Board Gender Diversity and Workplace Safety: Evidence From Quasi-Natural Experiments

IF 5.5 3区管理学 Q1 BUSINESS

Corporate Governance-An International Review Pub Date : 2024-09-29 DOI:10.1111/corg.12617

Md Ismail Haidar, Saha Iqbal Hossain

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Research Questions/Issue

This paper examines the impact of board gender diversity on workplace safety in an international setting from 2002 to 2019. Utilizing gender quotas on corporate boards as a quasi-natural experiment, we explore the causal effects of gender diversity on workplace safety, highlighting the significant influence of corporate board gender quotas on corporate policies.

Research Findings/Results

Using a sample of 13,124 firm-year observations from 48 countries, our findings reveal that gender quotas on corporate boards are linked to higher rates of work-related injuries. The association is particularly strong in financially constrained firms, as well as in those with high workloads and low investments in workplace safety. In contrast, this effect is mitigated in firms located in countries with strong institutional frameworks and high union representation. The results hold across various regression specifications and remain robust when considering different measures of workplace injuries, board gender diversity, and additional control variables.

Theoretical Implications

Our study draws on gender behavior theory, social role theory, and gender socialization theory, with findings particularly aligning with gender behavior theory. It advances understanding of how changes in corporate governance structures related to board diversity influence workplace safety. This research underscores the importance of further empirical work to expand this area of study, suggesting valuable directions for future research through cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses.

Practical Implications

The findings provide critical insights for policymakers considering the implementation of gender quotas in boardrooms. Additionally, this research highlights the need for further exploration of unexamined aspects within governance studies, which will significantly influence future policy debates, legislative processes, and corporate practices in promoting gender diversity and enhancing workplace safety.

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董事会性别多样性与工作场所安全：来自准自然实验的证据

本文研究了2002年至2019年国际背景下董事会性别多样性对工作场所安全的影响。我们利用公司董事会性别配额作为准自然实验，探讨了性别多样性对工作场所安全的因果关系，强调了公司董事会性别配额对公司政策的显著影响。通过对来自48个国家的13124家公司的年度观察样本，我们的研究结果表明，公司董事会的性别配额与更高的工伤率有关。在资金紧张的公司，以及那些工作量大、工作场所安全投资少的公司，该协会尤其强大。相比之下，这种影响在位于制度框架强大和工会代表性高的国家的公司中得到缓解。在考虑工作场所伤害、董事会性别多样性和其他控制变量的不同衡量标准时，结果适用于各种回归规范，并且仍然稳健。我们的研究借鉴了性别行为理论、社会角色理论和性别社会化理论，研究结果与性别行为理论特别吻合。它促进了对与董事会多样性相关的公司治理结构变化如何影响工作场所安全的理解。本研究强调了进一步实证工作的重要性，以扩大这一研究领域，并通过横断面和纵向分析为未来的研究提供了有价值的方向。研究结果为考虑在董事会中实施性别配额的政策制定者提供了重要见解。此外，本研究强调需要进一步探索治理研究中未被审查的方面，这将对未来的政策辩论、立法程序和企业在促进性别多样性和加强工作场所安全方面的实践产生重大影响。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Corporate Governance-An International Review Multiple-

CiteScore

7.00

自引率

11.30%

发文量

期刊介绍： The mission of Corporate Governance: An International Review is to publish cutting-edge international business research on the phenomena of comparative corporate governance throughout the global economy. Our ultimate goal is a rigorous and relevant global theory of corporate governance. We define corporate governance broadly as the exercise of power over corporate entities so as to increase the value provided to the organization"s various stakeholders, as well as making those stakeholders accountable for acting responsibly with regard to the protection, generation, and distribution of wealth invested in the firm. Because of this broad conceptualization, a wide variety of academic disciplines can contribute to our understanding.