Female directors and impression management in sustainability reporting

[EN] This study proposes a new research approach to examine the relationship between board diversity, in terms of gender differences, and the quality of sustainability reporting, measured by several aspects: balance, conciseness, clarity, comparability and reliability of information. In addition, th...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: García Sánchez, Isabel María, Martínez Ferrero, Jennifer, Suárez Fernandez, Oscar
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2019
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Salamanca (USAL)
Repositorio:GREDOS. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Salamanca
OAI Identifier:oai:gredos.usal.es:10366/158845
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10366/158845
Access Level:acceso embargado
Palabra clave:Sustainability disclosure
Female directors
Impression management
6309.09 Posición Social de la Mujer
5311 Organización y Dirección de Empresas
Descripción
Sumario:[EN] This study proposes a new research approach to examine the relationship between board diversity, in terms of gender differences, and the quality of sustainability reporting, measured by several aspects: balance, conciseness, clarity, comparability and reliability of information. In addition, this study examines the moderating role that institutional factors exert on this relationship through the stakeholder orientation of the country of origin. The research questions are examined using an international sample of 273 firm-year observations from 2006 to 2014, applying several regression models for panel data. Our evidence is consistent with the existence of positive externalities associated with the presence of women in supervisory and senior management positions. That is, we evidence how boards with greater female representation decrease the risk of impression management strategies on sustainability disclosure. Female directors are positively associated with more balanced, comparable and reliable information; although, they are also associated with less precise and clear information, given their narrative character. Moreover, evidence reports that these effects are greater in firms located in more stakeholder-oriented countries. Results are robust for alternative gender diversity measures