Gender diversity and sustainability performance in the banking industry

AbstractThis study analyses the impact of female directors and managers on sustainability performance in the banking industry. Drawing on prior studies, we attempt to frame gender diversity, its determinants, and its consequences with respect to financial, social, and environmental performance. Our sample includes 880 bank‐year observations from 48 countries over the period 2011–2019. We conduct OLS and probit regressions on the panel data sample. The results show that increasing the proportion of female directors also improves the financial and environmental performance; female managers are keener on the social dimension and in engaging with stakeholders, than female directors. This study extends the current literature in the context of the banking industry, suggesting that banks should focus their efforts on establishing the right combination of female directors and managers. Furthermore, practical implications that encourage gender diversity among policy makers and regulators arise from this research

Governing FinTech for performance: the monitoring role of female independent directors

Purpose The use of digital technologies in the financial service industry has brought new complexities to the corporate governance in banks. Relying on the agency perspective of the shareholder, debtholder, and societal governance in banks, this research examines the impact of financial technology innovation (FinTech) on banks’ performance by enlightening the monitoring role of female independent directors. Design/methodology/approach Relying on a sample of Italian banks observed during the period 2016-2020, we hand-collected data on the use of FinTech by considering (i) the in-house provisions of FinTech solutions, (ii) the collaboration with external FinTech firms, and (iii) a combination of both measures. We run a panel data regression analysis with fixed effects, measuring bank performance through bank competitiveness and bank riskiness. Findings We find that FinTech increases bank competitiveness in gathering money from depositors and that independent women on board mitigate the negative relationship between FinTech and the riskiness of banks’ assets, ameliorating the conflicting interests among shareholders, debtholder, and societal governance. Originality/value This study emphasizes the complexities of bank governance when dealing with FinTech in the wider perspective of equity governance, debt governance, and the societal governance spotlighting the importance of appointing female directors in independent positions to enhance the bright sides of financial innovation. We enrich the literature on FinTech with a finer understanding of the drivers and implications of in-house provisions of FinTech solutions versus the collaboration with external FinTech firms

Governing FinTech: evidence from female directors in Italian banks

The use of digital technologies in the financial service industry has brought new complexities to corporate governance in banks. Relying on the perspective of the agency theory, this research examines the impact of financial technology innovation (Fintech) on Italian banks’ performance by explaining the moderating role of board gender diversity. Using a sample of Italian banks observed during the period 2016-2020 and employing fixed-effects regression models we find that gender diversity ameliorates the conflicting interests among shareholders, debtholders, and societal governance in banks increasing the contribution of Fintech to bank performance and competitiveness. This research provides theoretical contributions and practical implications for investors, government authority, and financial supervisor

Gender diversity and fintech: an empirical analysis on Italian banks

Financial technology innovation is a key enabling element in reaching a financially inclusive economic development. Moving from the management and governance theories on gender diversity, this research examines the effects of financial technology innovation (FinTech) adoption on the usage of financial services and banks’ performance by accounting for the moderating role of board gender diversity. Using a sample of Italian banks observed during the period 2016-2020 and employing fixed-effects regression models we find that the board gender diversity strengthens the positive effects of FinTech on the usage and operating efficacy of financial services. This research provides theoretical contributions and practical implications for investors, government authorities, and financial supervisors

Board gender diversity and FinTech: evidence from the usage and the efficacy of financial services

Financial technology innovation is a key enabling element in reaching a financially inclusive economic development. Moving from the management and governance theories on gender diversity, this research examines the effects of financial technology innovation (FinTech) adoption on the usage of financial services and banks’ performance by accounting for the moderating role of board gender diversity. Using a sample of Italian banks observed during the period 2016-2020 and employing fixed-effects regression models we find that the board gender diversity strengthens the positive effects of FinTech on the usage and operating efficacy of financial services. This research provides theoretical contributions and practical implications for investors, government authority and financial supervisors

The value of intellectual capital for university performance. A partial Least Square Path Modeling Analysis

Based on the IC-approach, in this paper we explore the direct and indirect effect of human, structural and relational capital to the university performance measured through the three institutional missions of teaching, research and entrepreneurship. We base our empirical investigation on a sample of Italian public universities followed for 4 years and perform a PLS-Path Modelling analysis. We find a significant and positive effect of relational capital on performance. We also observe that while structural capital has no direct link with performance its influence on performance happens only through relational capital. Our results contribute to the extant literature and suggests implications for practitioners

Budgeting for gender equality in research performing organisations

Gender equality in research and innovation is one of the key priorities of the European Research Area and is part of the European Commission Gender Equality Strategy for 2020-2025 (European Commission, 2020). However, research performing organisations (RPOs) in Europe still show persistent gender inequalities with vertical (the glass ceiling phenomenon, with few women being able to reach the top of the ladder) and horizontal segregation (both with reference to the disciplines of research and teaching and in the choice of education fields) (European Commission, 2019a). This paper analyses inequalities in European RPOs and proposes strategies to reduce them. Can gender budgeting (GB) be a tool, along with other specific actions, in achieving gender equality? What key features should GB include to do so? To answer these questions, 25 GB examples from European RPOs were analysed, paying attention to the methodologies and the indicators that were used, and to their interaction with gender equality plans. Viable suggestions are put forward to improve the impact of GB on gender equality outcomes in RPOs

Endocrine, Cognitive and Hippocompal/Cortical 5HT 1A/2A Receptor Changes Evoked by a Time-Dependent Sensitisation (TDS) Stress Model in Rats.

GesondheidswetenskappePsigiatriePlease help us populate SUNScholar with the post print version of this article. It can be e-mailed to: [email protected]

The mediating role of relational capital for the academic performance effect of IC: the influence of digital technologies

Purpose: Different mechanisms allow intellectual capital (IC) to affect performance. In this paper, we set out to analyze the value of relations for the academic performance effect of IC and explore how the university’s reliance on digital technologies facilitates the contribution of IC to the overall academic performance. Design/methodology/approach: We develop a model linking elements of IC to academic performance in the form of teaching, research, and entrepreneurial activity. Our model is centred on relational capital that is supposed to directly fuel performance and mediate the link between the other two IC dimensions and performance. From a methodological point of view, we base our empirical investigation on a sample of Italian public universities and applied structural equation modeling to test the mediation and a group comparison to disentangle the effect of universities’ digitalization. Findings: We find a significant and positive effect of relational capital on performance. Relational capital fully mediates the relationship between structural capital and academic performance whereas, it only partially mediates the link between human capital and academic performance. We also suggest that digital technologies guide the prominence of the relationship in the university ability to fulfil teaching, research and entrepreneurship missions through IC. Originality/value: This study offers a representation of how the relational dimension of IC is the mean through which the stock of knowledge inside IC can be translated into entrepreneurial, education and research achievements and how digital technologies are essential for the exploitation of the performance effect of IC in the digital era