Does board diversity influence corporate SDG disclosure in an emerging economy?

Purpose: This research investigates the impact of board of director diversity on a company’s disclosure of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The term board diversity encompasses a range of characteristics, including but not limited to nationality, gender, age, tenure, educational level and finan...

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Main Authors: Eko B. Santoso, Maria A.E. Marlina, Auditia Setiobudi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: AOSIS 2025-06-01
Series:South African Journal of Business Management
Subjects:
Online Access:https://sajbm.org/index.php/sajbm/article/view/5040
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author Eko B. Santoso
Maria A.E. Marlina
Auditia Setiobudi
author_facet Eko B. Santoso
Maria A.E. Marlina
Auditia Setiobudi
author_sort Eko B. Santoso
collection DOAJ
description Purpose: This research investigates the impact of board of director diversity on a company’s disclosure of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The term board diversity encompasses a range of characteristics, including but not limited to nationality, gender, age, tenure, educational level and financial expertise. Design/methodology/approach: A sample was drawn from the non-financial sector of Indonesian listed companies over the period 2021–2023, and included only those companies that had issued sustainability reports in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards. The hypothesis was tested using ordinary least squares with fixed effects and robust standard errors. Findings/results: The results indicate that overall board diversity significantly impacts the disclosure of SDGs. Further analysis demonstrates that diversity in terms of age, educational level and financial expertise enhances this disclosure. In contrast, diversity in terms of nationality, gender and tenure does not have the same impact. The results are coherent when the SDGs are categorised according to their respective pillars. Practical implications: This research provides insights for companies to prioritise diversity in age, education and financial expertise when selecting board members. This strategy can enhance SDG disclosure transparency and strengthen the company’s reputation with investors and stakeholders. Originality/value: The literature on the relationship between board diversity and corporate SDG disclosure is limited. This study contributes by highlighting the importance of prioritising diversity in age, education and financial expertise when selecting board members.
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publishDate 2025-06-01
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series South African Journal of Business Management
spelling doaj-art-2aa75332eee64c81b12387c1f3751ed32025-08-20T03:28:32ZengAOSISSouth African Journal of Business Management2078-55852078-59762025-06-01561e1e1110.4102/sajbm.v56i1.50401454Does board diversity influence corporate SDG disclosure in an emerging economy?Eko B. Santoso0Maria A.E. Marlina1Auditia Setiobudi2Department of Accounting, School of Business Management, Ciputra University, SurabayaDepartment of Accounting, School of Business Management, Ciputra University, SurabayaDepartment of Management, School of Business Management, Ciputra University, SurabayaPurpose: This research investigates the impact of board of director diversity on a company’s disclosure of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The term board diversity encompasses a range of characteristics, including but not limited to nationality, gender, age, tenure, educational level and financial expertise. Design/methodology/approach: A sample was drawn from the non-financial sector of Indonesian listed companies over the period 2021–2023, and included only those companies that had issued sustainability reports in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards. The hypothesis was tested using ordinary least squares with fixed effects and robust standard errors. Findings/results: The results indicate that overall board diversity significantly impacts the disclosure of SDGs. Further analysis demonstrates that diversity in terms of age, educational level and financial expertise enhances this disclosure. In contrast, diversity in terms of nationality, gender and tenure does not have the same impact. The results are coherent when the SDGs are categorised according to their respective pillars. Practical implications: This research provides insights for companies to prioritise diversity in age, education and financial expertise when selecting board members. This strategy can enhance SDG disclosure transparency and strengthen the company’s reputation with investors and stakeholders. Originality/value: The literature on the relationship between board diversity and corporate SDG disclosure is limited. This study contributes by highlighting the importance of prioritising diversity in age, education and financial expertise when selecting board members.https://sajbm.org/index.php/sajbm/article/view/5040top management teamboard diversityboard heterogeneousnon-financial disclosuresustainable development goalssustainability reporting
spellingShingle Eko B. Santoso
Maria A.E. Marlina
Auditia Setiobudi
Does board diversity influence corporate SDG disclosure in an emerging economy?
South African Journal of Business Management
top management team
board diversity
board heterogeneous
non-financial disclosure
sustainable development goals
sustainability reporting
title Does board diversity influence corporate SDG disclosure in an emerging economy?
title_full Does board diversity influence corporate SDG disclosure in an emerging economy?
title_fullStr Does board diversity influence corporate SDG disclosure in an emerging economy?
title_full_unstemmed Does board diversity influence corporate SDG disclosure in an emerging economy?
title_short Does board diversity influence corporate SDG disclosure in an emerging economy?
title_sort does board diversity influence corporate sdg disclosure in an emerging economy
topic top management team
board diversity
board heterogeneous
non-financial disclosure
sustainable development goals
sustainability reporting
url https://sajbm.org/index.php/sajbm/article/view/5040
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