IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/rvmgts/v19y2025i3d10.1007_s11846-024-00778-6.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The role of multiple board directorships in sustainability strategies: symbol or substance?

Author

Listed:
  • Francisco Bravo-Urquiza

    (University of Seville)

  • Nuria Reguera-Alvarado

    (University of Seville)

Abstract

Multiple board directorships are a global phenomenon in the business environment and have come under intense debate from regulators, professionals, and academics alike. At the same time, sustainability has become a major challenge for firms in the current scenario. The main objective of this paper is to investigate whether multiple directorships lead firms to symbolic or substantive sustainability strategies. After performing different methodological approaches and robustness tests, our findings highlight that multiple directorships lead to symbolic sustainable development by significantly intensifying environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting practices, although this is not supported by substantial ESG actions. This symbolic behaviour is even more evident in socially and environmentally sensitive industries. Given the ongoing regulatory and professional discussions concerning multiple board directorships, the ever-increasing importance of sustainability and the significant consequences of symbolic ESG strategies, our paper has direct implications for firms in the selection of board members, as well as for regulators and professionals when refining their legislation and recommendations concerning boards.

Suggested Citation

  • Francisco Bravo-Urquiza & Nuria Reguera-Alvarado, 2025. "The role of multiple board directorships in sustainability strategies: symbol or substance?," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 19(3), pages 871-898, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:rvmgts:v:19:y:2025:i:3:d:10.1007_s11846-024-00778-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s11846-024-00778-6
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11846-024-00778-6
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11846-024-00778-6?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. Olga Hawn & Ioannis Ioannou, 2016. "Mind the gap: The interplay between external and internal actions in the case of corporate social responsibility," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(13), pages 2569-2588, December.
    2. Silvia Ruiz-Blanco & Silvia Romero & Belen Fernandez-Feijoo, 2022. "Green, blue or black, but washing–What company characteristics determine greenwashing?," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 4024-4045, March.
    3. Michelon, Giovanna & Pilonato, Silvia & Ricceri, Federica, 2015. "CSR reporting practices and the quality of disclosure: An empirical analysis," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 59-78.
    4. Rachel N. Birkey & Giovanna Michelon & Dennis M. Patten & Jomo Sankara, 2016. "Does assurance on CSR reporting enhance environmental reputation? An examination in the U.S. context," Accounting Forum, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(3), pages 143-152, September.
    5. Ye Cai & Hoje Jo & Carrie Pan, 2012. "Doing Well While Doing Bad? CSR in Controversial Industry Sectors," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 108(4), pages 467-480, July.
    6. Haoyuan Ding & Yichuan Hu & Xiyi Yang & Xiaoyu Zhou, 2022. "Board interlock and the diffusion of corporate social responsibility among Chinese listed firms," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 39(4), pages 1287-1320, December.
    7. Jiraporn, Pornsit & Davidson III, Wallace N. & DaDalt, Peter & Ning, Yixi, 2009. "Too busy to show up? An analysis of directors' absences," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 49(3), pages 1159-1171, August.
    8. Eun-Hee Kim & Thomas P. Lyon, 2015. "Greenwash vs. Brownwash: Exaggeration and Undue Modesty in Corporate Sustainability Disclosure," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 26(3), pages 705-723, June.
    9. Yasir Shahab & Ammar Ali Gull & Tanveer Ahsan & Rizwan Mushtaq, 2022. "CEO power and corporate social responsibility decoupling," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(21), pages 1965-1969, December.
    10. C. José García Martín & Begoña Herrero, 2020. "Do board characteristics affect environmental performance? A study of EU firms," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(1), pages 74-94, January.
    11. Francisco Bravo & Nuria Reguera‐Alvarado, 2019. "Sustainable development disclosure: Environmental, social, and governance reporting and gender diversity in the audit committee," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(2), pages 418-429, February.
    12. Xiaohua Meng & Saixing Zeng & Xuemei Xie & Hailiang Zou, 2019. "Beyond symbolic and substantive: Strategic disclosure of corporate environmental information in China," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(2), pages 403-417, February.
    13. Ferris, Stephen P. & Jayaraman, Narayanan & Liao, Min-Yu (Stella), 2020. "Better directors or distracted directors? An international analysis of busy boards," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 44(C).
    14. Liu, Chelsea, 2018. "Are women greener? Corporate gender diversity and environmental violations," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 118-142.
    15. Sarkar, Jayati & Sarkar, Subrata, 2009. "Multiple board appointments and firm performance in emerging economies: Evidence from India," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 271-293, April.
    16. Naima Lassoued & Imen Khanchel, 2023. "Voluntary CSR disclosure and CEO narcissism: the moderating role of CEO duality and board gender diversity," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 1075-1123, April.
    17. Eunice S. Khoo & Youngdeok Lim & Louise Y. Lu & Gary S. Monroe, 2022. "Corporate social responsibility performance and the reputational incentives of independent directors," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(5-6), pages 841-881, May.
    18. Michelle Rodrigue & Michel Magnan & Charles Cho, 2013. "Is Environmental Governance Substantive or Symbolic? An Empirical Investigation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 114(1), pages 107-129, April.
    19. Natalia Ortiz‐de‐Mandojana & Juan Alberto Aragon‐Correa, 2015. "Boards and Sustainability: the Contingent Influence of Director Interlocks on Corporate Environmental Performance," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(6), pages 499-517, September.
    20. Siew Peng Lee, 2023. "Board monitoring effectiveness and corporate sustainability performance: do legal system and CEO non-duality matter?," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 1243-1267, May.
    21. Haque, Faizul, 2017. "The effects of board characteristics and sustainable compensation policy on carbon performance of UK firms," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 49(3), pages 347-364.
    22. Weizhang Sun & Xuan Li & Yanli Geng & Jinfeng Yang & Yifei Zhang, 2020. "Board interlocks and the diffusion of CSR reporting practices: The role of market development," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(3), pages 1333-1343, May.
    23. Jarrad Harford & Sattar A. Mansi & William F. Maxwell, 2012. "Corporate Governance and Firm Cash Holdings in the U.S," Springer Books, in: Sabri Boubaker & Bang Dang Nguyen & Duc Khuong Nguyen (ed.), Corporate Governance, edition 127, pages 107-138, Springer.
    24. Jing Lu & Dongning Yu & Fereshteh Mahmoudian & Jamal A. Nazari & Irene M. Herremans, 2021. "Board interlocks and greenhouse gas emissions," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(1), pages 92-108, January.
    25. Miska, Christof & Szőcs, Ilona & Schiffinger, Michael, 2018. "Culture’s effects on corporate sustainability practices: A multi-domain and multi-level view," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(2), pages 263-279.
    26. Meftah Gerged, Ali & Kuzey, Cemil & Uyar, Ali & Karaman, Abdullah S., 2023. "Does investment stimulate or inhibit CSR transparency? The moderating role of CSR committee, board monitoring and CEO duality," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    27. Laura Baselga-Pascual & Antonio Trujillo-Ponce & Emilia Vähämaa & Sami Vähämaa, 2018. "Ethical Reputation of Financial Institutions: Do Board Characteristics Matter?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 148(3), pages 489-510, March.
    28. Jiraporn, P. & Chintrakarn, P., 2013. "How do powerful CEOs view corporate social responsibility (CSR)? An empirical note," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 119(3), pages 344-347.
    29. Kin-Wai Lee & Cheng-Few Lee & Robert Faff, 2014. "Are Multiple Directorships Beneficial in East Asia?," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 54(3), pages 999-1032, September.
    30. Xueji Liang & Lu Dai & Sujuan Xie, 2022. "Examining the social pressures on voluntary CSR reporting: the roles of interlocking directors," Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 13(3), pages 653-679, January.
    31. José-Luis Godos-Díez & Laura Cabeza-García & Daniel Alonso-Martínez & Roberto Fernández-Gago, 2018. "Factors influencing board of directors’ decision-making process as determinants of CSR engagement," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 229-253, January.
    32. Xingqiang Du, 2015. "How the Market Values Greenwashing? Evidence from China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 128(3), pages 547-574, May.
    33. Christine A. Mallin & Giovanna Michelon, 2011. "Board reputation attributes and corporate social performance: an empirical investigation of the US Best Corporate Citizens," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(2), pages 119-144, June.
    34. Franco Rubino & Francesco Napoli, 2020. "What Impact Does Corporate Governance Have on Corporate Environmental Performances? An Empirical Study of Italian Listed Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-21, July.
    35. Whitney Ginder & Wi-Suk Kwon & Sang-Eun Byun, 2021. "Effects of Internal–External Congruence-Based CSR Positioning: An Attribution Theory Approach," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 169(2), pages 355-369, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Charl de Villiers & Jing Jia & Zhongtian Li, 2022. "Corporate social responsibility: A review of empirical research using Thomson Reuters Asset4 data," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(4), pages 4523-4568, December.
    2. Nurshahirah Abd Majid & Amar Hisham Jaaffar, 2023. "The Effect of Women’s Leadership on Carbon Disclosure by the Top 100 Global Energy Leaders," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-26, May.
    3. Patrick Velte, 2023. "Determinants and consequences of corporate social responsibility decoupling—Status quo and limitations of recent empirical quantitative research," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(6), pages 2695-2717, November.
    4. Habiba Al‐Shaer & Mahbub Zaman, 2018. "Credibility of sustainability reports: The contribution of audit committees," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(7), pages 973-986, November.
    5. Kuzey, Cemil & Fritz, Morgane M.C. & Uyar, Ali & Karaman, Abdullah S., 2022. "Board gender diversity, CSR strategy, and eco-friendly initiatives in the transportation and logistics sector," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 247(C).
    6. Jibriel Elsayih & Rina Datt & Qingliang Tang & Ali Hamid & Maria Estela Varua, 2023. "Exploring the determinants of carbon management system quality: The role of corporate governance and climate risks and opportunities," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(4), pages 4065-4091, December.
    7. Valentina Marano & Steve Sauerwald & Marc Essen, 2022. "The influence of culture on the relationship between women directors and corporate social performance," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(7), pages 1315-1342, September.
    8. Carmelo Reverte, 2021. "Do investors value the voluntary assurance of sustainability information? Evidence from the Spanish stock market," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(5), pages 793-809, September.
    9. Nurshahirah Abd Majid & Amar Hisham Jaaffar & Raed Hussam Mansour Alzoubi, 2023. "The Impact of Women’s Role in Corporate Governance on Carbon Disclosure Performance: A Descriptive Study of Top 100 Global Energy Leaders," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 13(6), pages 404-417, November.
    10. Ye, Yong & Gao, Mengyang & Luo, Runmei, 2024. "Bright is the moon over my home village: Chinese local executives and environmental decoupling," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    11. Chaoyuan She & Giovanna Michelon, 2023. "A governance approach to stakeholder engagement in sustainable enterprises—Evidence from B Corps," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(8), pages 5487-5505, December.
    12. Venturelli, Valeria & Pedrazzoli, Alessia & Pennetta, Daniela & Gualandri, Elisabetta, 2024. "Pinkwashing in the banking industry: The relevance of board characteristics," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(PB).
    13. Nurlan Orazalin & Mady Baydauletov, 2020. "Corporate social responsibility strategy and corporate environmental and social performance: The moderating role of board gender diversity," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(4), pages 1664-1676, July.
    14. Khalil Nimer & Muath Abdelqader & Cemil Kuzey & Ali Uyar, 2024. "Emission targeting and carbon emissions: The moderating effect of female directors," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(4), pages 3480-3504, May.
    15. Rasmi Meqbel & Mohammad Alta'any & Salah Kayed & Ahmed Al‐Omush, 2024. "Earnings management and sustainability assurance: The moderating role of CSR committee," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(3), pages 1769-1785, May.
    16. Nurlan Orazalin, 2020. "Do board sustainability committees contribute to corporate environmental and social performance? The mediating role of corporate social responsibility strategy," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(1), pages 140-153, January.
    17. Dewan Muktadir‐Al‐Mukit & Firoz Haroon Bhaiyat, 2024. "Impact of corporate governance diversity on carbon emission under environmental policy via the mandatory nonfinancial reporting regulation," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(2), pages 1397-1417, February.
    18. Ayman Issa & Mohammad A. A. Zaid, 2023. "Firm's biodiversity initiatives disclosure and board gender diversity: A multi‐country analysis of corporations operating in Europe," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(7), pages 4991-5007, November.
    19. Kreuzer, Christian & Priberny, Christopher, 2022. "To green or not to green: The influence of board characteristics on carbon emissions," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    20. Akrum Helfaya & Tantawy Moussa, 2017. "Do Board's Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy and Orientation Influence Environmental Sustainability Disclosure? UK Evidence," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(8), pages 1061-1077, December.

    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:spr:rvmgts:v:19:y:2025:i:3:d:10.1007_s11846-024-00778-6. 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.springer.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.