CEO career horizon and financial reporting timeliness: the moderating role of CEO characteristics

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of CEO career horizon on financial reporting timeliness while considering the moderating effects of CEO gender and ownership.Design/methodology/approachThe sample consists of 1648 firm-year observations from non-financial firms listed on Bursa Malaysia, covering the period from 2017 to 2024. For empirical results, the fixed-effect estimator was employed.FindingsThe results show a significant and negative association between CEO career horizon and ARD. These findings suggest that as CEOs approach the end of their tenure, they become more prone to self-serving behavior, resulting in greater ARD. Moreover, the moderating analyses reveal that both CEO gender and shareholding significantly weaken the negative association between CEO career horizon and ARD.Practical implicationsThe empirical results have useful policy implications. From a practical standpoint, these findings offer valuable insights for firms to consider what attributes of their leadership could potentially contribute negatively toward the provision of timely information to shareholders and other users. For owners, the findings help make recruitment decisions to improve the timeliness of financial reporting. From a policy perspective, this study highlights the risks linked to CEO career horizon, offering important guidance for policymakers and corporate boards. It underscores the need to strengthen regulatory frameworks that promote transparency and accountability among corporate executives, especially those approaching retirement.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the literature by bridging the gap between implicit incentives arising from CEO career horizons and the timeliness of financial reporting, offering a fresh perspective on the drivers of ARD.