Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues is a peer-reviewed journal which publishes original research papers and case studies

The study assesses whether CEO power and firm environmental sensitivity matter to board diversity (i.e., board cultural (BCD) and board gender (BGD) diversity) and corporate sustainability performance nexus. Australian S&P/ASX300′s firm data for a period of ten years (2011–2020) were used in the study’s analysis. Although board diversity positively influences ESG performance, the presence of powerful CEOs and when firms operate in environmentally sensitive industries weaken the board diversity and sustainability performance nexus. Additionally, the study found that although board diversity is essential, the effect of BGD has a greater statistical power on sustainability than BCD, affirming the present focus on BGD.

Corporate social responsibility in the banking industry has an impact on the environment and society. Research was conducted on the impacts of environmental social responsibility disclosure on future income response coefficients of The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Banking to determine the level of concern ASEAN banks have in disclosing corporate responsibility, and to understand the levels of future revenue response coefficients. The variable in this research was measured by corporate social responsibility disclosure, while the variable of the Future Earnings Response Coefficient (FERC) was based on the value of banking stocks. Other variables—size, growth, earning persistence, and earnings volatility—were the control variables. The sampling method used was a purposive sampling approach; a research sample of 280 banks in 5 ASEAN countries was determined with this provision: banking report data were taken from the stock exchanges of each country and sustainability reports, using the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standard version 4 (G4) from 2014 to 2018. The researchers used conducted multiple regression analysis to examine the variables. The analysis tools used included panel data, so that data processing was carried out using review software. The results of the study show that corporate social responsibility disclosure has a positive and significant effect on the future earnings response coefficient, whereas other variables (i.e., company size, growth, and earnings persistence), do not have a relationship with the disclosure of corporate responsibility or FERC. Only the volatility of earnings has an influence on disclosure of corporate social responsibility and FERC.

This study assesses the role of country characteristics on the association between board gender diversity and sustainability performance. It evaluates the significance and relevance of country characteristics in capturing the contextual sensitivity of the relationship between board gender diversity and sustainability performance. Using a sample of 5087 firms from 50 countries, the study establishes that the presence of females on corporate boards enhances sustainability performance. However, the strength of this relationship is contingent on the characteristics of the country within which a firm operates. Specifically, the positive relationship between board gender diversity and sustainability performance is more pronounced in countries with higher cultural orientations on individualism, uncertainty avoidance, indulgence, and femininity. More substantial financial development, an application of civil law and legal systems and weaker economic conditions in a country also facilitate female directors in enhancing sustainability performance. The study provides deeper insights into how country factors interact with gender on the board factor in leading the sustainability performance of firms.