Moderating Effect of Financial Strength on the Relationship Between Board Characteristics and Environmental Sustainability Disclosures
Abstract:The study examines the moderating effect of financial strength on the relationship between board characteristics (board independence and qualification) and ecological sustainability disclosures on firms listed at the Nairobi Securities Exchange. The study period was (5) years (from 2013 to 2017). It employed a correlational survey research design covering the period of five (5) years (2013-2017). The target population was sixty-five (65) firms listed at the NSE, with a sample size of 56 firms. Data was utilise… Show more
“…Bank Size (SIZE): This is measured in terms of the log of total asset value as used in the work of Paul et al (2019) and Dan Perbankan (2021). Large firms could potentially leverage economies of scale to allocate resources toward environmental and social activities.…”
Based on stakeholder theory, disclosing sustainable development information is fundamental to achieving a competitive advantage and improving a company’s financial performance. There has been a notable absence of studies examining the degree of adherence to sustainability based on the latest indicators from the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI-G4) Guidelines and its impact on financial performance, specifically within the banking sector in emerging Arab economies. Consequently, this study explores the correlation between the degree of adherence to sustainability and its dimensions (economic, social, and environmental) as defined by GRI-G4 and financial performance within a sample of banks in Arab nations (the United Arab Emirates “UAE” and Iraq) from 2019 to 2021. The research hypotheses were examined using a multiple linear regression model. The empirical findings reveal that, on average, UAE banks exhibit a sustainability adherence level of 57% according to GRI-G4, while their Iraqi counterparts demonstrate a significantly lower adherence of 17%. Notably, the degree of sustainability adherence substantially impacts the financial performance of banks in both countries. Furthermore, the results also indicated that the economic dimension of sustainability has a positive impact, while the environmental dimension has a negative impact, and in contrast, the social dimension does not significantly affect the financial performance of banks in both countries. This study provides insights for banks and policymakers to enhance their sustainability practices and elevate the level of disclosure, especially within Arab nations. This, in turn, can lead to greater compliance with sustainability standards, improved transparency, and reduced information asymmetry.
“…Bank Size (SIZE): This is measured in terms of the log of total asset value as used in the work of Paul et al (2019) and Dan Perbankan (2021). Large firms could potentially leverage economies of scale to allocate resources toward environmental and social activities.…”
Based on stakeholder theory, disclosing sustainable development information is fundamental to achieving a competitive advantage and improving a company’s financial performance. There has been a notable absence of studies examining the degree of adherence to sustainability based on the latest indicators from the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI-G4) Guidelines and its impact on financial performance, specifically within the banking sector in emerging Arab economies. Consequently, this study explores the correlation between the degree of adherence to sustainability and its dimensions (economic, social, and environmental) as defined by GRI-G4 and financial performance within a sample of banks in Arab nations (the United Arab Emirates “UAE” and Iraq) from 2019 to 2021. The research hypotheses were examined using a multiple linear regression model. The empirical findings reveal that, on average, UAE banks exhibit a sustainability adherence level of 57% according to GRI-G4, while their Iraqi counterparts demonstrate a significantly lower adherence of 17%. Notably, the degree of sustainability adherence substantially impacts the financial performance of banks in both countries. Furthermore, the results also indicated that the economic dimension of sustainability has a positive impact, while the environmental dimension has a negative impact, and in contrast, the social dimension does not significantly affect the financial performance of banks in both countries. This study provides insights for banks and policymakers to enhance their sustainability practices and elevate the level of disclosure, especially within Arab nations. This, in turn, can lead to greater compliance with sustainability standards, improved transparency, and reduced information asymmetry.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.