IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jbrese/v169y2023ics0148296323006409.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Beyond the glass ceiling: Informal gender-based status hierarchy and corporate misconduct

Author

Listed:
  • Chen, Shihua
  • Chen, Yulin
  • Jebran, Khalil

Abstract

We use status characteristics theory to hypothesize that status beliefs lead to the formation of an informal gender-based status hierarchy on corporate boards. After controlling for several characteristics of directors, we discover that the status ranking of female directors is remarkably 19.58% of one position lower than that of male directors on boards. We investigate how female director status ranking affects board decisions, particularly corporate ethical behaviors. We specifically argue that female director status ranking is negatively associated with corporate misconduct, such that the likelihood of misconduct is lower when female gender status is positively viewed on boards. Furthermore, we argue that the effect of informal female director status ranking is contingent on three factors: the presence of a female board chair, good governance mechanisms, and Confucian culture. Using a large firm–year (18,266) and director–year (285,229) sample of Chinese firms during 2008–2019, we find support for our theoretical predictions.

Suggested Citation

  • Chen, Shihua & Chen, Yulin & Jebran, Khalil, 2023. "Beyond the glass ceiling: Informal gender-based status hierarchy and corporate misconduct," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:169:y:2023:i:c:s0148296323006409
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114281
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296323006409
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114281?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bin Srinidhi & Ferdinand A. Gul & Judy Tsui, 2011. "Female Directors and Earnings Quality," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(5), pages 1610-1644, December.
    2. Bai, Chong-En & Liu, Qiao & Lu, Joe & Song, Frank M. & Zhang, Junxi, 2004. "Corporate governance and market valuation in China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 599-616, December.
    3. Dadanlar, Hazel H. & Abebe, Michael A., 2020. "Female CEO leadership and the likelihood of corporate diversity misconduct: Evidence from S&P 500 firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 398-405.
    4. Zhu, Jigao & Ye, Kangtao & Tucker, Jennifer Wu & Chan, Kam (Johnny) C., 2016. "Board hierarchy, independent directors, and firm value: Evidence from China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 262-279.
    5. Roman Lanis & Grant Richardson & Grantley Taylor, 2017. "Board of Director Gender and Corporate Tax Aggressiveness: An Empirical Analysis," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 144(3), pages 577-596, September.
    6. Li, Xiaochong & Li, Yanxi, 2020. "Female independent directors and financial irregularities in chinese listed firms: From the perspective of audit committee chairpersons," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 32(C).
    7. repec:zbw:bofrdp:2014_016 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Rajeev K. Goel & Michael A. Nelson, 2021. "Corrupt encounters of the fairer sex: female entrepreneurs and their corruption perceptions/experience," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 46(6), pages 1973-1994, December.
    9. García Lara, Juan Manuel & García Osma, Beatriz & Mora, Araceli & Scapin, Mariano, 2017. "The monitoring role of female directors over accounting quality," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 651-668.
    10. Jinghui Sun & Pamela Kent & Baolei Qi & Jiwei Wang, 2019. "Chief financial officer demographic characteristics and fraudulent financial reporting in China," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 59(4), pages 2705-2734, December.
    11. Xingqiang Du, 2016. "Does Confucianism Reduce Board Gender Diversity? Firm-Level Evidence from China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 136(2), pages 399-436, June.
    12. Ali Ahmed & Yama Temouri & Chris Jones & Vijay Pereira, 2022. "How does firm ownership concentration and female directors influence tax haven foreign direct investment? Evidence from Asia-Pacific and OECD countries," Asia Pacific Business Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(2), pages 235-259, March.
    13. Po Ip, 2009. "Is Confucianism Good for Business Ethics in China?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 88(3), pages 463-476, September.
    14. Jasmin Joecks & Kerstin Pull & Karin Vetter, 2013. "Gender Diversity in the Boardroom and Firm Performance: What Exactly Constitutes a “Critical Mass?”," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 118(1), pages 61-72, November.
    15. Xin Meng & Junsen Zhang & Pak-Wai Liu, 2000. "Sectoral gender wage differentials and discrimination in the transitional Chinese economy," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 13(2), pages 331-352.
    16. Lívia Markóczy & Sunny Li Sun & Jigao Zhu, 2021. "The Glass Pyramid: Informal Gender Status Hierarchy on Boards," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 168(4), pages 827-845, February.
    17. Liu, Qiao & Lu, Zhou (Joe), 2007. "Corporate governance and earnings management in the Chinese listed companies: A tunneling perspective," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 13(5), pages 881-906, December.
    18. Feng, Xunan & Johansson, Anders C., 2018. "Living through the Great Chinese Famine: Early-life experiences and managerial decisions," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 638-657.
    19. Sun, Fangcheng & Dutta, Shantanu & Zhu, Pengcheng & Ren, Wentao, 2021. "Female insiders' ethics and trading profitability," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    20. Gull, Ammar Ali & Nekhili, Mehdi & Nagati, Haithem & Chtioui, Tawhid, 2018. "Beyond gender diversity: How specific attributes of female directors affect earnings management," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 50(3), pages 255-274.
    21. Garcia-Blandon, Josep & Argilés-Bosch, Josep Maria & Ravenda, Diego & Castillo-Merino, David, 2022. "Board gender quotas, female directors and corporate tax aggressiveness: A causal approach," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    22. Liu, Chelsea, 2018. "Are women greener? Corporate gender diversity and environmental violations," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 118-142.
    23. Michael Breen & Robert Gillanders & Gemma Mcnulty & Akisato Suzuki, 2017. "Gender and Corruption in Business," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(9), pages 1486-1501, September.
    24. Schrand, Catherine M. & Zechman, Sarah L.C., 2012. "Executive overconfidence and the slippery slope to financial misreporting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(1), pages 311-329.
    25. Quanbao Jiang & Shuzhuo Li & Marcus Feldman, 2011. "Demographic Consequences of Gender Discrimination in China: Simulation Analysis of Policy Options," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 30(4), pages 619-638, August.
    26. Ferrés, Daniel & Marcet, Francisco, 2021. "Corporate social responsibility and corporate misconduct," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    27. Heckman, James, 2013. "Sample selection bias as a specification error," Applied Econometrics, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), vol. 31(3), pages 129-137.
    28. Wang Dong & Hongling Han & Yun Ke & Kam C. Chan, 2018. "Social Trust and Corporate Misconduct: Evidence from China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 151(2), pages 539-562, August.
    29. Francis, Bill & Hasan, Iftekhar & Wu, Qiang & Yan, Meng, 2014. "Are female CFOs less tax aggressive? Evidence from tax aggressiveness," Bank of Finland Research Discussion Papers 16/2014, Bank of Finland.
    30. Arun, Thankom Gopinath & Almahrog, Yousf Ebrahem & Ali Aribi, Zakaria, 2015. "Female directors and earnings management: Evidence from UK companies," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 137-146.
    31. Simon Ho & Annie Li & Kinsun Tam & Feida Zhang, 2015. "CEO Gender, Ethical Leadership, and Accounting Conservatism," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 127(2), pages 351-370, March.
    32. Jerry Sun & Guoping Liu & George Lan, 2011. "Does Female Directorship on Independent Audit Committees Constrain Earnings Management?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 99(3), pages 369-382, March.
    33. Xingqiang Du, 2015. "Does Confucianism Reduce Minority Shareholder Expropriation? Evidence from China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 132(4), pages 661-716, December.
    34. Aida Sijamic Wahid, 2019. "The Effects and the Mechanisms of Board Gender Diversity: Evidence from Financial Manipulation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 159(3), pages 705-725, October.
    35. Zalata, Alaa Mansour & Tauringana, Venancio & Tingbani, Ishmael, 2018. "Audit committee financial expertise, gender, and earnings management: Does gender of the financial expert matter?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 170-183.
    36. Lin Liao & Guanting Chen & Dengjin Zheng, 2019. "Corporate social responsibility and financial fraud: evidence from China," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 59(5), pages 3133-3169, December.
    37. Luo, Jin-hui & Peng, Chenchen & Zhang, Xin, 2020. "The impact of CFO gender on corporate fraud: Evidence from China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    38. Klein, April, 2002. "Audit committee, board of director characteristics, and earnings management," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 375-400, August.
    39. Shujun Ding & Zhenyu Wu, 2014. "Family Ownership and Corporate Misconduct in U.S. Small Firms," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 123(2), pages 183-195, August.
    40. Shan, Yuan George, 2015. "Value relevance, earnings management and corporate governance in China," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 186-207.
    41. Dane M. Christensen & Keith L. Jones & David G. Kenchington, 2018. "Gambling Attitudes and Financial Misreporting," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 35(3), pages 1229-1261, September.
    42. repec:hal:journl:hal-02312045 is not listed on IDEAS
    43. Ilanit Gavious & Einav Segev & Rami Yosef, 2012. "Female directors and earnings management in high‐technology firms," Pacific Accounting Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 24(1), pages 4-32, April.
    44. Abdul Ghafoor & Rozaimah Zainudin & Nurul Shahnaz Mahdzan, 2019. "Factors Eliciting Corporate Fraud in Emerging Markets: Case of Firms Subject to Enforcement Actions in Malaysia," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 160(2), pages 587-608, December.
    45. Liao, Jing & Smith, David & Liu, Xutang, 2019. "Female CFOs and accounting fraud: Evidence from China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 449-463.
    46. Arnaboldi, F. & Casu, B. & Gallo, A. & Kalotychou, E. & Sarkisyan, A., 2021. "Gender diversity and bank misconduct," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    47. Weiliu Yang & Jinlei Yang & Zhitong Gao, 2019. "Do Female Board Directors Promote Corporate Social Responsibility? An Empirical Study Based on the Critical Mass Theory," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(15), pages 3452-3471, December.
    48. Gopal Krishnan & Linda Parsons, 2008. "Getting to the Bottom Line: An Exploration of Gender and Earnings Quality," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 78(1), pages 65-76, March.
    49. Xing Li & Jeong-Bon Kim & Haibin Wu & Yangxin Yu, 2021. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Financial Fraud: The Moderating Effects of Governance and Religiosity," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 170(3), pages 557-576, May.
    50. repec:eme:mfppss:v:36:y:2010:i:7:p:629-645 is not listed on IDEAS
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Muhammad Nadeem, 2022. "Board Gender Diversity and Managerial Obfuscation: Evidence from the Readability of Narrative Disclosure in 10-K Reports," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 179(1), pages 153-177, August.
    2. Li, Xiaochong & Li, Yanxi, 2020. "Female independent directors and financial irregularities in chinese listed firms: From the perspective of audit committee chairpersons," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 32(C).
    3. Yasser Eliwa & Ahmed Aboud & Ahmed Saleh, 2023. "Board gender diversity and ESG decoupling: Does religiosity matter?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(7), pages 4046-4067, November.
    4. Harakeh, Mostafa & El-Gammal, Walid & Matar, Ghida, 2019. "Female directors, earnings management, and CEO incentive compensation: UK evidence," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 153-170.
    5. Pallab Kumar Biswas & Larelle Chapple & Helen Roberts & Kevin Stainback, 2023. "Board Gender Diversity and Women in Senior Management," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(1), pages 177-198, January.
    6. Zalata, Alaa Mansour & Abdelfattah, Tarek, 2021. "Non-executive female directors and earnings management using classification shifting," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 301-315.
    7. Belaounia, Samia & Tao, Ran & Zhao, Hong, 2020. "Gender equality's impact on female directors’ efficacy: A multi-country study," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(5).
    8. Lu, Yun & Ntim, Collins G. & Zhang, Qingjing & Li, Pingli, 2022. "Board of directors’ attributes and corporate outcomes: A systematic literature review and future research agenda," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    9. Nguyen, Thi Hong Hanh & Ntim, Collins G. & Malagila, John K., 2020. "Women on corporate boards and corporate financial and non-financial performance: A systematic literature review and future research agenda," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    10. Gull, Ammar Ali & Nekhili, Mehdi & Nagati, Haithem & Chtioui, Tawhid, 2018. "Beyond gender diversity: How specific attributes of female directors affect earnings management," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 50(3), pages 255-274.
    11. Abbasi, Kaleemullah & Alam, Ashraful & Bhuiyan, Md. Borhan Uddin, 2020. "Audit committees, female directors and the types of female and male financial experts: Further evidence," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 186-197.
    12. Husam Aldamen & Janice Hollindale & Jennifer L. Ziegelmayer, 2018. "Female audit committee members and their influence on audit fees," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 58(1), pages 57-89, March.
    13. Liu, Haiming & Liang, Quanxi & Ling, Leng, 2022. "Underrepresentation of female CEOs in China: The role of culture, market forces, and foreign experience of directors," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    14. Oyotode-Adebile, Renee & Hibbert, Ann Marie & Shankar, Siddharth, 2022. "The impact of gender-diverse board and institutional investors on accruals management," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(C).
    15. 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.
    16. Alaa Mansour Zalata & Collins Ntim & Ahmed Aboud & Ernest Gyapong, 2019. "Female CEOs and Core Earnings Quality: New Evidence on the Ethics Versus Risk-Aversion Puzzle," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 160(2), pages 515-534, December.
    17. Sudipta Bose & Sarowar Hossain & Abdus Sobhan & Karen Handley, 2022. "Does female participation in strategic decision‐making roles matter for corporate social responsibility performance?," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(3), pages 4109-4156, September.
    18. Eugster, Nicolas & Kowalewski, Oskar & Śpiewanowski, Piotr, 2024. "Internal governance mechanisms and corporate misconduct," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    19. Fan, Yaoyao & Jiang, Yuxiang & Zhang, Xuezhi & Zhou, Yue, 2019. "Women on boards and bank earnings management: From zero to hero," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 1-1.
    20. Maria Strydom & Hue Hwa Au Yong & Michaela Rankin, 2017. "A few good (wo)men? Gender diversity on Australian boards," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 42(3), pages 404-427, August.

    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:eee:jbrese:v:169:y:2023:i:c:s0148296323006409. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jbusres .

    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.