Board Size, Board Composition, and Firm Performance: Empirical Evidence from Germany

Author(s):  
Andreas Bermig ◽  
Bernd Frick
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 2818-2824

This study examines effects of board composition on firm performance among 24 selected companies which are listed on the National Stock Exchange. It strives to understand the influence of corporate governance by testing 3 variables of board composition namely – board size, number of independent directors and the number of female directors on a company’s profitability measured through the tool – Tobin’s Q. One-way Anova test is used to establish a relationship between each of the three variables of board composition with firm profits. The study is conducted over a period of 5 years from 2013 to 2018 and concentrates on the following sectors - Auto, Financial Services, FMCG, IT, Media, Metal, Pharma, and Realty. The results revealed a significant relationship between board size and number of independent directors with firm profits which meant a firm with a greater sized board or more independent directors also showed higher profits in comparison. While, no significant relationship was found between the number of women directors on a firms’ board and firm performance.


Author(s):  
Mohammad Ahid Ghabayen

ABSTRACTCorporate governance (CG) has received much attention in the current studies all over the world especially after many corporate scandals and the failures of some biggest firms around the world such as Commerce Bank (1991) Enron (2001), Adelphia (2002), and World Com (2002).The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between board mechanisms (audit committee size, audit committee composition, board size, and board composition) and firm performance (ROA) based on the annual reports of listed companies in the year 2011 of  sample of non-financial firms in the Saudi Market (Tadawul). For the purpose of this study, data was collected from a sample of 102 non-financial listed companies.Furthermore, an analysis of regression analysis is utilized to examine the relationship between board characteristics and firm performance. The results of this study reveal that audit committee size, audit committee composition and board size have no effect on firm performance in the selected sample while board composition has a significant negative relationship with firm performance.


2007 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 39-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajay Kumars Garg

Corporate governance issues have attracted a good deal of public interest because of their apparent importance for the economic health of corporations and society in general, especially after the plethora of corporate scams and debacles in recent times. Corporate governance issues flow from the concept of accountability and governance and assume greater significance and magnitude in the case of corporate form of organization where the ownership and management of organizations are distanced. And, it is in this context that the pivotal role played by the board of directors in maintaining an effective organization assumes much importance. A major part of the debate on corporate governance centres around board composition especially board size and independence. Various committees have mandated a minimum number of independent directors and have given guidelines on board composition. However, the relationship of board characteristics such as composition, size, and independence with performance has not yet been established. This paper addresses this question: Does the board size and independence really matter in terms of influencing firm's performance? The findings suggest that: There is an inverse association between board size and firm performance. Different proportions of board independence have dissimilar impact on firm performance. The impact of board independence on firm performance is more when the board independence is between 50 and 60 per cent. Smaller boards are more efficient than the larger ones, the board size limit of six suggested as the ideal. Independent directors have so far failed to perform their monitoring role effectively and improve the performance of the firm. The guidelines on corporate governance should take into account the ‘cross-board’ phenomenon while defining the criteria for eligibility for appointment as an independent director. Lack of training to function as independent directors and ignorance of the procedures, tasks, and responsibilities expected of them could be reasons for the independent directors' non-performance. A bad performance leads to an increase in board size, which in turn, hampers performance. Guidelines are provided for future studies to include different variables to see which board composition is suitable for different companies at different stages of life cycle.


2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 114-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Kyereboah-Coleman ◽  
Nicholas Biekpe

The paper examined board characteristics and its impact on the performance of non-financial listed firms in Ghana. Data covering 11 year period (1990-2001) was used and analysis conducted within the panel data framework. The study shows that most Ghanaian firms adopt the two-tier board structure and are largely non-independent. The regression results, though relatively mixed, confirm other studies and show that there should be a clear separation of the two critical positions of CEO and board chairman in order to reduce agency cost for enhanced firm performance.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 150-159
Author(s):  
Zyad Marashdeh ◽  
Mohammad W. Alomari ◽  
Mahmoud Mohmad Aleqab ◽  
Rateb Mohammad Alqatamin

The study aims to examine the impact of board characteristics on firm performance of non-financial institutions in Jordan. The study employs the random effects regression model to analyze the panel data of 77 non-financial institutions of the industrial and services sector over the period 2008–2019. Firm performance is measured by return on assets ROA. While board characteristics were explained by board size, CEO duality, CEO tenure, non-executive directors (NEDs), and a number of board meetings. Firm age and firm size were added to our model as control variables. Our results reveal that board size, CEO tenure, non-executive directors (NEDs), firm age, and firm size have a positive significant impact on firm performance, whereas the CEO duality and a number of board meetings have a negative significant impact on firm performance. This paper will contribute to the ongoing debate on the relationship between the board characteristics and firm performance. Therefore, the current study extends previous literature by providing empirical evidence about the relationship between board characteristics and a firm performance. Particularly in developing countries, there is relatively a little researched area. Jordanian firms are needed to consider the significance of the board characteristics especially, for the non-financial institutions that can help them in designing the board strategies to enhance their performance. Therefore, Jordanian data will offer new empirical evidence in an emerging market, which will provide a better understanding of the relationship between board characteristics and firm performance.


2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 635-654 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee-Lee Chong ◽  
Hway-Boon Ong ◽  
Siow-Hooi Tan

Purpose This paper aims to examine how board composition, political connections and sustainability practices affect risk-taking and performance of firms. Design/methodology/approach This paper used secondary data and regression technique to analyse the relationship. A sample consisting of 290 firm-year observations was applied in the analysis. Findings The findings show that a larger board size contributes to greater financial risk; however, this risk can be reduced with more independent directors in the boardroom. An optimal board size with appropriate number of independent directors is desired, as a large board size can be harmful to firm performance. Politically connected firms also generate lower risk-taking and performance, and the double-edged sword effect of political connections needs to be considered. In terms of sustainability practices, firms have to engage in sustainable development to maximise the firms’ value, not ignoring the vital role of women in strategising business performance. However, the effect of sustainability practices on firms’ risk-taking is still not noticeable. Research limitations/implications Even though the sample size is not large because of the limited availability of data, the findings, to a certain extent, could be generalised to emerging markets, as most emerging markets do have similar financial and economic developments. Practical implications The findings from this paper can be used to support the implementation of sustainability practices, especially in those countries where sustainability initiatives are yet to be widely accepted. Originality/value This is one of the first few studies that examined the effect of non-financial information on risk-taking and performance of firms. This study concludes the positive effect of sustainability practices on firm performance.


2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  

This study examines whether board diversity affects firm performance. We investigate this study using panel data of a sample of S&P 500 firms during a 12 year period. After controlling for industry, firm size, and other board composition variables, we find that all three board diversity variables of interest – gender, ethnicity, and age have a significant influence on firm performance. While ethnicity and age have a positive influence on firm performance, it was found that gender has a negative influence. Implications for future research are discussed.


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