Psyche, gender and professional experience diversity: board selection as a means of achieving sustainability goals

Douglas Adu, Antoinette Flynn, Colette Grey

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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Abstract

Purpose: With growing concerns in climate change and diversity, this paper examines whether Chair and CEO dissimilarities influence sustainable board decisions such as sustainable business practices in United Kingdom (UK). Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative study was conducted by employing a unique sample of 262 listed firms in the UK from 2009 to 2018. The research approach was based on both actual and self-reported measures of sustainable business practices.
Findings: The findings show that age difference between the Chair and the CEO increases sustainable business practices. The study detects that the combined effect of Chair and CEO diversity, as measured by gender, generational gap and industry experience differences has a greater impact in increasing firms’ actual greenhouse gases reduction performance and in reducing self-reported greenhouse gases reduction performance.
Research limitations/implications: The findings of the study relate to the impact of various Chair and CEO dissimilarity variables on sustainable business practices in the UK context. The results can be interpreted only across the focused sample.
Practical implications: This paper provides crucial policy implications concerning the importance of diversity where the evidence of the study shows beneficial impact of Chair and CEO dissimilarities on sustainable business practices.
Originality/value: The paper offers first time empirical evidence on the effect of various Chair and CEO dissimilarities on both actual and self-reported measures of sustainable business practices in the UK.

Original languageEnglish
Number of pages41
JournalGlobal Business and Management Research
Volume14
Issue number3
Publication statusPublished - 20 Nov 2022
Externally publishedYes

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