IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/bstrat/v26y2017i3p306-315.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Gender Diversity on Boards and Firms’ Environmental Policy

Author

Listed:
  • Ji Li
  • Fuqiang Zhao
  • Silu Chen
  • Wanxing Jiang
  • Tao Liu
  • Shengping Shi

Abstract

This paper tests the relationship between gender diversity on boards and firms’ environmental policy. Based on prior research, we predict that gender diversity on boards of directors should have a positive relationship with firms’ environmental policy. Moreover, firm character in terms of pollution creation likelihood moderates the relationship between gender diversity on boards and firms’ environmental policy. Analyzing data from 865 publicly listed firms in the United States, we found direct and significant empirical evidence for our predictions. According to the findings, we highlight the importance of gender diversity for the development of good firm environmental policy as well as for the improvement of corporate governance. Moreover, the more likely firms in a given industry are to cause environmental pollution, the more salient will be the beneficial effect of gender diversity on boards on firms’ environmental policy in the industry. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

Suggested Citation

  • Ji Li & Fuqiang Zhao & Silu Chen & Wanxing Jiang & Tao Liu & Shengping Shi, 2017. "Gender Diversity on Boards and Firms’ Environmental Policy," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(3), pages 306-315, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:26:y:2017:i:3:p:306-315
    DOI: 10.1002/bse.1918
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.1918
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/bse.1918?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kate V. Lewis & Sue Cassells & Hernan Roxas, 2015. "SMEs and the Potential for A Collaborative Path to Environmental Responsibility," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(8), pages 750-764, December.
    2. Ken Peattie, 2001. "Golden goose or wild goose? The hunt for the green consumer," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 10(4), pages 187-199, July.
    3. Georg Weinhofer & Volker H. Hoffmann, 2010. "Mitigating climate change – how do corporate strategies differ?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(2), pages 77-89, February.
    4. Shirish Sangle, 2010. "Empirical analysis of determinants of adoption of proactive environmental strategies in India," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(1), pages 51-63, January.
    5. Christine Oliver, 1997. "Sustainable competitive advantage: combining institutional and resource‐based views," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(9), pages 697-713, October.
    6. Gul, Ferdinand A. & Srinidhi, Bin & Ng, Anthony C., 2011. "Does board gender diversity improve the informativeness of stock prices?," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(3), pages 314-338, April.
    7. Teresa Smallbone, 2005. "How can domestic households become part of the solution to England's recycling problems?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(2), pages 110-122, March.
    8. Gabriel Eweje & Mina Sakaki, 2015. "CSR in Japanese Companies: Perspectives from Managers," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(7), pages 678-687, November.
    9. Olivier Boiral, 2005. "The impact of operator involvement in pollution reduction: case studies in Canadian chemical companies," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(6), pages 339-360, November.
    10. Ralph Luken & Rodney Stares, 2005. "Small business responsibility in developing countries: a threat or an opportunity?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(1), pages 38-53, January.
    11. Andrew L. Friedman & Samantha Miles, 2002. "SMEs and the environment: evaluating dissemination routes and handholding levels," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 11(5), pages 324-341, September.
    12. Johan Jansson, 2011. "Consumer eco‐innovation adoption: assessing attitudinal factors and perceived product characteristics," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(3), pages 192-210, March.
    13. Kirker Stephens, J., 1976. "A relatively optimistic analysis of growth and pollution in a neoclassical framework," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 3(2), pages 85-96, August.
    14. Irene van Staveren, 2014. "The Lehman Sisters hypothesis," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 38(5), pages 995-1014.
    15. Helen Tregidga & Markus J. Milne, 2006. "From sustainable management to sustainable development: a longitudinal analysis of a leading New Zealand environmental reporter," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(4), pages 219-241, July.
    16. William Young & Fiona Tilley, 2006. "Can businesses move beyond efficiency? The shift toward effectiveness and equity in the corporate sustainability debate," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(6), pages 402-415, November.
    17. Clarke, Harry R. & Reed, William J., 1994. "Consumption/pollution tradeoffs in an environment vulnerable to pollution-related catastrophic collapse," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 18(5), pages 991-1010, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. María‐Florencia Amorelli & Isabel‐María García‐Sánchez, 2021. "Trends in the dynamic evolution of board gender diversity and corporate social responsibility," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(2), pages 537-554, March.
    2. Binh Bui & Muhammad Nurul Houqe & Mahbub Zaman, 2021. "Climate change mitigation: Carbon assurance and reporting integrity," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(8), pages 3839-3853, December.
    3. Saleh F. A. Khatib & Dewi Fariha Abdullah & Ahmed A. Elamer & Raed Abueid, 2021. "Nudging toward diversity in the boardroom: A systematic literature review of board diversity of financial institutions," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(2), pages 985-1002, February.
    4. Abubakr Saeed & Syed Shafqat Mukarram & Yacine Belghitar, 2021. "Read between the lines: Board gender diversity, family ownership, and risk‐taking in Indian high‐tech firms," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(1), pages 185-207, January.
    5. Bart Manning & Geert Braam & Daniel Reimsbach, 2019. "Corporate governance and sustainable business conduct—Effects of board monitoring effectiveness and stakeholder engagement on corporate sustainability performance and disclosure choices," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(2), pages 351-366, March.
    6. Mônica Cavalcanti Sá de Abreu & Romulo Alves Soares & Victor Daniel‐Vasconcelos & Vicente Lima Crisóstomo, 2023. "Does board diversity encourage an environmental policy focused on resource use, emission reduction and innovation? The case of companies in Latin America," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(3), pages 1161-1176, May.
    7. Francesco Gangi & Lucia Michela Daniele & Eugenio D'Angelo & Nicola Varrone & Maria Coscia, 2023. "The impact of board gender diversity on banks' environmental policy: The moderating role of gender inequality in national culture," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(3), pages 1273-1291, May.
    8. Mohamed H. Elmagrhi & Collins G. Ntim & Ahmed A. Elamer & Qingjing Zhang, 2019. "A study of environmental policies and regulations, governance structures, and environmental performance: The role of female directors," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(1), pages 206-220, January.
    9. Birindelli, Giuliana & Chiappini, Helen & Jalal, Raja Nabeel-Ud-Din, 2024. "Greenwashing, bank financial performance and the moderating role of gender diversity," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    10. Simona Galletta & Sebastiano Mazzù & Valeria Naciti & Carlo Vermiglio, 2022. "Gender diversity and sustainability performance in the banking industry," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(1), pages 161-174, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Christian Felix Böttcher & Martin Müller, 2015. "Drivers, Practices and Outcomes of Low‐carbon Operations: Approaches of German Automotive Suppliers to Cutting Carbon Emissions," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(6), pages 477-498, September.
    2. Ghosh, Saibal, 2017. "Why is it a man’s world, after all? Women on bank boards in India," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 109-121.
    3. Morgan X. Yang & Ji Li & Irina Y. Yu & Kevin J. Zeng & Jian‐Min (James) Sun, 2019. "Environmentally sustainable or economically sustainable? The effect of Chinese manufacturing firms' corporate sustainable strategy on their green performances," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(6), pages 989-997, September.
    4. Kay H. Hofmann & Gregory Theyel & Craig H. Wood, 2012. "Identifying Firm Capabilities as Drivers of Environmental Management and Sustainability Practices – Evidence from Small and Medium‐Sized Manufacturers," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(8), pages 530-545, December.
    5. Hang Thu Nguyen & Tra Thi Dan Vu & Hiep Manh Nguyen & Michael Troege, 2022. "Political embeddedness and the adoption of environmental management practices: The mediating effects of institutional pressures," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(4), pages 965-983, July.
    6. Gabriel Eweje, 2020. "Proactive environmental and social strategies in a small‐ to medium‐sized company: A case study of a Japanese SME," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(7), pages 2927-2938, November.
    7. Muhammad Mohsin Butt & Saadia Mushtaq & Alia Afzal & Kok Wei Khong & Fon Sim Ong & Pui Fong Ng, 2017. "Integrating Behavioural and Branding Perspectives to Maximize Green Brand Equity: A Holistic Approach," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(4), pages 507-520, May.
    8. William Young & Matthew Davis & Ilona M. McNeill & Bindu Malhotra & Sally Russell & Kerrie Unsworth & Chris W. Clegg, 2015. "Changing Behaviour: Successful Environmental Programmes in the Workplace," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(8), pages 689-703, December.
    9. Markus Milne & Rob Gray, 2013. "W(h)ither Ecology? The Triple Bottom Line, the Global Reporting Initiative, and Corporate Sustainability Reporting," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 118(1), pages 13-29, November.
    10. Olivier Boiral & Jean‐François Henri & David Talbot, 2012. "Modeling the Impacts of Corporate Commitment on Climate Change," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(8), pages 495-516, December.
    11. David Coen & Kyle Herman & Tom Pegram, 2022. "Are corporate climate efforts genuine? An empirical analysis of the climate ‘talk–walk’ hypothesis," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(7), pages 3040-3059, November.
    12. Nooraisah Katmon & Zam Zuriyati Mohamad & Norlia Mat Norwani & Omar Al Farooque, 2019. "Comprehensive Board Diversity and Quality of Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure: Evidence from an Emerging Market," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 157(2), pages 447-481, June.
    13. Wai Wai Ko & Gordon Liu, 2017. "Environmental Strategy and Competitive Advantage: The Role of Small‐ and Medium‐Sized enterprises' Dynamic Capabilities," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(5), pages 584-596, July.
    14. Francesca Borga & Annalisa Citterio & Giuliano Noci & Emanuele Pizzurno, 2009. "Sustainability report in small enterprises: case studies in Italian furniture companies," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(3), pages 162-176, March.
    15. Walid Ben-Amar & Millicent Chang & Philip McIlkenny, 2017. "Board Gender Diversity and Corporate Response to Sustainability Initiatives: Evidence from the Carbon Disclosure Project," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 142(2), pages 369-383, May.
    16. Ana Labella-Fernández, 2021. "Archetypes of Green-Growth Strategies and the Role of Green Human Resource Management in Their Implementation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-15, January.
    17. Hannu Schadewitz & Jonas Spohr, 2022. "Gender diverse boards and goodwill changes: association between accounting conservatism, gender and governance," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 26(3), pages 757-779, September.
    18. Frederik Dahlmann & Layla Branicki & Stephen Brammer, 2017. "‘Carrots for Corporate Sustainability’: Impacts of Incentive Inclusiveness and Variety on Environmental Performance," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(8), pages 1110-1131, December.
    19. Stefan Gold & Ilma Nur Chowdhury & Fahian Anisul Huq & Kristin Heinemann, 2020. "Social business collaboration at the bottom of the pyramid: The case of orchestration," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(1), pages 262-275, January.
    20. Sanghita Basu & Mousumi Roy & Parimal Pal, 2019. "Corporate greening in a large developing economy: pollution prevention strategies," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 1603-1633, August.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:26:y:2017:i:3:p:306-315. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-0836 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.