IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/ijodag/v20y2023i4d10.1057_s41310-023-00179-3.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Board composition, executive compensation, and financial performance: panel evidence from India

Author

Listed:
  • Mohit Pathak

    (RV University)

  • Arti Chandani

    (Jaipuria Institute of Management)

Abstract

This study explores the association between board composition and the financial performance of the companies listed on the BSE-500 Index. The authors also analyse whether financial performance mediates the relation between board composition and executive compensation or not. The authors utilised a sample of 319 non-financial firms from the BSE-500 Index from 2010–11 to 2019–20. This time period was purposely chosen to eliminate the consequences of the 2007–2008 global financial crisis to reduce any uncertainty that may influence the company's financial performance. OLS regression techniques with firm fixed and time effects have been incorporated to test the hypotheses. To address the issues of reverse causation and endogeneity, regression models were employed with one-year lagged values for all predicted variables. In addition to OLS, the GMM technique is also used to validate the findings of the study. The findings show that financial performance fully mediates the link between board composition variables, except gender diversity, and executive compensation. These results suggest that a successful corporate governance system relies on the board's composition and how well it supervises its executives. Thus, the board may devise a fair compensation structure which is linked to financial performance to reduce managerial opportunism. This could help in aligning the interest of managers and shareholders, therefore lowering agency costs and boosting financial performance. Although executives are held accountable for the organisation's growth, sometimes they may act in their interest instead of the shareholders. Therefore, this study contributes to the literature on executive compensation and provides insights into reducing the opportunistic behaviour of managers through compensation design. In the pre-existing literature, limited studies are available that examine the direct or indirect effect of financial performance on the association between board composition and executive compensation among Indian companies. This study adds evidence to the literature on board composition of companies, financial performance, and executive compensation. This study is helpful for executives of the company and regulatory authorities while making decisions regarding board composition and executive compensation. This study encourages future researchers to conduct longitudinal studies with a larger sample and a longer time horizon.

Suggested Citation

  • Mohit Pathak & Arti Chandani, 2023. "Board composition, executive compensation, and financial performance: panel evidence from India," International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 20(4), pages 359-373, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:ijodag:v:20:y:2023:i:4:d:10.1057_s41310-023-00179-3
    DOI: 10.1057/s41310-023-00179-3
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41310-023-00179-3
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41310-023-00179-3?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 search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Conyon, Martin J. & He, Lerong, 2011. "Executive compensation and corporate governance in China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 1158-1175, September.
    2. Duru, Augustine & Iyengar, Raghavan J. & Zampelli, Ernest M., 2016. "The dynamic relationship between CEO duality and firm performance: The moderating role of board independence," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(10), pages 4269-4277.
    3. Ramzi Benkraiem & Amal Hamrouni & Faten Lakhal & Nadia Ben Farhat Toumi, 2017. "Board independence, gender diversity and CEO compensation," Post-Print hal-01590712, HAL.
    4. Omar Farooque & Wonlop Buachoom & Nam Hoang, 2019. "Interactive effects of executive compensation, firm performance and corporate governance: Evidence from an Asian market," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 36(4), pages 1111-1164, December.
    5. Ishfaq Gulzar & S. M. Imamul Haque & Tasneem Khan, 2020. "Corporate Governance and Firm Performance in Indian Textile Companies: Evidence from NSE 500," Indian Journal of Corporate Governance, , vol. 13(2), pages 210-226, December.
    6. Brunello, Giorgio & Graziano, Clara & Parigi, Bruno, 2001. "Executive compensation and firm performance in Italy," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 19(1-2), pages 133-161, January.
    7. 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.
    8. Fama, Eugene F & Jensen, Michael C, 1983. "Separation of Ownership and Control," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 26(2), pages 301-325, June.
    9. repec:bla:jfinan:v:58:y:2003:i:3:p:1301-1327 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Claudine Salgado & Guilherme Schneider & Cristiano M. Costa, 2022. "Does board interlock affect CEO compensation? Evidence from companies listed in the Brazilian stock exchange," International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 19(4), pages 444-465, December.
    11. Liu, Chelsea, 2018. "Are women greener? Corporate gender diversity and environmental violations," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 118-142.
    12. Basu, Sudipta & Hwang, Lee-Seok & Mitsudome, Toshiaki & Weintrop, Joseph, 2007. "Corporate governance, top executive compensation and firm performance in Japan," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 15(1), pages 56-79, January.
    13. Renee B. Adams & Benjamin E. Hermalin & Michael S. Weisbach, 2010. "The Role of Boards of Directors in Corporate Governance: A Conceptual Framework and Survey," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 48(1), pages 58-107, March.
    14. Arosa, Blanca & Iturralde, Txomin & Maseda, Amaia, 2010. "Outsiders on the board of directors and firm performance: Evidence from Spanish non-listed family firms," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 1(4), pages 236-245, December.
    15. Faten Zoghlami, 2021. "Does CEO compensation matter in boosting firm performance? Evidence from listed French firms," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(1), pages 143-155, January.
    16. 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.
    17. Benjamin E. Hermalin, 2005. "Trends in Corporate Governance," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 60(5), pages 2351-2384, October.
    18. Chaminda Wijethilake & Athula Ekanayake, 2020. "CEO duality and firm performance: the moderating roles of CEO informal power and board involvements," Social Responsibility Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 16(8), pages 1453-1474, January.
    19. Martin J. Conyon, 2014. "Executive Compensation and Board Governance in US Firms," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 124(574), pages 60-89, February.
    20. Nisan Selekler-Goksen & Abdulmecit Karatas, 2008. "Board structure and performance in an emerging economy: Turkey," International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 4(2), pages 132-147.
    21. Mike W. Peng, 2004. "Outside directors and firm performance during institutional transitions," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(5), pages 453-471, May.
    22. Mohit Pathak & Arti Chandani, 2021. "The nexus between capital structure and firm-specific factors: evidence from Indian companies," Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 39(2), pages 470-487, July.
    23. Chanchal Chatterjee, 2021. "Ownership pattern, board composition, and earnings management: evidence from top Indian companies," International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 18(2), pages 179-192, June.
    24. Ramzi Benkraiem & Amal Hamrouni & Faten Lakhal & Nadia Ben Farhat Toumi, 2017. "Board independence, gender diversity and CEO compensation," Post-Print hal-02521391, HAL.
    25. Kenneth M. Lehn & Sukesh Patro & Mengxin Zhao, 2009. "Determinants of the Size and Composition of US Corporate Boards: 1935‐2000," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 38(4), pages 747-780, December.
    26. Hausman, Jerry, 2015. "Specification tests in econometrics," Applied Econometrics, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), vol. 38(2), pages 112-134.
    27. Lukas Y. Setia-Atmaja, 2009. "Governance mechanisms, simultaneity and firm value in Australia," International Journal of Corporate Governance, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 1(3), pages 241-258.
    28. Cheng, Shijun, 2008. "Board size and the variability of corporate performance," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(1), pages 157-176, January.
    29. Green, Colin P. & Homroy, Swarnodeep, 2018. "Female directors, board committees and firm performance," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 19-38.
    30. Pankaj Varshney & Vijay Kumar Kaul & V.K. Vasal, 2013. "Corporate governance mechanisms and firm performance: a study of select Indian firms," Afro-Asian Journal of Finance and Accounting, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 3(4), pages 341-395.
    31. Firth, Michael & Fung, Peter M.Y. & Rui, Oliver M., 2006. "Corporate performance and CEO compensation in China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 12(4), pages 693-714, September.
    32. Farid Ullah & Ping Jiang & Yasir Shahab & Hai-Xia Li & Lei Xu, 2020. "Block ownership and CEO compensation: does board gender diversity matter?," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 52(6), pages 583-597, February.
    33. Perryman, Alexa A. & Fernando, Guy D. & Tripathy, Arindam, 2016. "Do gender differences persist? An examination of gender diversity on firm performance, risk, and executive compensation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 579-586.
    34. Pattarin Adithipyangkul & T. Y. Leung, 2019. "Gender diversity, institutional factors, and CEO compensation in China," Chinese Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 52(1), pages 24-40, January.
    35. Muhammad Atif & Benjamin Liu & Allen Huang, 2019. "Does board gender diversity affect corporate cash holdings?," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(7-8), pages 1003-1029, July.
    36. Damilola Felix Eluyela & Abiola John Asaleye & Olabisi Popoola & Adedoyin Isola Lawal & Henry Inegbedion & Louis Murray, 2020. "Grey directors, corporate governance and firms performance nexus: Evidence from Nigeria," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(1), pages 1815962-181, January.
    37. Greg Clydesdale & Baiding Hu, 2019. "Influence of female board members on financial performance of listed companies in New Zealand," International Journal of Corporate Governance, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 10(2), pages 95-112.
    38. Maria-Eleni K. Agoraki & Manthos D. Delis & Panagiotis K. Staikouras, 2010. "The effect of board size and composition on bank efficiency," International Journal of Banking, Accounting and Finance, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 2(4), pages 357-386.
    39. Neslihan Ozkan, 2011. "CEO Compensation and Firm Performance: an Empirical Investigation of UK Panel Data," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 17(2), pages 260-285, March.
    40. Jensen, Michael C. & Meckling, William H., 1976. "Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 305-360, October.
    41. Tulung, Joy Elly & Ramdani, Dendi, 2017. "Independence, Size and Performance of the Board an emerging market research," MPRA Paper 112180, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 12 Jan 2018.
    42. Ronald C. Anderson & David M. Reeb, 2003. "Founding‐Family Ownership and Firm Performance: Evidence from the S&P 500," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 58(3), pages 1301-1328, June.
    43. Aswini Kumar Mishra & Shikhar Jain & R. L. Manogna, 2021. "Does corporate governance characteristics influence firm performance in India? Empirical evidence using dynamic panel data analysis," International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 18(1), pages 71-82, March.
    44. Morck, Randall & Shleifer, Andrei & Vishny, Robert W., 1988. "Management ownership and market valuation : An empirical analysis," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 20(1-2), pages 293-315, January.
    45. Morck, Randall & Shleifer, Andrei & Vishny, Robert W., 1988. "Management ownership and market valuation," Scholarly Articles 29407535, Harvard University Department of Economics.
    46. Jiatao Li & Haoyuan Ding & Yichuan Hu & Guoguang Wan, 2021. "Dealing with dynamic endogeneity in international business research," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(3), pages 339-362, April.
    47. Indrarini Laksmana, 2008. "Corporate Board Governance and Voluntary Disclosure of Executive Compensation Practices," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(4), pages 1147-1182, December.
    48. Riaqa Mubeen & Dongping Han & Jaffar Abbas & Iftikhar Hussain, 2020. "The Effects of Market Competition, Capital Structure, and CEO Duality on Firm Performance: A Mediation Analysis by Incorporating the GMM Model Technique," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-18, April.
    49. Ciftci, Ilhan & Tatoglu, Ekrem & Wood, Geoffrey & Demirbag, Mehmet & Zaim, Selim, 2019. "Corporate governance and firm performance in emerging markets: Evidence from Turkey," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 90-103.
    50. Tasawar Nawaz, 2022. "How Much Does the Board Composition Matter? The Impact of Board Gender Diversity on CEO Compensation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-15, September.
    51. Chen, Jie & Leung, Woon Sau & Evans, Kevin P., 2018. "Female board representation, corporate innovation and firm performance," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 236-254.
    52. Martin Kyere & Marcel Ausloos, 2021. "Corporate governance and firms financial performance in the United Kingdom," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(2), pages 1871-1885, April.
    53. Andrew Marshall & Helena Pinto & Leilei Tang, 2019. "Executive compensation in less regulated markets: the impact of debt monitoring," The European Journal of Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(18), pages 1883-1918, December.
    54. Kweh, Qian Long & Tebourbi, Imen & Lo, Huai-Chun & Huang, Cheng-Tsu, 2022. "CEO compensation and firm performance: Evidence from financially constrained firms," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    55. Nik Mohamad Zaki Nik Salleh & Chong Lee-Lee & Prem Lal Joshi & Shaista Wasiuzamman, 2019. "Corporate governance, disclosure and firm performance: empirical findings from Malaysia," Afro-Asian Journal of Finance and Accounting, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 9(3), pages 269-290.
    56. Coughlan, Anne T. & Schmidt, Ronald M., 1985. "Executive compensation, management turnover, and firm performance : An empirical investigation," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 7(1-3), pages 43-66, April.
    57. Shujun Ding & Zhenyu Wu & Yuanshun Li & Chunxin Jia, 2010. "Executive compensation, supervisory board, and China’s governance reform: a legal approach perspective," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 35(4), pages 445-471, November.
    58. Manika Kohli, 2018. "Impact of Ownership Type and Board Characteristics on the Pay–Performance Relationship: Evidence from India," Indian Journal of Corporate Governance, , vol. 11(1), pages 1-34, June.
    59. Jyoti Mahadeo & Teerooven Soobaroyen & Vanisha Hanuman, 2012. "Board Composition and Financial Performance: Uncovering the Effects of Diversity in an Emerging Economy," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 105(3), pages 375-388, 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. Imran Khan & Anup Kumar Saha & Yousuf Kamal & Md. Shafiqul Islam, 2025. "Do ownership structure and board composition matter in firm performance? Regulatory influence in developing economy," International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(1), pages 263-283, March.

    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. Vincenzo Scafarto & Federica Ricci & Elisabetta Magnaghi & Salvatore Ferri, 2021. "Board structure and intellectual capital efficiency: does the family firm status matter?," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 25(3), pages 841-878, September.
    2. Mamdouh Abdulaziz Saleh Al-Faryan, 2021. "The effect of board composition and managerial pay on Saudi firm performance," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 57(2), pages 693-758, August.
    3. Naeem Tabassum & Satwinder Singh, 2020. "Corporate Governance and Organisational Performance," Springer Books, Springer, number 978-3-030-48527-6, December.
    4. Omar Farooque & Wonlop Buachoom & Nam Hoang, 2019. "Interactive effects of executive compensation, firm performance and corporate governance: Evidence from an Asian market," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 36(4), pages 1111-1164, December.
    5. Franco Ernesto Rubino & Paolo Tenuta & Domenico Rocco Cambrea, 2017. "Board characteristics effects on performance in family and non-family business: a multi-theoretical approach," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 21(3), pages 623-658, September.
    6. Ji, Jiao & Talavera, Oleksandr & Yin, Shuxing, 2016. "CEO Dismissal, Compensation and Topics of Board Meetings: The Case of China," MPRA Paper 70232, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Gregorio Sánchez‐Marín & María Encarnación Lucas‐Pérez & Samuel Baixauli‐Soler & Brian G.M. Main & Antonio Mínguez‐Vera, 2022. "Excess executive compensation and corporate governance in the United Kingdom and Spain: A comparative analysis," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(7), pages 2817-2837, October.
    8. Ning, Lutao & Kuo, Jing-Ming & Strange, Roger & Wang, Boya, 2014. "International investors’ reactions to cross-border acquisitions by emerging market multinationals," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 811-823.
    9. Fidanoski, Filip & Mateska, Vesna & Simeonovski, Kiril, 2013. "Corporate Governance and Bank Performance: Evidence from Macedonia," MPRA Paper 46773, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Mar 2013.
    10. Muhammad Fayyaz Sheikh & Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah, 2016. "Executive Compensation, Firm Performance And Corporate Governance In An Emerging Economy," Proceedings of Business and Management Conferences 4406477, International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences.
    11. Rey Đặng & Lubica Hikkerova & Michel Simioni & Jean-Michel Sahut, 2023. "How do women on corporate boards shape corporate social performance? Evidence drawn from semiparametric regression," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 330(1), pages 361-388, November.
    12. Benson, Bradley W. & Davidson III, Wallace N., 2009. "Reexamining the managerial ownership effect on firm value," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 15(5), pages 573-586, December.
    13. Chanchal Chatterjee & Tirthankar Nag, 2023. "Do women on boards enhance firm performance? Evidence from top Indian companies," International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 20(2), pages 155-167, June.
    14. Misbah Azam & Dr. Ali Raza Elahi & Dr. Shahbaz-Ul-Haque, 2023. "Managerial Discretion and Corporate Governance Mechanism: A Case Study of Public Limited Firms of Pakistan," Bulletin of Business and Economics (BBE), Research Foundation for Humanity (RFH), vol. 12(4), pages 564-576.
    15. Paul McGuinness & Kevin Lam & João Vieito, 2015. "Gender and other major board characteristics in China: Explaining corporate dividend policy and governance," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 32(4), pages 989-1038, December.
    16. Henrique Castro Martins & Cristiano Machado Costa, 2020. "Does control concentration affect board busyness? International evidence," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 24(3), pages 821-850, September.
    17. Hussein Abedi Shamsabadi & Byung-Seong Min & Richard Chung, 2016. "Corporate governance and dividend strategy: lessons from Australia," International Journal of Managerial Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 12(5), pages 583-610, October.
    18. Benson, Bradley W. & Chen, Yu & James, Hui L. & Park, Jung Chul, 2020. "So far away from me: Firm location and the managerial ownership effect on firm value," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    19. Jiao Ji & Oleksandr Talavera & Shuxing Yin, 2020. "Frequencies of board meetings on various topics and corporate governance: evidence from China," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 54(1), pages 69-110, January.
    20. Bradley W. Benson & Wallace N. Davidson III & Hongxia Wang & Dan L. Worrell, 2011. "Deviations from Expected Stakeholder Management, Firm Value, and Corporate Governance," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 40(1), pages 39-81, March.

    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:pal:ijodag:v:20:y:2023:i:4:d:10.1057_s41310-023-00179-3. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.palgrave.com .

    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.