Female Chief Financial Officers Research Articles

Female chief financial officers (CFOs) and environmental decoupling. The moderating impact of sustainability board committees

AbstractThis study analyses the link between chief financial officer (CFO) gender and environmental decoupling. Moreover, the moderator effect of sustainability board committees is tested. Based on upper echelons theory, a sample of listed firms headquartered in the European Union (2312 firm‐year observations) from the business years 2017–22 is used. In line with the theoretical framework and based on correlation and regression analyses, CFO gender is significantly and negatively linked with environmental decoupling. The existence of sustainability board committees strengthens this relationship. The results are robust to various robustness tests and endogeneity checks. This study contributes to the increasing research activity on the influence of corporate governance on environmental decoupling. Future research should analyze specific environmental decoupling dimensions and the impact of other CFO characteristics (e.g., expertise) on environmental decoupling. Regarding the stakeholder concerns on corporate environmental decoupling in recent years, firms should increase the quality of their environmental reports to build up increased stakeholder relations. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first empirical study on the relationship between CFO gender and corporate environmental decoupling. Moreover, the moderator effect of sustainability board committees is included as an innovative complementary driver.

The Influence of Female Chief Executive Officer and Female Chief Financial Officer on Earnings Management in Manufacturing Companies in The Consumption Goods Industry Sector Registered on the BEI in 2021-2022

This research aims to analyze the influence of Female CEO and Female CFO on Earning Management. This research was conducted on consumer goods industrial sector companies listed on the IDX in 2021-2022, the sample was selected using a purposive sampling method and the data that passed the selection were 36 companies. The research results show that Female CEO (X1) has no significant effect on Earnings Management (Y). This is proven by using the t-value of 0.287 < t table 1.996 and a significant value of 0.775 > 0.05. Female CFO (X2) has no significant effect on Earnings Management (Y). This was proven using the t-value of |0.284| < ttable 1.996 and a significant value of 0.777 > 0.05. After that, Female CEO (X1) and Female CFO (X2) do not simultaneously influence Earning Management (Y). This result is proven by the F-value of 0.076 < Ftable and a significant value of 0.973 > 0.05

Effects of female CEO and female CFO on internationalization and firm performance

PurposeThe study aims to examine the influence of female chief executive officer (CEO) and female chief financial officer (CFO) on the linkage between internationalization and firm performance.Design/methodology/approachThis study used 2926 firm-year observations of nonfinancial firms listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange over the period 2012–2021. This study used ordinary least squares regression method to test the hypotheses, and additionally, generalized method of moments estimation and fixed effect analysis were used to check for the robustness of the results.FindingsUsing the framework of upper echelons theory and resource dependence theory, this study reports that internationalization has a positive impact on firm performance. Moreover, the results show that the presence of female CEO and female CFO strengthens the positive relationship between internationalization and firm performance. The results add to the gender diversity literature by highlighting the positive role of female CEOs and female CFOs on the internationalization and performance of firms in a male-dominated society.Originality/valueThis study adds to the limited literature on the internationalization of businesses in an emerging market and provides empirical support to upper echelons theory and resource dependence theory by highlighting the benefits brought to the firm through female CEOs and female CFOs.

Do female chief financial officers and female directors cooperate? Evidence from investment efficiency

PurposeThis paper aims to examine whether the cooperation between female chief financial officers (CFO) and the proportion of female directors would impact investment efficiency. The investigation is grounded in the increasing number of female top managers globally and the notion that female tends to cooperate more with other female than with male.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses publicly listed firms in Bursa Malaysia from 2016 to 2020, which yielded a sample of 2,022 firm-year observations. The authors used multivariate ordinary least square regression to test the relationship, and to correct for the selection bias, the Heckman selection and PSM test were used.FindingsThe authors find a positive relationship between female CFOs and investment efficiency. A higher proportion of female directors accentuates this result. The findings support the homophily argument that similar characteristics (gender) promote cooperation. This shows that cooperation between female CFOs and directors improves investment efficiency. The results suggest that the improvement in investment efficiency could relate to higher managerial discretion for female CFOs and their ability to collaborate with female directors. These results are robust to a series of additional endogeneity tests. The findings have important implications for policymakers and firms to encourage more appointments of females in top management positions.Originality/valueBy highlighting the cooperation between female CFOs and female directors, this study contributes to the understanding that cooperation among females improves investment efficiency.

CFO gender and financial statement comparability

This study examines the effect of chief financial officers (CFOs) gender on firms' financial statement comparability. Using a sample of Chinese listed firms, we find that firms with female CFOs exhibit higher comparability relative to firms with male CFOs. We further find that the positive relation between having a female CFO and comparability disappears in the industries that are dominated with male CFOs. In additional analyses, we fail to find any significant effects of having female chief executive officers (CEOs) or other female executives on comparability, highlighting the importance of CFOs in the domain of financial reporting decisions. Finally, we show that only in non-male CFO dominated industries, greater comparability is associated with an improvement in analysts' forecast accuracy and dispersion. Overall, our findings are consistent with the view that, due to their innate personality and behavioral differences, female CFOs are likely to exhibit stronger incentives to comply with accounting rules and standards, which in turn improves comparability. We also highlight the uniqueness of comparability by showing that it does not always co-move with reporting quality since it is an inter-firm attribute rather than a firm's own reporting characteristic.

CFO Characteristics and Real Earnings Management

We examine whether the characteristics of chief financial officers (CFOs) are associated with real earnings management (REM). Using hand-collected data on CFOs’ characteristics, we find that female CFOs and highly visible CFOs are associated with lower levels of REM, while CFOs with an MBA or with an accounting background are associated with higher levels of REM. Our analyses also reveal that the combination of CFOs’ characteristics is important for understanding the association between CFO profiles and REM. Overall, this study identifies the potential profiles of CFOs who are more likely to implement business strategies aimed at managing earnings.

Executive personality and the gender pay gap

Utilizing a large sample of U.S. chief financial officers (CFOs), we show that both their personality and gender are significant determinants of their remuneration. Controlling for the ‘Big Five’ personality traits does not eliminate the differential in compensation between male and female CFOs.

An assessment of female executives’ influence on bank performance in Indonesia based on critical mass theory

This study examines how female executives affect bank performance in Indonesia’s emerging market. It also investigates whether a critical mass of females on the board of management impacts bank performance. The sample was obtained from 29 banks, which covers 64.5% of publicly listed banks in Indonesia, for the observation period of 2010–2019. This study employs balanced panel data regression analysis, including the year fixed effect. Five surrogate indicators were used for female executives: female Chief Executive Officer (CEO), female Chief Financial Officer (CFO), the presence of females on the board of management, the proportion of female members on the board of management, and the number of female members on the board of management. Critical mass is reached if there are three or more female members on the board of management. The findings suggest that female executives do not significantly impact bank performance. The critical mass suggests a similar result. The findings are consistent and robust for the additional analysis using a lagged independent variable. Nevertheless, the results show that female CEOs positively impact return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE). Empirical findings in Indonesia suggest that female executives do not affect bank performance. The absence of this effect is likely due to unique aspects of Indonesian culture and the structural ownership of firms. However, female CEOs were shown to improve ROE. The findings imply that females are more risk-averse decision makers than males and tend to choose lower-risk investments, which can improve ROA and ROE.

Women leading the audit process and audit fees: A European study

This study investigates if a gender effect exists on the audit fees associated with the presence of women in roles closely related to the audit process. The analysis is based on the largest European corporations studied between 2016 and 2018. The results show that firms with female chief financial officers and more female directors on the audit committee pay significantly lower audit fees than other firms. However, the results for the remaining gender variables (audit partner, chair of the audit committee, and chief executive officer) do not show any association. Additionally, we find that accounting expertise drives the association between female directors and audit fees. Therefore, neither non-expert female directors nor, more surprisingly, female directors who are labelled as financial experts, have any significant effects on audit fees. Another interesting finding is that the gender variables provide significant results when they are observed in more gender egalitarian contexts, though not in less egalitarian settings. These results have interesting implications at various levels.

Pengaruh Board Diversity Terhadap Konservatisme Akuntansi (Studi Empiris Pada Perusahaan Yang Terdaftar Di Bursa Efek Indonesia 2017-2019)

This study aims to examine and obtain empirical evidence of the influence of female Chief Executive Officer (CEO), female Chief Financial Officer (CFO), female Board of Commissioners on accounting conservatism in all companies listed on the IDX in 2017-2019. The sample of this research is all companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) during the 2017-2019 period. The sample selection in this study using purposive sampling method, obtained 124 companies and multiplied during the year of the study, so that the total sample in this study was 372. The dependent variables used in this study were accounting conservatism, female CEO, female CFO, and female Board of Commissioners as independent variable. Tests in this study using analysis tools E-Views (Econometric Views) and for data analysis in this study using linear regression analysis. The results of this study indicate that female CEOs, female CFOs, and female Board of Commissioners have no significant effect on accounting conservatism

Are female CFOs more ethical to the occurrences of financial reporting fraud? Theoretical and empirical evidence from cross-listed firms in the US

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine whether female chief financial officers (CFOs) are associated with the occurrences of financial reporting fraud. This study offers new theoretical and empirical evidence on whether firms with more female CFOs are more (less) likely to engage in financial reporting fraud.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on a sample of US-listed firms from 2011 to 2021. The authors speculate that female CFOs play a weaker role in the occurrences of financial reporting fraud. So, firms with a proportional number of female CFOs should be less likely to commit financial reporting fraud.FindingsThe data provide support for the predictions of this study. This study suggests a negative and significant association between the dummy variables for female CFOs and the occurrences of financial reporting fraud. The authors find that this association is contingent on governance mechanisms [e.g. ownership structure, politically connected CEOs and firms' conditions that do (or do not) invest in a gender-diverse board].Originality/valueThis study offers different perspectives on the impact of female CFOs on the occurrences of financial reporting fraud. The results of this study are distinguishable from prior studies. This study moves the analytical focus from the macro level (gender diversity or female corporate leaders) to the micro level (female CFOs) to understand firms' propensity to commit financial reporting fraud. Additionally, this study is based on factual financial reporting fraud cases, considering the US firms' fraud characteristics.

CFO Gender, Corporate Risk-Taking, and Information Disclosure Violations.

The sex ratio at birth in China exhibits a major occurrence of “missing women” due to the high son preference in Chinese culture. Clearly, the large gender discrepancy in China can be explained not only by ethical, moral, or social fairness theories but also by the economic benefits of women's particular abilities, experiences, and talents. This article examines the influence of female chief financial officers (CFOs) on information disclosure violations in order to highlight women's positive contributions. Our data imply that having a female CFO can dramatically lower the number of companies that fail to disclose information. The results are strong after controlling endogeneity with propensity score matching, Heckman's two-stage self-selection model, and CFO change, as well as controlling the gender of the chairman and chief executive officer, utilizing different study periods, and using exogenous shock. We further examined the moderate effects of CFO power and external monitoring, and we found that CFO power magnifies the negative effect of female CFO on violations; the more the power, the more the negative effect of female CFO on violations. We also found that when the firm has effective external monitoring, there are fewer future infractions of information disclosure.

The incidence of accounting fraud is increasing: is it a matter of the gender of chief financial officers?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the association between accounting fraud and the gender of chief financial officers (CFOs).Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a sample of US-listed firms for the period from 2000 to 2010. This paper takes this distribution of the sample observations because firms sanctioned by the Securities and Exchange Commission as reported in Accounting and Auditing Enforcement Releases for fraud are more heavily weighted in the 2000 to 2010 period.FindingsThis study provides considerable evidence to suggest that firms with female CFOs are negatively associated with accounting fraud. The study also suggests that in state-owned enterprises, in which political concerns are likely to be more pronounced, the relationship between female CFOs and accounting fraud is negatively less significant. This study conducts an additional test about when and why boards’ diversity reduces accounting fraud or concerns. The result shows that the structure of gender-mixed boards is better than male-only boards. Therefore, it is important to control the activities or decisions of powerful chief executive officers.Research limitations/implicationsIn general, the findings contribute to the current discussion on the necessity of increasing gender diversity as a corporate governance mechanism. This study is specifically focussed on CFOs that may directly have important implications for financial reporting and corporate governance.Originality/valueThis paper extends prior research by addressing the potential effects of female CFOs on accounting fraud. For example, Zhou et al. (2018) examine the relationship between executive compensation and the incidence of corporate fraud in Chinese listed companies from the perspective of delisting pressure. The result documents that there is no a relationship between CFO gender and accounting fraud. The results, however, find that female CFOs are negatively associated with accounting fraud; meaning that the presence of female CFOs brings positive implications for financial reporting and corporate governance.

CFO gender in curbing CEO dominance on overpriced acquisition premiums

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the tempering effect of the presence of a female chief financial officer (CFO) on potentially dominant chief executive officer (CEO) behavior expressed through the overvaluing of acquisition premiums.Design/methodology/approachThis study used Securities Data Corporation (SDC) database data over an eight-year period to analyze the relationships between CEO dominance and the acquisition premiums paid in an acquisition deal. The study also analyzes the effect of CFO gender in curbing CEO dominance in the acquisition deals. The authors employ clustered standard errors ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis along with robustness testing, which supports the validity of our conclusions.FindingsThe authors expect and find that as CEO dominance rises, so does the acquisition premium; however, the presence of a female CFO in such situations significantly reduces the overpayment of the acquisition premium.Practical implicationsThe study findings advocate for organizational change in the form of an increased presence of female CFOs within business organizations.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the accounting literature by timely exploiting a rising trend in which female executives are expected to become more prolific. The authors’ research indicates that their entrenchment into business organizations, thereby promoting gender diversity, produces beneficial outcomes for those organizations. It also capitalizes on the specific attributes of the CEO–CFO relationship, which lends itself to particular effectiveness in the hands of female CFOs.

Financial reporting quality and the effects of CFO gender and board gender diversity

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the effects of chief financial officer (CFO) gender, board gender diversity and the interaction of both factors on financial reporting quality (FRQ) proxied by restatements.Design/methodology/approachRestatements indicate inaccurate financial reporting. The authors use fixed effects conditional logistic regression models to compare firms with and without restatements matched by size, industry and year. The authors’ unique matched–pair sample consists of 546 listed US firms from the period 2005–2016.FindingsThe authors’ results provide evidence that restatements are less likely when the CFO is a woman and when a higher proportion of women serve on the board of directors (BOD). Considering the interaction effects, the authors find evidence that women on the BOD are more effective at reducing restatement likelihood when the CFO is also a woman. And that although female CFOs reduce restatement likelihood generally, they have no statistically significant effect on restatement likelihood when the BOD is all-male.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first that the authors know of to consider how FRQ is affected by the interaction effects of CFO gender and board gender diversity. The findings corroborate upper echelons theory and extend the understanding of the effects of managerial gender diversity at a time when firms face growing pressure to increase gender diversity at the highest levels. The unique sample, methodology and findings provide new insights into the impact of gender on FRQ that has important policy implications.

Do Companies with Female on the Board have Effects on the Earning Management? Evidence Indonesia Manufacturing Listed Firms

This study aims to examine the influence of the presence of women on the board such as chief executive officer, chief financial officer and chief audit committee on the earning management (EM) practices and also to examine whether the educational backgrounds of women executive officials have a moderating effect on the earning management practice. The data used is secondary data from Indonesian listed manufacturing companies, hypothesis testing using regression model with partial least square test. Sampling was carried out using a purposive sampling method. The results showed that female chief executive officer and female chief financial officer did not affect earning management practice, but woman as chief audit committee affect the company's earnings management practices. Education background capable as moderating variable to strengthen the influence women as chief executive officer, chief financial officer and women as chief audit committee to earnings management practices. This research can provide contribution for users of financial statements about the possibility of differences in earnings management practices due to the presence of women in top management positions.

Female CFOs, leverage and the moderating role of board diversity and CEO power

This paper investigates the extent to which female Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) affect corporate leverage. We examine female CFOs in UK firms and find that they significantly reduce the leverage of the firm; however, a female CFO's ability to influence corporate leverage is moderated by the senior decision-making environment in the firm. In particular, female CFOs are more effective in reducing leverage in firms with boards that are diverse with respect to gender, nationality and age, and in firms where the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is not overly powerful. In addition, we find that externally appointed female CFOs reduce leverage more, in line with them having less allegiances to other top managers and greater scope to deviate from existing policies. Our work contributes to the literature by examining the conditions under which gender-specific risk-taking preferences lead to observable effects on corporate outcomes.

Female CFOs, Leverage and the Moderating Role of Board Diversity and CEO Power

This paper investigates the extent to which female Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) affect corporate leverage. We examine female CFOs in UK firms and find that they significantly reduce the leverage of the firm; however, a female CFO’s ability to influence corporate leverage is moderated by the senior decision-making environment in the firm. In particular, female CFOs are more effective in reducing leverage in firms with boards that are diverse with respect to gender, nationality and age, and in firms where the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is not overly powerful. In addition, we find that externally appointed female CFOs reduce leverage more, in line with them having less allegiances to other top managers and greater scope to deviate from existing policies. Our work contributes to the literature by examining the conditions under which gender-specific risk-taking preferences lead to observable effects on corporate outcomes.

Female board representation and provisioning practices in Nigerian banks

The removal of board members of deposit money banks (DMBs) in Nigeria with larger proportion ofmale directors in the last decade (2009-2018) for corporate reporting and governance irregularities hasbecome commonplace. Also, the indifference of the extant corporate governance code in the Nigerianbanking industry to the gender diversity in the DMBs’ boards despite the global phenomenal natureof the practice poses a lot of questions. Given these rationales, this study examined the influence offemale board representation on the practices of income smoothing via provision for loan losses. Thetime-series cross-sectional dataset related to the variables of the study for a sample of 15 DMBs wereextracted from the annual reports of these banks for the period 2007-2018. Data collected were analysedusing Prais-Winsten regression model with correlated Panel-Corrected Standard Errors (P-W/PCSEs).The results showed, on the whole, that the reduction in income-smoothing practices is engendered bythe extent of female board representation given the significantly negative coefficients of proportion offemale directors and Blau Diversity Index. Specifically, among the five continuous measures of femalerepresentation, proportion of female directors and Blau Diversity Index explain better the reduction inthe income-smoothing practices. For five categorical female representation indicators, presence of atleast one woman in the audit committee (F1AD), presence of at least three women on the board andhaving female chief financial officer (FCFO) are better predictors but that of F1AD is contrary to the priorexpectations. The study also established that the reduction in earnings-smoothing practices cannot takeplace until a critical mass of female board members is present. The study solicited for the appointment ofat least three female directors and having female CFO on the DMBs’ boards among others.

Are female top executives more risk-averse or more ethical? Evidence from corporate cash holdings policy

Abstract This study examines the impact of gender in the C-Suite on corporate decision making. In particular, we investigate the influence of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO)’s gender on the agency costs of free cash flow. We document that female CFOs reduce cash holdings in firms with excess cash, which should alleviate the agency conflict arising from managerial discretion. We also find that female CFOs at firms with surplus cash increase distributions to shareholders in the form of dividends. The empirical evidence also shows that the reduction in cash does not lead to suboptimal investment policies. Of the two competing hypotheses – gender-ethics hypothesis and risk-aversion hypothesis—these results are consistent with the view that female CFOs undertake more ethical but not more risk-averse decisions than their male counterparts. Our results are robust to a battery of robustness tests.