IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/pacfin/v93y2025ics0927538x25002306.html

Boardroom gender diversity and dividend payouts in Japan's bank-based financial system: A pre-registered report

Author

Listed:
  • Sakawa, Hideaki
  • Watanabel, Naoki
  • Gu, Junjian
  • Ali, Searat

Abstract

This pre-registered study aims to address a critical yet underexplored question: To what extent does board gender diversity, specifically the presence of women on boards (WOB), influence corporate dividend payout policies within a bank-based (financial) system? This report further plans to examine how dividend payouts are affected by bank–firm relationships. In particular, it investigates whether WOB function as a substitute for, or complement to, bank monitoring in enhancing dividend payouts in a bank-based system. The anticipated findings are expected to contribute to policy discourse surrounding Japan's Corporate Governance Code, which intends to promote greater board gender diversity, and to the broader debate concerning “Who are effective monitors in influencing corporate payout behavior within bank-based systems?”

Suggested Citation

  • Sakawa, Hideaki & Watanabel, Naoki & Gu, Junjian & Ali, Searat, 2025. "Boardroom gender diversity and dividend payouts in Japan's bank-based financial system: A pre-registered report," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:pacfin:v:93:y:2025:i:c:s0927538x25002306
    DOI: 10.1016/j.pacfin.2025.102893
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0927538X25002306
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.pacfin.2025.102893?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

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hideaki Sakawa & Naoki Watanabel, 2021. "Earnings quality and internal control in bank-dominated corporate governance," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 20(2), pages 188-220, April.
    2. Eugene F. Fama & Kenneth R. French, 2001. "Disappearing Dividends: Changing Firm Characteristics Or Lower Propensity To Pay?," Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, Morgan Stanley, vol. 14(1), pages 67-79, March.
    3. Adams, Renée B. & Ferreira, Daniel, 2009. "Women in the boardroom and their impact on governance and performance," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(2), pages 291-309, November.
    4. Smith, Clifford Jr. & Watts, Ross L., 1992. "The investment opportunity set and corporate financing, dividend, and compensation policies," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 263-292, December.
    5. Saeed, Abubakr & Sameer, Muhammad, 2017. "Impact of board gender diversity on dividend payments: Evidence from some emerging economies," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(6), pages 1100-1113.
    6. Renée B. Adams & Tom Kirchmaier, 2016. "Women on Boards in Finance and STEM Industries," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 106(5), pages 277-281, May.
    7. Baba, Naohiko, 2009. "Increased presence of foreign investors and dividend policy of Japanese firms," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 163-174, April.
    8. Evgeniou, Theodoros & Vermaelen, Theo, 2017. "Share buybacks and gender diversity," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 669-686.
    9. Fodil Adjaoud & Walid Ben‐Amar, 2010. "Corporate Governance and Dividend Policy: Shareholders’ Protection or Expropriation?," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(5‐6), pages 648-667, June.
    10. Jagannathan, Murali & Stephens, Clifford P. & Weisbach, Michael S., 2000. "Financial flexibility and the choice between dividends and stock repurchases," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(3), pages 355-384, September.
    11. Masahiko Aoki, 2013. "Toward an Economic Model of the Japanese Firm," Chapters, in: Comparative Institutional Analysis, chapter 18, pages 315-341, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    12. Tanaka, Takanori, 2019. "Gender diversity on Japanese corporate boards," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 19-31.
    13. Takeo Hoshi & Anil Kashyap & David Scharfstein, 1991. "Corporate Structure, Liquidity, and Investment: Evidence from Japanese Industrial Groups," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 106(1), pages 33-60.
    14. María Consuelo Pucheta-Martínez & Inmaculada Bel-Oms, 2016. "The board of directors and dividend policy: the effect of gender diversity," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 25(3), pages 523-547.
    15. Hoshi, Takeo & Kashyap, Anil & Scharfstein, David, 1990. "The role of banks in reducing the costs of financial distress in Japan," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 67-88, September.
    16. Sakawa, Hideaki & Ubukata, Masato & Watanabel, Naoki, 2014. "Market liquidity and bank-dominated corporate governance: Evidence from Japan," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 1-11.
    17. Jensen, Michael C, 1986. "Agency Costs of Free Cash Flow, Corporate Finance, and Takeovers," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(2), pages 323-329, May.
    18. Easterbrook, Frank H, 1984. "Two Agency-Cost Explanations of Dividends," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 74(4), pages 650-659, September.
    19. Sakawa, Hideaki & Watanabel, Naoki & Uchida, Konari, 2024. "Do bank ties influence stock repurchases in a bank-based financial system during financial distress? A pre-registered report," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    20. Fujitani, Ryosuke & Iwata, Kiyonori & Yasuda, Yukihiro, 2024. "How does stock liquidity affect corporate cash holdings in Japan?: A pre-registered report," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    21. Fodil Adjaoud & Walid Ben-Amar, 2010. "Corporate Governance and Dividend Policy: Shareholders' Protection or Expropriation?," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(5-6), pages 648-667.
    22. Levine, Ross, 2002. "Bank-Based or Market-Based Financial Systems: Which Is Better?," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 11(4), pages 398-428, October.
    23. Chen, Jie & Leung, Woon Sau & Goergen, Marc, 2017. "The impact of board gender composition on dividend payouts," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 86-105.
    24. Hideaki Sakawa & Naoki Watanabel, 2022. "Correction to: Accounting Frauds and Main-Bank Monitoring in Japanese Corporations," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(2), pages 623-623, October.
    25. Alpa Dhanani, 2005. "Corporate Dividend Policy: The Views of British Financial Managers," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(7‐8), pages 1625-1672, September.
    26. Douglas W. Diamond, 1984. "Financial Intermediation and Delegated Monitoring," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 51(3), pages 393-414.
    27. Kahle, Kathleen & Stulz, René M., 2021. "Why are corporate payouts so high in the 2000s?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(3), pages 1359-1380.
    28. Kim, Hyonok & Yasuda, Yukihiro, 2021. "Economic policy uncertainty and earnings management: Evidence from Japan," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    29. Hideaki Sakawa & Naoki Watanabel, 2020. "Institutional Ownership and Firm Performance under Stakeholder-Oriented Corporate Governance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-21, January.
    30. Toru Yoshikawa & Abdul A. Rasheed, 2010. "Family Control and Ownership Monitoring in Family‐Controlled Firms in Japan," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(2), pages 274-295, March.
    31. Tong, Jiao & Bremer, Marc, 2016. "Stock repurchases in Japan: A solution to excessive corporate saving?," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 41-56.
    32. Morck, Randall & Nakamura, Masao & Shivdasani, Anil, 2000. "Banks, Ownership Structure, and Firm Value in Japan," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 73(4), pages 539-567, October.
    33. Sakawa, Hideaki & Watanabel, Naoki & Hiramatsu, Kenji, 2025. "Do buyback anomalies explain the stock return in Japan? A pre-registered report," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    34. Naiki, Eriko & Ogane, Yuta, 2024. "Main bank impairment and corporate cash holdings during the global financial crisis," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    35. Hideaki Sakawa & Naoki Watanabel, 2021. "Main bank relationships and risk taking in Japanese listed firms," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(9), pages 996-1012, February.
    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. Mao, Xiaoli & Shi, Benzhi, 2025. "Media coverage, corporate governance and cash dividend payout behavior," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 86(PG).

    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. Sakawa, Hideaki & Watanabel, Naoki & Hiramatsu, Kenji, 2025. "Do buyback anomalies explain the stock return in Japan? A pre-registered report," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    2. Sakawa, Hideaki & Watanabel, Naoki & Ali, Searat, 2024. "Board gender diversity and default risk in a bank-based financial system: A pre-registered report," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    3. Sakawa, Hideaki & Watanabel, Naoki & Uchida, Konari, 2024. "Do bank ties influence stock repurchases in a bank-based financial system during financial distress? A pre-registered report," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    4. Qurat Ul Ain & Xianghui Yuan & Hafiz Mustansar Javaid & Jinkai Zhao & Li Xiang, 2021. "Board Gender Diversity and Dividend Policy in Chinese Listed Firms," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(1), pages 21582440219, February.
    5. Wong, Yiuwai & Sakawa, Hideaki & Watanabel, Naoki & Teramura, Eriko & Oishi, Ryusuke, 2025. "Board gender diversity and earnings quality in a bank-based system: A pre-registered report," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    6. Ernest Gyapong & Ammad Ahmed & Collins G Ntim & Muhammad Nadeem, 2021. "Board gender diversity and dividend policy in Australian listed firms: the effect of ownership concentration," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 38(2), pages 603-643, June.
    7. Hideaki Sakawa & Naoki Watanabel, 2022. "Correction to: Accounting Frauds and Main-Bank Monitoring in Japanese Corporations," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(2), pages 623-623, October.
    8. Ye, Dezhu & Deng, Jie & Liu, Yi & Szewczyk, Samuel H. & Chen, Xiao, 2019. "Does board gender diversity increase dividend payouts? Analysis of global evidence," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 1-26.
    9. Madhur Bhatia & Rachita Gulati, 2022. "Are boards ‘substitute’ or ‘complement’ dividend payout? Econometric evidence for Indian banks," Economic Notes, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA, vol. 51(2), July.
    10. Paul Tanyi & David B. Smith & Xiaoyan Cheng, 2021. "Does firm payout policy affect shareholders’ dissatisfaction with directors?," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 57(1), pages 279-320, July.
    11. Aastha Mittal & Shveta Singh, 2025. "Does CEO gender impact dividends in emerging economies?," International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(1), pages 165-176, March.
    12. Sakawa, Hideaki & Watanabel, Naoki, 2018. "Parent control and ownership monitoring in publicly listed subsidiaries in Japan," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 7-14.
    13. Adeel Mustafa & Abubakr Saeed & Muhammad Awais & Shahab Aziz, 2020. "Board-Gender Diversity, Family Ownership, and Dividend Announcement: Evidence from Asian Emerging Economies," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-20, March.
    14. Hasan, Mostafa Monzur & Uddin, Mohammad Riaz, 2022. "Do intangibles matter for corporate policies? Evidence from organization capital and corporate payout choices," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    15. Gyimah, Daniel & Gyapong, Ernest, 2021. "Managerial entrenchment and payout policy: A catering effect," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    16. Hideaki Sakawa & Naoki Watanabel, 2020. "Institutional Ownership and Firm Performance under Stakeholder-Oriented Corporate Governance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-21, January.
    17. Hideaki Sakawa & Naoki Watanabel, 2020. "Main bank relationship and accounting conservatism: evidence from Japan," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 19(1), pages 62-85, February.
    18. Bradley Benson & Travis Davidson & Hui James & Hongxia Wang, 2022. "Board busyness and corporate payout: are all busy directors the same?," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(3), pages 3711-3759, September.
    19. Iwaki, Hiromichi & Saito, Junyu, 2022. "Does rollover risk matter to payout policies? Evidence from Japanese listed firms," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    20. Joanna Golden, 2018. "The Effect of Shareholder Rights and Information Asymmetry on Stock-Option-Related Repurchase Activity," Review of Pacific Basin Financial Markets and Policies (RPBFMP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 21(02), pages 1-41, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    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:eee:pacfin:v:93:y:2025:i:c:s0927538x25002306. 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/pacfin .

    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.