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BOARD ETHNIC AND RACIAL DIVERSITY: DOES IT IMPACT EARNINGS QUALITY?

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Date Issued:
2021
Abstract/Description:
I examine whether and how racially/ethnically diverse board impacts the quality of reported earnings. Agency theory suggests that the board of directors acts as a robust governance mechanism to reduce opportunistic managerial behavior that may harm shareholders' wealth. Further, diversity coalesces a variety of attributes from different directors that are valuable in predicting organizational outcomes. The majority of extant literature focuses on gender-diverse boards and various firm outcomes, while little is known about how directors' race/ethnicity affects earnings quality. Using a sample of firms publicly traded in the U.S., I find that increased board racial/ethnic diversity is associated with better earnings quality as proxied by lower discretionary accruals and lower probability of internal control weaknesses and financial statement restatements. I further examine whether firms with increased diversity (racial/ethnic and gender diversity) enjoy incrementally higher earnings quality than other firms. However, I fail to find support that racial/ethnic and gender intersectionality is associated with improved earnings quality. Lastly, based on critical mass theory, I test whether an industry descriptive norm is necessary for firms to enjoy increased earnings quality. I find that racial/ethnic directors have a meaningful impact on a firm's earnings quality regardless of the level of diversity; even firms with lower than the industry descriptive norm of racial/ethnic diversity enjoy improved earnings quality.
Title: BOARD ETHNIC AND RACIAL DIVERSITY: DOES IT IMPACT EARNINGS QUALITY?.
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Name(s): Mungai, Ann W. Nduati, author
Thevenot, Maya, Thesis advisor
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
School of Accounting
College of Business
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Created: 2021
Date Issued: 2021
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 163 p.
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: I examine whether and how racially/ethnically diverse board impacts the quality of reported earnings. Agency theory suggests that the board of directors acts as a robust governance mechanism to reduce opportunistic managerial behavior that may harm shareholders' wealth. Further, diversity coalesces a variety of attributes from different directors that are valuable in predicting organizational outcomes. The majority of extant literature focuses on gender-diverse boards and various firm outcomes, while little is known about how directors' race/ethnicity affects earnings quality. Using a sample of firms publicly traded in the U.S., I find that increased board racial/ethnic diversity is associated with better earnings quality as proxied by lower discretionary accruals and lower probability of internal control weaknesses and financial statement restatements. I further examine whether firms with increased diversity (racial/ethnic and gender diversity) enjoy incrementally higher earnings quality than other firms. However, I fail to find support that racial/ethnic and gender intersectionality is associated with improved earnings quality. Lastly, based on critical mass theory, I test whether an industry descriptive norm is necessary for firms to enjoy increased earnings quality. I find that racial/ethnic directors have a meaningful impact on a firm's earnings quality regardless of the level of diversity; even firms with lower than the industry descriptive norm of racial/ethnic diversity enjoy improved earnings quality.
Identifier: FA00013754 (IID)
Degree granted: Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2021.
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Includes bibliography.
Subject(s): Boards of directors
Ethnic diversity
Corporate profits
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013754
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
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Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.