This study examines the relationship between board diversity and firm performance in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the U.K. In particular, we investigate the role of gender and age as two dimensions of diversity. Using a large sample of SMEs (34,798 firms) located in the U.K. and focusing on the period from 2005 to 2013, our results show a significant negative association between each of gender diversity and age diversity, and firm performance. Our evidence yields important insights on the association between board diversity and firm performance, and calls suggestions for increased board diversity into question. A possible explanation for our findings could be due to the fact that our sampled firms are SMEs, whereas those in previous studies have been large enterprises. This research provides insights to entrepreneurs on how to enhance their performance, and to governments and policymakers on the development of rules that would achieve better performance in the SME sector.

Egypt witnessed radical and unexpected changes in the political, social and cultural environment that came as a result of the Arab Spring. Since the revolution caused a paradigm shift in so many socio-economic aspects, it is plausible that it also caused dramatic changes in the relationships of board, ownership, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices in different ways. Accordingly, understanding the corporate governance of the largest Arab state in the MENA region following the Arab Spring is a huge benefit. Using the 2011 Egyptian revolution as the exogenous shock, this study empirically examines the effects of board diversity and ownership structure on the ESG disclosure index in the Egyptian Stock Exchange (EGX) listed firms for the pre-revolution (2007–2011) and post-revolution (2012–2014) periods. Using 160 observations for the pre-revolution and 99 observations for the post-revolution periods, we document a significant positive effect of board national diversity on the ESG index in the pre-revolution period. This effect disappears in the post-revolution period. In contrast, we find that board gender diversity shows no significant effect in determining the ESG index in both pre- and post-revolution periods. We additionally find that ownership variables have a positive impact on ESG disclosure in the pre-revolution period. However, this impact is not carried forward to the post-revolution period. Further analysis on moderating effects suggests that the presence of female board members and state ownership can diminish the effective role of foreign board members towards ESG disclosure. These findings can provide policymakers, regulators, investors, and other stakeholders with a broader perspective of corporate board diversity and ownership when aiming to ensure an optimal level of ESG disclosure from listed companies in Egypt or other emerging markets.

This paper presents the results of a Classroom Action Research (CAR) on the use of Nearpod, an online platform that facilitates the use of interactive teaching material using mobile devices, to conduct a formative assessment in the classroom. There are two aims of this study. First, exploring the effectiveness of using Nearpod to conduct in-class Multiple-Choice Question (MCQ) quizzes in an introductory undergraduate financial accounting class. Second, exploring its influence on the teaching and learning experiences at one of the top private universities in Egypt. In addition, the research attempted to find out how the instructor’s use of Nearpod in the classroom affected students’ interest in the subject matter and course material when compared to conventional paper and pen quizzes. Results from students’ survey and focus groups indicated that using Nearpod heightened students’ interest in the class and positively affected their learning.

Purpose: This paper aims to document whether firms with audited financial statements pay lower bribes to get contracts than firms without audited financial statements. In other words, this study assesses whether external auditing helps combat corruption.Design/methodology/approach: The World Bank Enterprise Survey data covering the period between 2006 and 2014 is used. The total sample comprised more than 50,000 firms in 126 countries.Findings: This paper finds that firms with audited financial statements pay significantly lower bribes compared to firms with unaudited financial statements. The results are robust across various estimation procedures, various proxies for bribery and various sub-samples. It is also found that the relationship between audited financial statements and bribery is more pronounced in environments where firms face higher pressure to engage in corrupt practices.Practical implications: The results imply that auditing of financial statements can act as a disciplining device to curb bribery in environments that encourage corruption.Originality/value: This paper is the first attempt, according to the authors’ knowledge, to examine the relationship between external auditing and corruption using firm-level data that cover 126 countries and is gathered over a 14-year period. Therefore, the results derived from this study are generalizable.

This paper aims to provide a theoretical analysis on the relationship between diversity and corporate disclosure. A literature review has been conducted to assess the aforementioned relationship. Through the literature, agency theory and stakeholder theory support board diversity. This paper explains how Hofsetde-Gray culture theory could be used to explain the relationship between nationality as one of the diversity characteristics, and corporate disclosure. Presence of a diverse board is expected to positively influence corporate disclosure. On one hand, this paper provides future research an opportunity to empirically assess this relationship. On the other hand, the positive influence that board diversity has on corporate disclosure provides an opportunity to companies to diversify their boards according to different nationalities and gender type.

Purpose: This paper aims to examine whether female representation on boards is significantly associated with audit fees paid by top Egyptian listed companies.Design/methodology/approach: The authors collect data on audit fees, board of directors' characteristics and financial data for the top 100 companies listed on the Egyptian Exchange (EGX100) for a period of six years. The authors employ an ordinary least squares regression model to capture the relationship between board diversity (i.e. the proportion of female board directors) and the natural logarithm of audit fees while controlling for firm and industry fixed effects as well as other known firm characteristics.Findings: The authors find that audit fees are significantly associated with the proportion of females serving on firms' boards of directors. The findings suggest a complementary relationship between females on boards, as a quality-enhancing board attribute; and audit fees, as a proxy for audit effort and audit quality.Research limitations/implications: Limitations of this study arise first from the relatively small sample size, and second from the fact that inferences may be specific to the Egyptian context and similar markets.Practical implications: The results have important implications for Egyptian policy makers and regulators in terms of board composition.Social implications: This study provides empirical evidence that further enforces the business case for women's empowerment and the impact of this on the effectiveness of corporate governance.Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first archival study to examine the association between female board representation and audit fees in Egypt.