This study examines the effects of gender and cultural diversity of boards on the corporate governance and social performance of 373 companies listed in 24 emerging country markets over the period of 2010–2019 using panel data analysis. A two-step system GMM model is also applied to test the endogeneity problem. The results indicate that gender and cultural diversity positively affect corporate governance performance. While we note that social performance is positively associated with both gender and cultural diversity, this relationship is insignificant. The findings offer multidimensional insights for companies, policy makers, and stakeholders to promote the association between gender and cultural diversity initiatives and corporate sustainability dimensions in emerging markets.

Extraordinary situations that suddenly and severely disrupt the flow of normal periods have more or less positive or negative consequences in many areas, from the area of origin to the environment. They can be caused by man-made issues such as terrorism, international trade wars, international economic integration, as well as natural events such as earthquakes and climate change. The Covid-19 pandemic that humanity is experiencing on a global scale can also be considered as a natural event due to its general structure, although there are serious doubts that it is a laboratory production. Unlike other unusual situations, pandemics are not among the situations that humanity experiences frequently, so new and comprehensive studies are needed to control and manage their effects and consequences. The aim of this study is to determine the state of the financial markets during the pandemic and to reveal the short-term effects of the pandemic on this area. Money and capital market instruments for this period are analysed using data from widely recognised international financial institutions. Despite all the measures taken, it was found that there were serious fluctuations in the financial markets in the early stages of the pandemic and that these fluctuations will continue to have an impact in the short and medium term. In the long term, the pandemic is expected to have a significant impact, especially on developing countries with high external financing needs, such as Turkey.