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AbstractThis study investigates how gender‐diverse boards are related to the adoption of clean energy and examines whether environmental, social, and governance (ESG) controversies have an impact on this link. The study analyzes 2395 firm‐year observations from 13 European countries from 2006 to 2021. Drawing on the gender socialization theory and diversity theory, the research reveals a favorable effect of board gender diversity on a company's utilization of clean energy. It also demonstrates that ESG controversies play a significant role in moderating this relationship. Furthermore, the study affirms the critical mass theory by indicating that companies with at least three female board members exhibit a greater use of clean energy. The findings are robust to various methods, such as controlling for endogeneity problems, propensity score matching, sub‐sample analysis, and alternative econometric models. This study's implications are important for stakeholders, policymakers, and managers. It suggests that having a gender‐diverse board can increase the adoption of clean energy, benefiting a company's reputation and attractiveness to stakeholders. Policymakers can use these findings to design policies that encourage gender diversity on boards and achieve environmental goals, while managers can make informed decisions about board composition and clean energy adoption.

Purpose
This study aims to investigate the relationship between female leaders at board and executive levels and e-waste reduction in firms listed on the FTSE All-Share Index.


Design/methodology/approach
The study uses a sample of nonfinancial firms listed in the FTSE All-Share Index between 2004 and 2021, comprising 2,523 firm observations. The primary technique used is ordinary least squares, with subsample analysis and the two-stage least squares method used to address endogeneity concerns.


Findings
This study suggests that the presence of female directors and executives can bring a more comprehensive and diverse approach to e-waste management, which can contribute to improved e-waste reduction initiatives. However, the study also highlights that the impact of female leadership on e-waste reduction may vary based on factors such as the size of the firm and the industry's carbon footprint.


Practical implications
The practical implications of this research have noteworthy implications for companies and policymakers alike. By placing importance on gender diversity, companies can reap the benefits of diverse perspectives and approaches when addressing environmental challenges. Policymakers, on the other hand, can contribute to positive environmental outcomes by advocating for gender diversity in corporate leadership.


Originality/value
The novelty of this research stems from its discovery that having female directors and executives in a firm leads to a broader and more varied approach to managing e-waste, ultimately enhancing efforts to reduce it. This underscores the significance of gender diversity in advancing sustainable practices within organizations. The study highlights the distinct viewpoints and experiences that women offer when tackling environmental issues in the corporate sphere.

Purpose
The purpose of this study is to analyze the correlation between a company's efforts to reduce carbon emissions and its actual carbon performance. Additionally, the study investigates how female decision-makers may influence this relationship as moderators.


Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a data set consisting of 1,258 observations from companies listed on the STOXX Europe 600 index between 2009 and 2021. The study applies the ordinary least squares technique to investigate the connection between carbon reduction initiatives and actual carbon performance, taking into account the potential impact of board and executive gender diversity. To ensure the reliability of the findings, subsample analysis and a two-step generalized method of moments technique were used.


Findings
The results show a significant negative association between a firm's commitment to environmental initiatives and its carbon emission intensity. Furthermore, the study explores the moderating effect of board and executive gender diversity on this relationship and finds that gender diversity has a significant negative impact on the relationship between emissions reduction initiatives and carbon emissions.


Practical implications
The study has practical implications for corporate sustainability efforts. It highlights the importance of implementing carbon reduction initiatives to effectively mitigate carbon emissions. This emphasizes the need for sustainable business strategies that prioritize environmental initiatives. Additionally, the study underscores the positive impact of gender diversity in leadership positions on carbon reduction efforts. Policymakers and organizations can leverage these findings to promote gender diversity and enhance sustainability practices.


Social implications
It provides evidence-based insights for policymakers to develop specific policies and action plans in priority areas such as climate change and emissions reduction. It also highlights the positive influence of gender diversity in corporate leadership on environmental initiatives, promoting inclusivity and equality in sustainability practices.


Originality/value
This study brings originality by investigating the direct impact of a company's carbon reduction initiatives on its carbon performance. It also explores the moderating effect of board and executive gender diversity on this relationship. The study provides evidence-based insights for policymakers and applies neo-institutional theory to analyze the interplay between carbon reduction initiatives, carbon emissions and gender diversity in executive and board positions.

AbstractDespite the recognized importance of board gender diversity and eco‐innovation, it is far from clear how board gender diversity can improve eco‐innovation. Grounded in upper echelon theory and the gender socialization theory, we suggest that this relationship operates through corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy. In a sample of FTSE 350 firms, we find that CSR strategy mediates the influence of the board's gender diversity on eco‐innovation. These findings are robust to several regression specifications and alternative samples. This work offers empirical evidence that gender diversity on boards can play a significant role in promoting firm's CSR strategy, which in turn improves eco‐innovation. Our findings could provide useful insights for regulators and stakeholders concerned with enhancing corporate governance structure and promoting eco‐innovation.

Purpose
This study aims to investigate the link between carbon emissions and market value for nonfinancial companies in the STOXX Europe 600 index, with a specific focus on the moderating effect of executive compensation.


Design/methodology/approach
To achieve the study's purpose, this study uses data from the STOXX Europe 600 index between 2010 and 2021. The researchers use ordinary least squares regression analysis to examine the relationship between carbon emissions and market value while taking into account the moderating effect of executive compensation. The study also uses additional tests, such as the dynamic two-step system generalized method of moments regression and the difference in differences method.


Findings
The study reveals four key findings. First, there is a statistically significant negative relationship between carbon emissions and market value. Second, executive compensation has a negative moderating effect on the association between carbon emissions and market value. Third, Say-on-Pay regulations can encourage companies to adopt environmentally responsible practices, which can positively impact their market value. Finally, the study shows that the Paris Agreement motivates companies to prioritize sustainability, leading to potentially higher market values for those that are more environmentally responsible.


Practical implications
This study highlights the importance of considering environmental sustainability in corporate decision-making. It suggests that prioritizing sustainability can lead to financial benefits, as companies with lower carbon emissions tend to have higher market values. The findings also have important implications for regulators and investors.


Originality/value
This study provides novel insights into the link between carbon emissions and market value and the moderating effect of executive compensation. It also sheds light on the potential impact of Say-on-Pay regulations and the Paris Agreement on corporate sustainability practices and market values.

AbstractThis study investigates the relationship between firm's emissions reduction initiative and external assurance of sustainability performance, as well as the moderating effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy. The study uses a sample of non‐financial firms listed on the STOXX Europe 600 index from 2006 to 2021. The findings suggest that external assurance of sustainability has a positive and significant impact on a firm's emissions reduction initiative. Additionally, the study finds that CSR strategy positively moderates the relationship between firm's emissions reduction initiative and external assurance of sustainability. The study's results have implications for managers, regulators, and stakeholders, indicating that external auditing for sustainability can enhance a firm's legitimacy and reputation and that strong CSR strategies can enhance the effectiveness of environmental initiatives. Our results demonstrate resilience to various econometric methods, sub‐sample analyses, propensity score matching, and generalized method of moments (GMM).

Purpose
Motivated by the growing and urgent demands for a unified set of internationally accepted, and high-quality environmental, social and governance (hereafter ESG) disclosure standards, this exploratory study aims to propose a roadmap for setting out the proper technical groundwork for global ESG disclosure standards.


Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory study is conducted to gain initial understanding and insights into establishing a worldwide set of standards for reporting on sustainability, as this topic has not been extensively studied. This study examines the viewpoints of various stakeholders, including sustainability practitioners, academics and organizations focused on ESG issues, to generate knowledge that is more solid than knowledge produced when one group of stakeholders work alone.


Findings
The results revealed that there is an ongoing and incompatible debate regarding several conceptual and practical challenges for setting a unified set of ESG disclosure standards.


Practical implications
The study results provide multidimensional insights for regulatory parties and standard-setters to develop a high-quality package of global ESG reporting standards. This, in turn, enables different groups of stakeholders to understand the firm's impact on the environment, society and economy.


Originality/value
Research into this timely and relevant global issue is considered an appealing area of study and deserves significant attention. Thereby, working on this topic merits remarkable attention. Furthermore, this exploratory article provides valuable and informative suggestions for creating a unified and high-quality set of internationally accepted sustainability reporting standards.

PurposeThis study aims to examine the impact of board gender diversity on the level of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure in the Arab Gulf states. Also, this research further aims to explore whether the impact of board gender diversity varies across the Arab Gulf states.Design/methodology/approachOrdinary least squares regression is used in this study to test the impact of board gender diversity on the level of CSR disclosure. Manual content analysis is used to evaluate the extent of CSR disclosure in annual reports, stand-alone CSR reports, sustainability reports and website sections to examine the relationship between the extent of CSR reporting and board gender diversity. This study uses the global reporting initiative (GRI) fourth version reporting guidelines to design and define the classifications of CSR reporting checklist.FindingsThe findings show that there is a statistically significant relationship between the number of female directors and the level of CSR disclosure. The results show that board gender diversity is positively associated with the level of CSR reporting in two countries, namely, Bahrain and Kuwait. Also, the findings reveal that there is a weak positive relationship between the presence of women on the boards and CSR reporting index in Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.Originality/valueThis study attempts to fill the gap in the literature, in that no similar study covers the Arab Gulf countries as one economic unit. The study is unique in that it focuses on oil-rich countries. This study is, to the best of this researcher's knowledge, the first to explore the impact of women's boards on the extent of CSR reporting, as well as investigating the possible variation of board gender diversity impact on the extent of CSR reporting in the Arabian Gulf region.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop a new approach to investigate complex processes, such as software development processes, using business process modeling.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents an investigation into the use of role activity diagramming (RAD) to model complex processes in the software industry sector, with reference to the process of TestWarehouse as a case study.FindingsSystematic extension and quantitative analysis to RAD models led to the discovery of process bottlenecks, identification of cross functional boundary problems, and focused discussion about automation of processes.Research limitations/implicationsFurther work is required to validate and evaluate the proposed approach using several cases with different application domains and thus generalize the adopted approach.Practical implicationsA new approach has been used successfully to understand and analyze business processes. The tools and techniques that are used to perform the approach are not complicated and do not need much specialist expertise, so the approach is not only oriented toward specialists but also toward organizations' managers and staff.Originality/valueNew techniques have been developed by using process modelling to deepen the understanding and analyzing of complex organizational processes. This research implements a practical investigation which uses a case study to validate the new techniques.

Purpose
This paper aims to examine how the diversity of educational levels within bank boards influences the efficiency and stability of banks operating in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Unlike previous studies, this analysis also investigates the role of board gender diversity in moderating the relationship between board educational level diversity and bank efficiency and financial stability in MENA.


Design/methodology/approach
In this study, a sample of 77 banks in the MENA region spanning the years 2011 to 2018 is used. The relationship between the presence of highly educated directors on the board, bank efficiency and stability is assessed using the ordinary least squares method. Additionally, the authors use the Generalized Method of Moments technique to correct endogeneity problem.


Findings
This study establishes a positive association between the presence of directors with advanced educational backgrounds on bank boards and bank efficiency and stability. Furthermore, the inclusion of women on the board strengthens this relationship.


Practical implications
These findings have important implications for policymakers and regulators in the MENA region, suggesting that promoting diversity policies that encourage the participation of highly educated directors on bank boards can contribute to enhanced efficiency and financial stability. Policymakers may also consider implementing quotas or guidelines to improve gender diversity in board appointments, thereby fostering bank performance in the region.


Originality/value
This study stands out for its innovation and distinctiveness, as it delves into the connection between board educational level diversity and bank efficiency in the MENA region. Notably, it surpasses previous research by investigating the moderating role of board gender diversity, thus offering valuable insights into the complex interplay between these two facets of board diversity. This contribution enriches the existing literature by providing novel perspectives on board composition dynamics and its influence on bank efficiency and stability.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the impact of board diversity (e.g. nationality, gender and educational level) on financial performance for a sample of banks listed in 11 countries in the Middle East and North Africa region.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses the system generalized method of moments estimation approach on the data of banks listed in the MENA countries over the period 2011–2018 to investigate the relationship between board diversity and financial performance. Also, the findings are supported by additional robustness tests, including ordinary least squares, fixed and random effect techniques.FindingsThe empirical results show that there is a significant relationship between board diversity and financial performance in banks. Specifically, the findings demonstrate that board diversity related to nationality has a significant positive impact on bank performance. The findings also show an insignificant association between gender and educational level diversity and bank performance. The robustness analysis supports the findings of the baseline model.Practical implicationsThe study provides multi-country evidence on the importance of board diversity in the MENA region and it sheds light on possible tracks for future reforms aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of the board's functions.Originality/valueThis paper extends the existing literature by providing empirical evidence on the association between board diversity and financial performance of banks in the MENA countries. This paper also provides preliminary evidence on the importance of board diversity to influence financial performance.

PurposeMotivated by the agency theory, this study aims to empirically examine the nexus between board attributes and a firm's financing decisions of non-financial listed firms in Palestine and how the previous relationship is moderated and shaped by the level of gender diversity.Design/methodology/approachMultiple regression analysis on a panel data was used. Further, we applied three different approaches of static panel data "pooled OLS, fixed effect and random effect." Fixed-effects estimator was selected as the optimal and most appropriate model. In addition, to control for the potential endogeneity problem and to profoundly analyze the study data, the authors perform the one-step system generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator. Dynamic panel GMM specification was superior in generating robust findings.FindingsThe findings clearly unveil that all explanatory variables in the study model have a significant influence on the firm's financing decisions. Moreover, the results report that the impact of board size and board independence are more positive under conditions of a high level of gender diversity, whereas the influence of CEO duality on the firm's leverage level turned from negative to positive. In a nutshell, gender diversity moderates the effect of board structure on a firm's financing decisions.Research limitations/implicationsThis study was restricted to one institutional context (Palestine); therefore, the results reflect the attributes of the Palestinian business environment. In this vein, it is possible to generate different findings in other countries, particularly in developed markets.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study can draw responsible parties and policymakers' attention in developing countries to introduce and contextualize new mechanisms that can lead to better monitoring process and help firms in attracting better resources and establishing an optimal capital structure. For instance, entities should mandate a minimum quota for the proportion of women incorporation in boardrooms.Originality/valueThis study provides empirical evidence on the moderating role of gender diversity on the effect of board structure on firm's financing decisions, something that was predominantly neglected by the earlier studies and has not yet examined by ancestors. Thereby, to protrude nuanced understanding of this novel and unprecedented idea, this study thoroughly bridges this research gap and contributes practically and theoretically to the existing corporate governance–capital structure literature.