Corporate governance, diversity, and ethics in the banking sector
Abstract
This paper examines the relationship between the characteristics associated with a better supervision of the corporate governance of financial institutions, and its effects on both their economic performance and their ethical reputation. More specifically, it focuses on the impact of social responsibility (SR) policies with a focus on diversity on the economic performance in the banking sector. It further shows the existing evidence on the relationship between “good governance” and the ethical responsibility of financial institutions. Most empirical studies indicate a positive relationship between those variables linked to more effective governance, mainly related to board characteristics (size, independence, experience, and diversity), and the ethical reputation of financial institutions. However, the relationship between governance characteristics and economic performance is not conclusive in the literature. The relevance of this analysis lies in shedding light on the unconclusive academic debate on social responsibility and its contribution to corporate value. This discussion is of particular interest in the banking sector given that the empirical evidence is significantly lower than in other industries, and because it would allow to test the effects of the new regulation that emerged as a consequence of the 2008 financial crisis.
Recived: 06 July 2022
Accepted: 08 July 2022
References
Adams, R.B., & Ferreira, D. (2009). Women on the boardroom and their impact on governance performance. Journal of Financial Economics, 94(2), 291–309.
Adams, R.B., Hermalin, E.B, & Weisbach, M.S. (2010). The role of boards of directors in corporate governance: A conceptual framework and survey. Journal of Economic Literature, 48(1), 58–107.
Adams, R.B., & Mehran, H. (2012). Bank board structure and performance: Evidence for large bank holding companies. Journal of Financial Intermediation, 21(2), 243–267.
Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. (2010). Principles for Enhancing Corporate Governance. Basel, Switzerland: Bank for International Settlements.
Baselga-Pascual, L., & Vähämaa, E. (2021). Female leadership and bank performance in Latin America. Emerging Markets Review, 48, 100807.
Bear, S., Rahman, N., & Post, C. (2010). The impact of board diversity and gender composition on corporate social responsibility and firm reputation. Journal of Business Ethics, 97(2), 207–221.
Brammer, S., Millington, A., & Pavelin, S. (2009). Corporate reputation and women on the board. British Journal of Management, 20(1), 17-29.
Chih, H.L., Chih, H.H., & Chen, T.Y. (2010). On the determinants of corporate social responsibility: International evidence on the financial industry. Journal of Business Ethics, 93(1), 115–135.
Crutchley, C.E., Marlin, J., and Marshall, B., (2007). Climate for scandal: Financial environments that contribute to fraud. The Financial Review, 42(1), 53–73.
De Andrés, P., & Vallelado, E. (2008). Corporate governance in banking: The role of the board of directors. Journal of Banking & Finance, 32(12), 2570–2580.
Freeman, R.E. (1984). Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Pitman, Boston.
Fich, E. M., & Shivdasani, A. (2006). Are busy boards effective monitors?. Journal of Finance, 61, 689–724.
Friedman, M. (1970). The social responsibility of business is to increase its profits. The New York Times Magazine, 13(1970), 32-33.
García-Sánchez, I.M., Rodríguez-Domínguez, L., & Frías-Aceituno, J.V. (2015). Board of directors and ethics codes in different corporate governance systems. Journal of Business Ethics, 131(3), 681–698. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2300-y
Guest, P.M. (2009) The impact of board size on firm performance: evidence from the UK. The European Journal of Finance, 15 (4), 385-404. https://doi.org/10.1080/13518470802466121
Harjoto, M.A., and Jo, H. (2011). Corporate governance and CSR nexus. Journal of Business Ethics, 100(1), 45–67.
Hermalin, B. E., & Weisbach, M. S. (2003). Boards of directors as an endogenously determined institution: A survey of the economic literature. Economic Policy Review, 9, 7–26.
Jizi, M.I., Salama, A., Dixon, R., & Stratling, R. (2014). Corporate governance and corporate social responsibility disclosure: Evidence from the US banking sector. Journal of Business Ethics, 125(4), 601-615.
Jo, H., & Harjoto, M.A., (2012). The causal effect of corporate governance on corporate social responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, 106(1), 53–72.
Joecks, J., Pull, K., & Vetter, K. (2013). Gender diversity in the boardroom and firm performance: What exactly constitutes a ‘‘critical mass’’? Journal of Business Ethics, 118(1), 61–72.
Konrad, A.M., Kramer, V., & Erkut, S. (2008). Critical mass: The impact of three or more women on corporate boards. Organizational dynamics, 37 (2), 145–164.
Kosnik, R. D. (1990). Effects of board demography and directors’ incentive on corporate greenmail decisions. Academy of Management Journal, 33(1), 129–150.
Liu, Y., Wei, Z., & Xie, F., (2014). Do women directors improve firm performance in China? Journal of Corporate Finance, 28, 169–184.
Macey, J.R., & O’Hara, M. (2003). The corporate governance of banks. FRBNY Economic Policy Review, 9(1), 91–107.
Mallette, P., & Fowler, K. L. (1992). Effects of board composition and stock ownership on the adoption of “poison pills”. Academy of Management Journal, 35(5), 1010–1035.
Mersland, R., & Strøm, R. Ø. (2009). Performance and governance in microfinance institutions. Journal of Banking & Finance, 33 (4), 662–669.
Musteen, M., Datta, D.K., & Kemmerer, B. (2010). Corporate reputation: Do board characteristics matter? British Journal of Management, 21(2), 498–510.
Pathan, S. (2009). Strong boards, CEO power and bank risk-taking. Journal of Banking & Finance, 33(7), 1340–1350.
Perryman, A.A., Fernando, G.D., Tripathy, A. (2016). Do gender differences persist? An examination of gender diversity on firm performance, risk, and executive compensation. Journal of Business Research, 69 (2), 579–586.
Scholtens, B. (2009). Corporate social responsibility in the international banking industry. Journal of Business Ethics, 86(2), 159–175.
Simpson, W.G., & Kohers, T. (2002). The link between corporate social and financial performance: Evidence from the banking industry. Journal of Business Ethics, 35(2), 97–109.
Sonnenfeld, J. (2004). Good governance and the misleading myths of board metrics. Academy of Management Executive, 18, 108–113.
Webb, E. (2004). An examination of socially responsible firms’ board structure. Journal of Management and Governance, 8(3), 255–277.
Wu, M.W., & Shen, C.H. (2013). Corporate social responsibility in the banking industry: Motives and financial performance. Journal of Banking and Finance, 37(9), 3529–3547.
License:
Works published in this journal are available since 2021 under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license - CC BY-NC 4.0. Content prior to 2021 is not covered by the journal's current Open Access policy.
Authors' Rights:
Authors retain copyright over their work published in the Bulletin of Economic Studies and grant the Bulletin of Economic Studies non-exclusive rights to exploit the work for layout, publication, and dissemination purposes. This license allows the Bulletin of Economic Studies to distribute, reproduce, and disseminate the work on its platform and through other media, subject to the conditions outlined in this notice.
Readers' Rights:
Readers may read, download, print, search, share (copy, redistribute, or link to full text), or adapt (remix, transform, and build upon the material) the content, provided that:
- The materials are not used for commercial purposes.
- The original work is properly cited, including the name of the author and the source.
- Any modifications made to the original content are clearly indicated.
Commercial use of the materials is prohibited without the express permission of the authors. For clarity, commercial use is defined as any activity intended for financial gain or involving direct commercial exchange.
Conditions of Use:
The use of content must not infringe the rights of others or be used in a way that could damage the reputation of the author or the Bulletin of Economic Studies.
Responsibility for Content:
Authors are responsible for the content of their papers and the Bulletin of Economic Studies is not responsible for the opinions therein expressed.
More Information:
Open Access, Licensing, and Copyright Policy