Does Board Composition Matter? The Relationship Between Board Characteristics and Financial Performance: Evidence From Chinese Listed Agricultural Companies

Abstract

The paper aims to make new insight to some of the contradicting findings in prior studies of the board structure–firm performance relationship and to assess this connection in the specific context of Chinese listed agricultural companies practice. The study investigates the data of Chinese agricultural listed companies from 2008 to 2017, using multiple regression authors examine the relationship between board characteristic and financial performance. Conducted by authors empirical analysis shows that CEO duality and board size are significantly positively correlated with financial performance (proxies - ROA, ROE, and EPS). Although, contrary to the findings made in Western institutional settings the paper’s results testify that board independence has no significant impact on financial performance in China. The study’s findings enrich the understanding of linkage “board structure–firm performance”, especially in China – institutional settings that have proved to differ in many ways from other jurisdictions. Additionally, the paper provides an in-depth synthesis of research into this linkage to the date.