Board characteristics, ownership structure and environmental disclosures in Nigeria: the moderating role of gender diversity

The increasing global concern for the environment, the demand for increased stakeholder reporting, and the importance of sound corporate governance structures have triggered the need for more research into the value creation of environmental disclosure for stakeholders and its integration within corporate governance structures. The main objective of the current study is to empirically examine the extent of environmental disclosure and the relationship between ownership structure, board characteristics, and environmental disclosure. The study also examines the moderating effect of gender diversity on the relationship between board characteristics, ownership structure and environmental disclosure. The sample consists of 530 observations of non-financial firms listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) from 2012 to 2016. Descriptive statistics and panel data regression analysis are utilized in this study. The results of the descriptive statistics reveal that the extent of environmental disclosure in Nigeria is low as compared to developed and developing nations. For the board characteristics variables, board meeting and board shareholdings are found to be positively related to environmental disclosures, while for the ownership structure variables, block holder ownership is found to be negatively related to environmental disclosure. Further, gender diversity is found to moderate the relationship between board size, board meeting, audit committee independence, foreign ownership, and block holder ownership on the relationship with environmental disclosure. The results of this study add to the growing body of corporate environmental disclosure literature, particularly concerning the extent of environmental disclosure and the role of board characteristics and ownership structure in explaining these disclosures, within the context of an emerging economy. The findings provide valuable input for the organization, especially management, in their continuous effort to remain competitive and satisfy the desires of stakeholders