Corporate governance mechanisms and earnings management: The moderating role of female directors

The current study investigates how board gender diversity moderates the relationship between corporate governance mechanisms (CG) and earnings management (EM) practices of firms in sub-Saharan Africa. The study samples annual reports and financial statements of 52 firms from nine sub-Saharan African...

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Main Authors: Emmanuel Mensah, Christopher Boachie
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2023-12-01
Series:Cogent Business & Management
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311975.2023.2167290
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author Emmanuel Mensah
Christopher Boachie
author_facet Emmanuel Mensah
Christopher Boachie
author_sort Emmanuel Mensah
collection DOAJ
description The current study investigates how board gender diversity moderates the relationship between corporate governance mechanisms (CG) and earnings management (EM) practices of firms in sub-Saharan Africa. The study samples annual reports and financial statements of 52 firms from nine sub-Saharan African countries over a period of 2007 to 2019 giving a total of 676 observations. Panel data models are used in the analyses. The study finds that, board gender diversity matters and significantly moderates the relationship between CG and EM practices of firms in sub-Saharan Africa. The findings of the study support the agency theory proposition that the constraining effect of firms’ EM practices may be contingent on CG systems, particularly board gender diversity. The current study is the first African multi-cross-country study to introduce gender diversity as a moderating variable in the CG—EM nexus, thus extending the agency theory. It further contributes to the emergent advocacy for competent female representation on corporate boards so as to benefit from their essential characteristics and skills that drive their superior monitoring abilities, including EM monitoring.
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spelling doaj-art-d6ea251a8ae247f5ab7303fa7b988fa82025-08-20T02:09:40ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCogent Business & Management2331-19752023-12-0110110.1080/23311975.2023.2167290Corporate governance mechanisms and earnings management: The moderating role of female directorsEmmanuel Mensah0Christopher Boachie1University of Professional Studies, Accra, P.O. Box LG149, AccraCentral University, Accra, GhanaThe current study investigates how board gender diversity moderates the relationship between corporate governance mechanisms (CG) and earnings management (EM) practices of firms in sub-Saharan Africa. The study samples annual reports and financial statements of 52 firms from nine sub-Saharan African countries over a period of 2007 to 2019 giving a total of 676 observations. Panel data models are used in the analyses. The study finds that, board gender diversity matters and significantly moderates the relationship between CG and EM practices of firms in sub-Saharan Africa. The findings of the study support the agency theory proposition that the constraining effect of firms’ EM practices may be contingent on CG systems, particularly board gender diversity. The current study is the first African multi-cross-country study to introduce gender diversity as a moderating variable in the CG—EM nexus, thus extending the agency theory. It further contributes to the emergent advocacy for competent female representation on corporate boards so as to benefit from their essential characteristics and skills that drive their superior monitoring abilities, including EM monitoring.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311975.2023.2167290earnings managementcorporate governance mechanismsboard gender diversityfirm-performancepanel data modelssub-Saharan Africa
spellingShingle Emmanuel Mensah
Christopher Boachie
Corporate governance mechanisms and earnings management: The moderating role of female directors
Cogent Business & Management
earnings management
corporate governance mechanisms
board gender diversity
firm-performance
panel data models
sub-Saharan Africa
title Corporate governance mechanisms and earnings management: The moderating role of female directors
title_full Corporate governance mechanisms and earnings management: The moderating role of female directors
title_fullStr Corporate governance mechanisms and earnings management: The moderating role of female directors
title_full_unstemmed Corporate governance mechanisms and earnings management: The moderating role of female directors
title_short Corporate governance mechanisms and earnings management: The moderating role of female directors
title_sort corporate governance mechanisms and earnings management the moderating role of female directors
topic earnings management
corporate governance mechanisms
board gender diversity
firm-performance
panel data models
sub-Saharan Africa
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311975.2023.2167290
work_keys_str_mv AT emmanuelmensah corporategovernancemechanismsandearningsmanagementthemoderatingroleoffemaledirectors
AT christopherboachie corporategovernancemechanismsandearningsmanagementthemoderatingroleoffemaledirectors