Board Characteristics and Firm Performance: Evidence from the Listed Non-Banking Financial Institutions of Bangladesh

The main objective of this study is to find out the effects of board characteristics on firm performance in the listed companies of non-banking financial institutions industry of Bangladesh. This study has considered five board characteristics namely board size, the proportion of independent directors, the proportion of female directors, the number of board meetings and percentage of directors’ ownership. ROA has been taken as the performance indicator. The regression results show that board size and female directors are positively and significantly related to firm performance. On the other hand the proportion of independent directors, the number of board meetings and the percentage of directors’ ownership do not have any significant impact on firm performance. The findings of this study will help the regulators and policymakers to understand the existing weakness of corporate governance structure in the financial institution industry and will aid in their quest for harmonizing the practice of corporate governance of Bangladesh with that of developed countries.