s shipping industry: An application of data envelopment analysis. In the Proceedings of the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies 5, Bangkok, Thailand, pp. 467–476. Retrieved July 11, 2016, from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/ download? doi=10.1.1.570.9722&rep=rep1&type=pdf.Google Scholar
Loderer, C. F., Neusser, K., & Waelchli, U. (2011). Firm age and survival. Retrieved April 11, 2017, from https://ssrn.com/abstract=1430408 or https://ssrn.com/abstract=1430408.Google Scholar
Lückerath-Rovers, M., & De Bos, A. (2011). Code of conduct for non-executive and supervisory directors. Journal of Business Ethics, 100(3), 465481.Google Scholar
Mak, Y. T., & Li, Y. (2001). Determinants of corporate ownership and board structure: Evidence from Singapore. Journal of Corporate Finance, 7(3), 235256.Google Scholar
Mangena, M., Tauringana, V., & Chamisa, E. (2012). Corporate boards, ownership structure and firm performance in an environment of severe political and economic crisis. British Journal of Management, 23(S1), S23S41.Google Scholar
Marimuthu, M., & Kolandaisamy, I. (2009a). Demographic diversity in top level management and its implications on firm financial performance: An empirical discussion. International Journal of Business and Management, 4(6), P176.Google Scholar
Marimuthu, M., & Kolandaisamy, I. (2009b). Ethnic and gender diversity in boards of directors and their relevance to financial performance of Malaysian companies. Journal of Sustainable Development, 2(3), 139148.Google Scholar
McIntyre, M. L., Murphy, S. A., & Mitchell, P. (2007). The top team: Examining board composition and firm performance. Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society, 7(5), 547561.Google Scholar
Mehran, H. (1995). Executive compensation structure, ownership, and firm performance. Journal of Financial Economics, 38(2), 163184.Google Scholar
Mínguez-Vera, A., & Martin, A. (2011). Gender and management on Spanish SMEs: An empirical analysis. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 22(14), 28522873.Google Scholar
Mitton, T. (2002). A cross-firm analysis of the impact of corporate governance on the East Asian financial crisis. Journal of Financial Economics, 64(2), 215241.Google Scholar
Moghadam, V. M. (1994). Gender and national identity: Women and politics in Muslim societies. London: Palgrave Macmillan.Google Scholar
Mohamed Yunos, R., Ismail, Z., & Smith, M. (2012). Ethnicity and accounting conservatism: Malaysian evidence. Asian Review of Accounting, 20(1), 3457.Google Scholar
Monks, R., & Minow, N. (2004). Corporate governance (3rd ed.), Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.Google Scholar
Nguyen, T., Locke, S., & Reddy, K. (2015). Does boardroom gender diversity matter? Evidence from a transitional economy. International Review of Economics & Finance, 37, 184202.Google Scholar
Nielsen, B. B., & Nielsen, S. (2013). Top management team nationality diversity and firm performance: A multilevel study. Strategic Management Journal, 34(3), 373382.Google Scholar
Ntim, C. G. (2015). Board diversity and organizational valuation: Unravelling the effects of ethnicity and gender. Journal of Management & Governance, 19(1), 167195.Google Scholar
Oxelheim, L., Gregorič, A., Randøy, T., & Thomsen, S. (2013). On the internationalization of corporate boards: The case of Nordic firms. Journal of International Business Studies, 44(3), 173194.Google Scholar
Patzelt, H., zu Knyphausen-Aufseß, D., & Fischer, H. T. (2009). Upper echelons and portfolio strategies of venture capital firms. Journal of Business Venturing, 24(6), 558572.Google Scholar
Payne, G. T., Benson, G. S., & Finegold, D. L. (2009). Corporate board attributes, team effectiveness and financial performance. Journal of Management Studies, 46(4), 704731.Google Scholar
Pew Forum (2013). The future of the Global Muslim Population - Malaysia. Retrieved March 19, 2017, from http://www.pewforum.org/interactives/muslim-population-graphic/#/Malaysia.Google Scholar
Rose, C. (2007). Does female board representation influence firm performance? The Danish evidence. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 15(2), 404413.Google Scholar
Ruigrok, W., Peck, S., & Tacheva, S. (2007). Nationality and gender diversity on Swiss corporate boards. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 15(4), 546557.Google Scholar
Santos, M. S., Moreira, A. C., & Vieira, E. S. (2014). Ownership concentration, contestability, family firms, and capital structure. Journal of Management & Governance, 18(4), 10631107.Google Scholar
Shrader, C. B., Blackburn, V. B., & Iles, P. (1997). Women in management and firm financial performance: An exploratory study. Journal of Managerial Issues, 9(3), 355372.Google Scholar
Shukeri, S. N., Shin, O. W., & Shaari, M. S. (2012). Does board of director’s characteristics affect firm performance? Evidence from Malaysian public listed companies. International Business Research, 5(9), 120127.Google Scholar
Singh, V., & Vinnicombe, S. (2004). Why so few women directors in top UK boardrooms? Evidence and theoretical explanations. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 12(4), 479488.Google Scholar
Smith, N., Smith, V., & Verner, M. (2006). Do women in top management affect firm performance? A panel study of 2,500 Danish firms. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 55(7), 569593.Google Scholar
Tam, O. K., & Tan, M. G. S. (2007). Ownership, governance and firm performance in Malaysia. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 15(2), 208222.Google Scholar
Tarus, D. K., & Aime, F. (2014). Board demographic diversity, firm performance and strategic change. Management Research Review, 37(12), 1110.Google Scholar
Terjesen, S., Couto, E. B., & Francisco, P. M. (2016). Does the presence of independent and female directors impact firm performance? A multi-country study of board diversity. Journal of Management & Governance, 20(3), 447483.Google Scholar
Terjesen, S., & Singh, V. (2008). Female presence on corporate boards: A multi-country study of environmental context. Journal of Business Ethics, 83(1), 5563.Google Scholar
Tihanyi, L., Ellstrand, A. E., Daily, C. M., & Dalton, D. R. (2000). Composition of the top management team and firm international diversification. Journal of Management, 26(6), 11571177.Google Scholar
Torchia, M., Calabrò, A., & Huse, M. (2011). Women directors on corporate boards: From tokenism to critical mass. Journal of Business Ethics, 102(2), 299317.Google Scholar
Ujunwa, A. (2012). Board characteristics and the financial performance of Nigerian quoted firms. Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society, 12(5), 656674.Google Scholar
Van Veen, K., & Elbertsen, J. (2008). Governance regimes and nationality diversity in corporate boards: A comparative study of Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 16(5), 386399.Google Scholar
Von Bergen, C. W., Soper, B., & Parnell, J. A. (2005). Workforce diversity and organisational performance. Equal Opportunities International, 24(3/4), 116.Google Scholar
Warde, I. (2000). Islamic finance in the global economy. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.Google Scholar
Wiersema, M. F., & Bantel, K. A. (1992). Top management team demography and corporate strategic change. Academy of Management Journal, 35(1), 91121.Google Scholar
Yusoff, W. F. W. (2010). Characteristics of boards of directors and board effectiveness: A study of Malaysian public listed companies (unpublished Doctoral dissertation). Victoria University, Sydney. Retrieved July 1, 2015, from http://eprints.uthm.edu.my/3928/1/Wan_Fauziah_Wan_Yusoff.pdf.Google Scholar
Zainal, D., Zulkifli, N., & Saleh, Z. (2013). Corporate board diversity in Malaysia: A longitudinal analysis of gender and nationality diversity. International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, 3(1), 136148.Google Scholar
Zajac, E. J., & Westphal, J. D. (1996). Director reputation, CEO/board power, and the dynamics of board interlocks. Administrative Quarterly, 41, 507529.Google Scholar