Purpose This paper aims to examine the impact of diversity of board members’ educational qualifications on the financial performance of banks in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach The present study applies system generalized methods of moments as an econometric model in carrying out the analysis. The study yielded a usable sample of 28 banks spanning from 2001 to 2016. Findings The paper concludes that the Ghanaian banking sector profit diverges and invalidates the convergence theory or “catch-up effect”. Specifically, educational qualifications of board members are relevant to banks’ financial performance. Across all the models used, board members with a first degree have a significant positive impact on performance. The opposite is the case for board members with Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Research limitations/implications Unobservable characteristics such as entrepreneurial skills and intellectual competence experiences are excluded from the study because of the difficulties in measuring these variables. Notwithstanding, the exclusion of these characteristics does not invalidate the general outcome of the study. Originality/value The present study examines the impact of diversity of board members’ educational qualification on financial performance in the context of Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Ghana. It also extends the existing literature by decomposing the banking sector into listed, non-listed, foreign and domestic banks.

No abstract

The present study investigates the link between quality of governance and stock market performance within the context of international markets. The study employed the Fixed Effect model using 23 countries with complete relevant data for the period spanning from 1996 to 2014. The study reveals that, quality of governance as captured by Voice and Accountability, Political Stability and Absence of Violence, Government Effectiveness, Regulatory Quality, Rule of Law and Control of Corruption significantly affect stock market performance. Varying effects are produced when the countries are decomposed into income classifications. What is more, the findings and suggestions of this study suggest that quality of government significantly affect foreign direct investment and could have interesting policy implications. The main value of this paper is to examine the link between quality of governance and stock market performance within the context of international markets.

Purpose The marginalization of women on boards is a heavily discussed topic across the world, especially in Ghana. Apart from estimating the link between boardroom gender diversity and technical efficiency of banks, this study aims to test the presence of upper echelons theory in the Ghanaian banking sector. Design/methodology/approach The study examines data from 2000 to 2019 annual reports of 23 banks in Ghana. The stochastic frontier analysis is used to estimate the impact of boardroom gender diversity on technical efficiency of banks in Ghana. Findings This study finds that greater boardroom gender diversity generates technical efficiencies for banks. The results remain unchanged after accounting for bank types (listed and non-listed). Thus, all banks benefit in terms of technical efficiency from more boardroom gender diversity. The upper echelons theory is validated in the Ghanaian banking context. Overall, the study supports pro-gender diversity on boards. Practical implications The results have implications at corporate, social and national levels. It supports the need for policies that improve greater boardroom gender diversity. Originality/value This study adds to a growing number of non-developed countries by investigating the link between the boardroom gender diversity and technical efficiency of banks in Ghana, a country which historically has had minimal female participation in the workforce. New insight is, therefore, offered into this relationship by using data which examines the technical efficiency of banks periods before and after the Women in Finance Charter in 2016.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to use bank-level panel data to examine the determinants of Ghanaian banks credit to SMEs often referred to as the “Missing Middle.” Demands for bank credit by SMEs sector have been over flogged by researchers in recent times. Determinants of banks’ credit to SMEs from the supply side using most recent data for both micro (bank level) and macro (country) level data is a contribution to empirical literature. Design/methodology/approach The study employed the Generalized methods of moments using ten banks listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange to examine factors that determine banks credit to SMEs in Ghana. Bank-specific and country-specific data were collected from the financial statements of the sampled commercial banks operating in Ghana compiled by Ghana Association of Bankers over the period 1997-2014 consisting of 180 observations. The macroeconomic variables were retrieved from Ghana Statistical Service and Bank of Ghana, respectively. Findings The result of the study reveal that apart from the size of top management and GDP growth, the rest of micro (bank-specific variables) and macro (country) level sampled statistically influences bank credit to SMEs. Specifically, the coefficient of bank size, its profitability and inflation variables are negative demonstrating that in Ghana, bigger, most profitable banks and high inflation period limit credit to the SMEs sector. The coefficients of board size and bank origin variables were found to be positive indicating banks with huge board size and foreign banks tend to provide more credit to SMEs. Originality/value The main value of this paper is to examine determinants of Ghanaian banks credit to the “Missing Middle.” A supply side approach.