Board Characteristics and Corporate Sustainability Reporting: Evidence from Chinese Listed Companies

Emmanuel Anyigbah, Yusheng Kong (), Bless Kofi Edziah, Ahotovi Thomas Ahoto and Wilhelmina Seyome Ahiaku
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Emmanuel Anyigbah: School of Finance and Economics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Yusheng Kong: School of Finance and Economics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Bless Kofi Edziah: Institute of Industrial Economics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Ahotovi Thomas Ahoto: School of Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Wilhelmina Seyome Ahiaku: School of Finance and Economics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 4, 1-26

Abstract: This paper investigates the impact of board characteristics (such as board size, board independence, CEO Duality, board meetings, and committee) on corporate sustainability reporting (CSR) in China. Unlike previous studies, we examine this relationship in light of the three pillars of corporate sustainability reporting: economic, environmental, and social. Using both the Fully Modified Ordinary Least Square (FMOLS) and Dynamics Ordinary Least Square (DOLS) empirical models, our data, which comprises 9842 firm-year observations from both the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges covering the 2006–2019 fiscal periods, reveals that board independence, a larger board size, and a board sustainability committee promote CSR in the three CSR pillars. However, the study shows that CEO duality is more likely to impede CSR. While the current study seems to provide some understanding regarding the relationship between board characteristics and corporate sustainability reporting to corporate boards, regulators, and practitioners interested in advancing the course of CSR, some significant knowledge gaps still need to be explored in future studies. Future research may consider other board characteristics as well as explore other CSR indices like integrated reporting and triple-bottom-line approaches.

Keywords: corporate sustainability reporting; economic sustainability reporting; environmental sustainability reporting; social sustainability reporting; board characteristics; Chinese companies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:4:p:3553-:d:1069097

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