IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/buseth/v34y2025i4p1316-1327.html

Do independent directors inform the share of CSR criteria in executive compensation? Moderating effect of gender diversity

Author

Listed:
  • Mohamed Khenissi
  • Amal Hamrouni
  • Nadia Ben Farhat

Abstract

This paper extends and enriches the current research on CSR, CEO compensation contracts and characteristics of the board of directors by examining an underexplored question related to the potential impact of independent board members on the share of CSR criteria in executive compensation. It also considers a potential moderating effect of gender diversity in this relationship. Empirical analyses of a sample French firms listed on the SBF120 index between 2014 and 2021 show that independent directors have no impact on the inclusion of CSR criteria in the annual bonus of senior executives. They also reveal that gender diversity can strengthen the role of independent directors in indexing executive compensation to CSR criteria. The findings can be useful for corporate boards and policymakers seeking to boost the adoption of CSR criteria in executive compensation contracts. They provide empirical support for the Zimmermann law (2011) and urge the policymakers to boost the appointment of female directors on boards.

Suggested Citation

  • Mohamed Khenissi & Amal Hamrouni & Nadia Ben Farhat, 2025. "Do independent directors inform the share of CSR criteria in executive compensation? Moderating effect of gender diversity," Business Ethics, the Environment & Responsibility, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(4), pages 1316-1327, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:buseth:v:34:y:2025:i:4:p:1316-1327
    DOI: 10.1111/beer.12712
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/beer.12712
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/beer.12712?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ramzi Benkraiem & Amal Hamrouni & Faten Lakhal & Nadia Ben Farhat Toumi, 2017. "Board independence, gender diversity and CEO compensation," Post-Print hal-01590712, HAL.
    2. Fama, Eugene F & Jensen, Michael C, 1983. "Agency Problems and Residual Claims," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 26(2), pages 327-349, June.
    3. Arellano, Manuel & Bover, Olympia, 1995. "Another look at the instrumental variable estimation of error-components models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 29-51, July.
    4. repec:eme:aaaj00:09513570210418905 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Claudio Nuber & Patrick Velte, 2021. "Board gender diversity and carbon emissions: European evidence on curvilinear relationships and critical mass," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(4), pages 1958-1992, May.
    6. Sandra Cavaco & Patricia Crifo, 2014. "CSR and financial performance: complementarity between environmental, social and business behaviours," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(27), pages 3323-3338, September.
    7. Walid Ben-Amar & Millicent Chang & Philip McIlkenny, 2017. "Board Gender Diversity and Corporate Response to Sustainability Initiatives: Evidence from the Carbon Disclosure Project," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 142(2), pages 369-383, May.
    8. Jensen, Michael C. & Meckling, William H., 2008. "Theory of the firm: managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure," RAE - Revista de Administração de Empresas, FGV-EAESP Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo (Brazil), vol. 48(2), April.
    9. Michel Magnan & Dominic Martin, 2019. "Executive Compensation and Employee Remuneration: The Flexible Principles of Justice in Pay," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 160(1), pages 89-105, November.
    10. Cullinan, Charles P. & Mahoney, Lois & Roush, Pamela B., 2017. "Are CSR activities associated with shareholder voting in director elections and say-on-pay votes?," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 13(3), pages 225-243.
    11. Amama Shaukat & Yan Qiu & Grzegorz Trojanowski, 2016. "Board Attributes, Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy, and Corporate Environmental and Social Performance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 135(3), pages 569-585, May.
    12. Liang, Qi & Xu, Pisun & Jiraporn, Pornsit, 2013. "Board characteristics and Chinese bank performance," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(8), pages 2953-2968.
    13. Liu, Simeng & Wang, Kun Tracy & Walpola, Sonali, 2023. "Female board representation and the adoption of corporate social responsibility criteria in executive compensation contracts: International evidence," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    14. Mohammad I Azim, 2012. "Corporate governance mechanisms and their impact on company performance: A structural equation model analysis," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 37(3), pages 481-505, December.
    15. Albertina Paula Monteiro & Isabel-María García-Sánchez & Beatriz Aibar-Guzmán, 2022. "Labour Practice, Decent Work and Human Rights Performance and Reporting: The Impact of Women Managers," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(2), pages 523-542, October.
    16. Carol A. Adams, 2002. "Internal organisational factors influencing corporate social and ethical reporting," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 15(2), pages 223-250, May.
    17. Ramzi Benkraiem & Amal Hamrouni & Faten Lakhal & Nadia Ben Farhat Toumi, 2017. "Board independence, gender diversity and CEO compensation," Post-Print hal-02521391, HAL.
    18. Becher, David A. & Frye, Melissa B., 2011. "Does regulation substitute or complement governance?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 736-751, March.
    19. Lucian Arye Bebchuk & Jesse M. Fried, 2003. "Executive Compensation as an Agency Problem," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 17(3), pages 71-92, Summer.
    20. Faizul Haque & Collins G Ntim, 2018. "Environmental Policy, Sustainable Development, Governance Mechanisms and Environmental Performance," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(3), pages 415-435, March.
    21. Khenissi, Mohamed & Jahmane, Abderrahman & Hofaidhllaoui, Mahrane, 2022. "Does the introduction of CSR criteria into CEO incentive pay reduce their earnings management? The case of companies listed in the SBF 120," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).
    22. Christine Mallin & Giovanna Michelon & Davide Raggi, 2013. "Monitoring Intensity and Stakeholders’ Orientation: How Does Governance Affect Social and Environmental Disclosure?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 114(1), pages 29-43, April.
    23. Tsang, Albert & Wang, Kun Tracy & Liu, Simeng & Yu, Li, 2021. "Integrating corporate social responsibility criteria into executive compensation and firm innovation: International evidence," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    24. Sexton, Donald L. & Bowman-Upton, Nancy, 1990. "Female and male entrepreneurs: Psychological characteristics and their role in gender-related discrimination," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 5(1), pages 29-36, January.
    25. Azlan Amran & Shiau Ping Lee & S. Susela Devi, 2014. "The Influence of Governance Structure and Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility Toward Sustainability Reporting Quality," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(4), pages 217-235, May.
    26. Michel Magnan, 2006. "Les options sur actions:création de richesse pour les actionnaires ou enrichissement des dirigeants au détriment des actionnaires?," Revue Finance Contrôle Stratégie, revues.org, vol. 9(3), pages 221-235, September.
    27. Caroline Flammer & Bryan Hong & Dylan Minor, 2019. "Corporate governance and the rise of integrating corporate social responsibility criteria in executive compensation: Effectiveness and implications for firm outcomes," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(7), pages 1097-1122, July.
    28. Judith L. Walls & Pascual Berrone & Phillip H. Phan, 2012. "Corporate governance and environmental performance: is there really a link?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(8), pages 885-913, August.
    29. Faccio, Mara & Lang, Larry H. P., 2002. "The ultimate ownership of Western European corporations," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(3), pages 365-395, September.
    30. Sylvie Saint-Onge & Vanessa Serret, 2018. "Group thinking inside boards of directors : A model proposal [La pensée groupale au sein des conseils d’administration : proposition d’un modèle]," Post-Print hal-02417702, HAL.
    31. Chen, Wanyu (Tina) & Zhou, Gaoguang (Stephen) & Zhu, Xindong (Kevin), 2019. "CEO tenure and corporate social responsibility performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 292-302.
    32. Akshita Arora & Khaoula Aliani, 2024. "Nexus between corporate environmental disclosures and gender diversity: Interaction effects of board independence," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(2), pages 1113-1128, February.
    33. Bebchuk, Lucian A. & Fried, Jesse M., 2003. "Executive Compensation as an Agency Problem," Berkeley Olin Program in Law & Economics, Working Paper Series qt81q3136r, Berkeley Olin Program in Law & Economics.
    34. Hsu, Hwa-Hsien & Wu, Chloe Yu-Hsuan, 2014. "Board composition, grey directors and corporate failure in the UK," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(3), pages 215-227.
    35. Bryan Hong & Zhichuan Li & Dylan Minor, 2016. "Corporate Governance and Executive Compensation for Corporate Social Responsibility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 136(1), pages 199-213, June.
    36. Blundell, Richard & Bond, Stephen, 1998. "Initial conditions and moment restrictions in dynamic panel data models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 87(1), pages 115-143, August.
    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. Ahmed A. Sarhan & Basil Al‐Najjar, 2023. "The influence of corporate governance and shareholding structure on corporate social responsibility: The key role of executive compensation," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(4), pages 4532-4556, October.
    2. Liu, Simeng & Wang, Kun Tracy & Walpola, Sonali & Zhu, Nathan Zhenghang, 2024. "CSR contracting and stock price crash risk: International evidence," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    3. Priti Yadav & Anshul Jain, 2023. "Sustainability disclosures and corporate boards: a stakeholder approach to decision-making," Journal of Applied Accounting Research, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 24(5), pages 1027-1047, April.
    4. Khenissi, Mohamed & Jahmane, Abderrahman & Hofaidhllaoui, Mahrane, 2022. "Does the introduction of CSR criteria into CEO incentive pay reduce their earnings management? The case of companies listed in the SBF 120," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).
    5. Liu, Simeng & Wang, Kun Tracy & Walpola, Sonali, 2023. "Female board representation and the adoption of corporate social responsibility criteria in executive compensation contracts: International evidence," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    6. Patrick Velte, 2024. "Archival research on sustainability‐related executive compensation. A literature review of the status quo and future improvements," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(4), pages 3119-3147, July.
    7. Mohamed Khenissi & Amal Hamrouni & Nadia Ben Farhat Toumi, 2022. "Executive compensation indexed to corporate social responsibility and firm performance: empirical evidence from France," Post-Print hal-03771680, HAL.
    8. Camélia Radu & Nadia Smaili, 2021. "Corporate performance patterns of Canadian listed firms: Balancing financial and corporate social responsibility outcomes," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(7), pages 3344-3359, November.
    9. Jonathan Taglialatela & Ivan Miroshnychenko & Roberto Barontini & Francesco Testa, 2024. "Talk or walk? The board of directors and firm environmental strategies," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(4), pages 2890-2910, May.
    10. Renata Konadu & Gabriel Sam Ahinful & Samuel Owusu-Agyei, 2021. "Corporate governance pillars and business sustainability: does stakeholder engagement matter?," International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 18(3), pages 269-289, September.
    11. Muhammad Kaleem Khan & R. M. Ammar Zahid & Adil Saleem & Judit Sági, 2021. "Board Composition and Social & Environmental Accountability: A Dynamic Model Analysis of Chinese Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-18, September.
    12. Pedro Torres, 2024. "Configurations of corporate governance mechanisms and sustainable development," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(4), pages 2900-2909, July.
    13. Rania Beji & Ouidad Yousfi & Nadia Loukil & Abdelwahed Omri, 2021. "Board Diversity and Corporate Social Responsibility: Empirical Evidence from France," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 173(1), pages 133-155, September.
    14. Ayman Hassan Bazhair & Mohammed Naif Alshareef, 2022. "Dynamic relationship between ownership structure and financial performance: a Saudi experience," Cogent Business & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(1), pages 2098636-209, December.
    15. Guo, Guangyu & Lin, Ouwen & Li, Yan & Ruan, Jiyang, 2024. "Corporate carbon emission governance: The mediating role of financial leverage," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 96(PC).
    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. Todd M. Alessandri & Anju Seth, 2014. "The effects of managerial ownership on international and business diversification: Balancing incentives and risks," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(13), pages 2064-2075, December.
    19. Ting, Hsiu-I & Huang, Po-Kai, 2018. "CEOs’ power and perks: Evidence from Chinese banks," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 19-27.
    20. Gaia Soana, Maria, 2024. "Does ESG contracting align or compete with stakeholder interests?," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).

    More about this item

    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:wly:buseth:v:34:y:2025:i:4:p:1316-1327. 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: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/26946424 .

    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.