IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/lar/wpaper/2024-08.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Does Female Bank Leadership Affect Firm Credit?

Author

Listed:
  • Axelle Heyert

    (LaRGE Research Center, Université de Strasbourg)

  • Laurent Weill

    (LaRGE Research Center, Université de Strasbourg)

Abstract

This study examines how female bank leadership influences firms’ bank debt. We combine bank-level and firm-level data to construct a sample of about 116,000 firms from eleven European countries. We hypothesize that higher female bank leadership leads to lower firms’ bank debt, consistent with the view of higher risk aversion for women relative to men. We find that female bank leadership reduces firms’ bank debt. This effect varies with the maturity of bank debt, as female bank leadership contributes to lower long-term bank debt but higher short-term bank debt. We also find that female bank leadership exerts a lower detrimental impact on firms’ bank debt for female-led companies. Overall, our results indicate that greater female bank leadership can hamper access to credit of firms.

Suggested Citation

  • Axelle Heyert & Laurent Weill, 2024. "Does Female Bank Leadership Affect Firm Credit?," Working Papers of LaRGE Research Center 2024-08, Laboratoire de Recherche en Gestion et Economie (LaRGE), Université de Strasbourg.
    • Handle: RePEc:lar:wpaper:2024-08
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://ifs.u-strasbg.fr/large/publications/2024/2024-08.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gulamhussen, Mohamed Azzim & Santa, Sílvia Fonte, 2015. "Female directors in bank boardrooms and their influence on performance and risk-taking," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 10-23.
    2. Anastasiya Shamshur & Laurent Weill, 2023. "Bank Risk and Firm Investment: Evidence from Firm-Level Data," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 63(1), pages 1-34, February.
    3. de Andrés, Pablo & Gimeno, Ricardo & Mateos de Cabo, Ruth, 2021. "The gender gap in bank credit access," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    4. Dong, Yizhe & Girardone, Claudia & Kuo, Jing-Ming, 2017. "Governance, efficiency and risk taking in Chinese banking," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 49(2), pages 211-229.
    5. A. Shamshur & L. Weill, 2023. "Correction to: Bank Risk and Firm Investment: Evidence from Firm-Level Data," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 63(3), pages 363-363, June.
    6. Brad M. Barber & Terrance Odean, 2001. "Boys will be Boys: Gender, Overconfidence, and Common Stock Investment," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 116(1), pages 261-292.
    7. Pathan, Shams & Faff, Robert, 2013. "Does board structure in banks really affect their performance?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 1573-1589.
    8. Regina M. Reinert & Florian Weigert & Christoph H. Winnefeld, 2016. "Does female management influence firm performance? Evidence from Luxembourg banks," Financial Markets and Portfolio Management, Springer;Swiss Society for Financial Market Research, vol. 30(2), pages 113-136, May.
    9. Shamshur, Anastasiya & Weill, Laurent, 2019. "Does bank efficiency influence the cost of credit?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 62-73.
    10. Clarke, George R.G. & Cull, Robert & Martinez Peria, Maria Soledad, 2006. "Foreign bank participation and access to credit across firms in developing countries," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 774-795, December.
    11. Ajay Palvia & Emilia Vähämaa & Sami Vähämaa, 2015. "Are Female CEOs and Chairwomen More Conservative and Risk Averse? Evidence from the Banking Industry During the Financial Crisis," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 131(3), pages 577-594, October.
    12. Baselga-Pascual, Laura & Vähämaa, Emilia, 2021. "Female leadership and bank performance in Latin America," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).
    13. Kamas, Linda & Preston, Anne, 2021. "Empathy, gender, and prosocial behavior," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    14. Popov, Alexander & Udell, Gregory F., 2012. "Cross-border banking, credit access, and the financial crisis," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(1), pages 147-161.
    15. Elizabeth Asiedu & Isaac Kalonda-Kanyama & Leonce Ndikumana & Akwasi Nti-Addae, 2013. "Access to Credit by Firms in Sub-Saharan Africa: How Relevant Is Gender?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 103(3), pages 293-297, May.
    16. Farag, Hisham & Mallin, Chris, 2017. "Board diversity and financial fragility: Evidence from European banks," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 98-112.
    17. Rachel Croson & Uri Gneezy, 2009. "Gender Differences in Preferences," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 47(2), pages 448-474, June.
    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. Denis DAVYDOV & Tatiana GARANINA & Laurent WEILL, 2022. "Managing Bank Liquidity Hoarding during Uncertain Times: The Role of Board Gender Diversity," Working Papers of LaRGE Research Center 2022-08, Laboratoire de Recherche en Gestion et Economie (LaRGE), Université de Strasbourg.
    2. repec:zbw:bofitp:2022_011 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Davydov, Denis & Garanina, Tatiana & Weill, Laurent, 2022. "Managing bank liquidity hoarding during uncertain times : The role of board gender diversity," BOFIT Discussion Papers 11/2022, Bank of Finland, Institute for Economies in Transition.
    4. 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.
    5. Elnahass, Marwa & Alharbi, Rana & Mohamed, Toka S. & McLaren, Josie, 2023. "The Nexus among board diversity and bank stability: Implications from gender, nationality and education," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    6. Abou-El-Sood, Heba, 2021. "Board gender diversity, power, and bank risk taking," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    7. Mascia, Danilo V. & Rossi, Stefania P.S., 2017. "Is there a gender effect on the cost of bank financing?," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 136-153.
    8. Cardillo, Giovanni & Onali, Enrico & Torluccio, Giuseppe, 2021. "Does gender diversity on banks' boards matter? Evidence from public bailouts," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    9. Simms Mensah Kyei & Nereida Polovina & Seyram Pearl Kumah, 2022. "The dynamic relationship between bank risk and corporate governance in Africa," Cogent Business & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(1), pages 2124597-212, December.
    10. Chen, Xiao & Huang, Bihong & Ye, Dezhu, 2019. "The Gender Gap in Peer-to-Peer Lending: Evidence from the People’s Republic of China," ADBI Working Papers 977, Asian Development Bank Institute.
    11. 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).
    12. Osei-Tutu, Francis & Weill, Laurent, 2022. "Bank efficiency and access to credit: International evidence," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 46(3).
    13. Bertrand, Jérémie & Burietz, Aurore & Perrin, Caroline, 2022. "Just the two of us, we can(’t) make it if we try: Owner-CEO gender and discouragement," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    14. Young Zik Shin & Jeung-Yoon Chang & Kyeongmin Jeon & Hyunpyo Kim, 2020. "Female directors on the board and investment efficiency: evidence from Korea," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 19(4), pages 438-479, September.
    15. Chen, Xiao & Huang, Bihong & Ye, Dezhu, 2020. "Gender gap in peer-to-peer lending: Evidence from China," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    16. Tampakoudis, Ioannis & Nerantzidis, Michail & Eweje, Gabriel & Leventis, Stergios, 2022. "The impact of gender diversity on shareholder wealth: Evidence from European bank M&A," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    17. Hasan, Iftekhar & Jackowicz, Krzysztof & Kowalewski, Oskar & Kozłowski, Łukasz, 2023. "Cultural values of parent bank board members and lending by foreign subsidiaries: The moderating role of personal traits," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    18. Allison, Lee & Liu, Yu & Murtinu, Samuele & Wei, Zuobao, 2023. "Gender and firm performance around the world: The roles of finance, technology and labor," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    19. Florian Léon & Laurent Weill, 2024. "Elections hinder firms' access to credit," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 32(1), pages 73-107, January.
    20. Mohammadi, Ali & Shafi, Kourosh, 2015. "The contribution patterns of equity-crowdfunding investors: Gender, Risk aversion and Observational learning," Working Paper Series in Economics and Institutions of Innovation 419, Royal Institute of Technology, CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies.
    21. Kara, Alper & Nanteza, Aziidah & Ozkan, Aydin & Yildiz, Yilmaz, 2022. "Board gender diversity and responsible banking during the COVID-19 pandemic," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    banking; gender; access to credit.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • G41 - Financial Economics - - Behavioral Finance - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making in Financial Markets

    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:lar:wpaper:2024-08. 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: Christophe J. Godlewski (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/lastrfr.html .

    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.