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Female directors: Why are some less informed than others?

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  • Mobbs, Shawn
  • Tan, Yongxian
  • Zhang, Shage

Abstract

We find the limited supply of female directors, rather than gender differences or boardroom biases, can create an informational disadvantage for some female independent directors, as measured by their open market trading profits. The information disparity is largely isolated to firms with abnormally low representation by female directors. Female independent directors who are located further away from the company's headquarters, have less industry experience or have shorter tenure exhibit the most limited information access. Accounting for these obstacles reduces the gender disparity in information. We further find that this information disparity among female independent directors contributes to the variation in their influence on board monitoring. More informed female independent directors are associated with fewer restatements, lower abnormal CEO compensation and higher Tobin's Q. Our results have several policy implications.

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  • Mobbs, Shawn & Tan, Yongxian & Zhang, Shage, 2021. "Female directors: Why are some less informed than others?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:corfin:v:68:y:2021:i:c:s0929119921000596
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2021.101938
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    2. Clacher, Iain & Garcia Osma, Beatriz & Scarlat, Elvira & Shields, Karin, 2021. "Do commonalities facilitate private information channels? Evidence from common gender and insider trading," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    3. Liliana Nicoleta Simionescu & Ştefan Cristian Gherghina & Hiba Tawil & Ziad Sheikha, 2021. "Does board gender diversity affect firm performance? Empirical evidence from Standard & Poor’s 500 Information Technology Sector," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 7(1), pages 1-45, December.
    4. Ivy Eklemet & Ibrahim Mohammed & Emmanuel Gyamera & Deborah Adu Twumwaah, 2023. "Moderating Role of Board Size between the Board Characteristics and the Bank s Performance: Application of GMM," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 13(3), pages 145-157, May.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Board gender diversity; Female directors; Information acquisition; Insider trading; CEO compensation; Restatements; Firm value;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • G38 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Government Policy and Regulation

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