The Mediating Role of Dividend Policy in the Relationship between Board Diversity and Firm Value: Evidence from Nigeria
1 Department of Business Administration, Bayero University Kano
* Corresponding author: mabello.bus@buk.edu.ng
* Corresponding author: mabello.bus@buk.edu.ng
Abstract
This study investigates the mediating role of Dividend Policy in the relationship between Board
Diversity (gender, age, educational, and ethnic diversity) and Firm Value (measured by Tobin's
Q) among publicly listed firms in Nigeria. Using a sample of 636 firm-year observations, we
analyze the direct and indirect effects of various dimensions of board diversity on firm value. The
findings indicate that Board Gender Diversity and Educational Diversity have significant
positive effects on firm value, while Age and Ethnic Diversity exhibit negative or insignificant
impacts. However, the study finds no significant mediating effect of dividend policy in the
diversity-firm value relationship. These results highlight the importance of fostering gender and
educational diversity in corporate governance to enhance firm performance. The study
concludes that dividend policy does not act as a critical channel through which board diversity
influences firm value. Recommendations for future research include exploring other mediating
factors and considering industry-specific and cross-country analyses to provide broader
insights.
Keywords
Board Diversity
Dividend Policy
Firm Value
Tobin's Q
Gender Diversity
Educational Diversity
Corporate Governance
Nigeria
References
- Abor, J., & Fiador, V. (2013). Does corporate governance explain dividend policy in Sub-Saharan Africa? International Journal of Law and Management, 55(3), 201-225. https://doi.org/10.1108/17542431311327637
- Adam, M. S., Bello, M. A., Adam, M. A. and Ramalan, J. (2021). The effect of Dividend Policy on Performance of Nigerian manufacturing companies: A case of Dangote Cement Plc. Global Scientific Journals, 9 (9), Online: ISSN 2320-9186 www.globalcientificjournal.com
- Adams, R. B., & Ferreira, D. (2009). Women in the boardroom and their impact on governance and performance. Journal of Financial Economics, 94(2), 291-309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfineco.2008.10.007
- Adefila, J. J., Oladipo, J. A., & Adeoti, J. O. (2013). The effect of dividend policy on the market price of shares in Nigeria: Case study of fifteen quoted companies. International Journal of Accounting, Finance and Management, 1(1), 31-41.
- Adelegan, O. J. (2003). The impact of growth prospect, leverage and firm size on dividend behaviour of corporate firms in Nigeria. Journal of Economic and Social Studies, 45(1), 35-50.
- Ahern, K. R., & Dittmar, A. K. (2012). The changing of the boards: The impact on firm valuation of mandated female board representation. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 127(1), 137-197. https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qjr049
- Amidu, M. (2007). How does dividend policy affect performance of the firm on Ghana Stock Exchange? Investment Management and Financial Innovations, 4(2), 104-112.
- Benartzi, S., Michaely, R., & Thaler, R. (1997). Do changes in dividends signal the future or the past? The Journal of Finance, 52(3), 1007-1034. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6261.1997.tb02723.x
- Bhagat, S., & Black, B. (2002). The noncorrelation between board independence and long-term firm performance. Journal of Corporation Law, 27(2), 231-273.
- Carter, D. A., D'Souza, F., Simkins, B. J., & Simpson, W. G. (2010). The gender and ethnic diversity of US boards and board committees and firm financial performance. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 18(5), 396-414. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8683.2010.00809.x
- Carter, D. A., Simkins, B. J., & Simpson, W. G. (2003). Corporate governance, board diversity, and firm value. The Financial Review, 38(1), 33-53. https://doi.org/10.1111/1540-6288.00034
- Coles, J. L., Daniel, N. D., & Naveen, L. (2008). Boards: Does one size fit all? Journal of Financial Economics, 87(2), 329-356. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfineco.2006.08.008
- DeAngelo, H., DeAngelo, L., & Skinner, D. J. (2006). Dividends and losses. Journal of Finance, 61(4), 1837-1863. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6261.2006.00890.x
- Eke, P. I., & Ofoegbu, O. E. (2019). Board diversity and firm performance: Evidence from Nigerian firms. International Journal of Economics and Business Research, 18(1), 1- 15. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJEBR.2019.10021277
- Erhardt, N. L., Werbel, J. D., & Shrader, C. B. (2003). Board of director diversity and firm financial performance. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 11(2), 102-111. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8683.00011
- Fama, E. F., & French, K. R. (2001). Disappearing dividends: Changing firm characteristics or lower propensity to pay? Journal of Financial Economics, 60(1), 3-43. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-405X(01)00038-1
- Fama, E. F., & Jensen, M. C. (1983). Separation of ownership and control. Journal of Law and Economics, 26(2), 301-325. https://doi.org/10.1086/467037
- Farinha, J. (2003). Dividend policy, corporate governance and the managerial entrenchment hypothesis: An empirical analysis. Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, 30(9- 10), 1173-1209. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0306-686X.2003.05624.x
- Gul, F. A., Fung, S. Y. K., & Jaggi, B. (2011). Corporate governance and investor protection: An introduction. Asian Journal of Business and Accounting, 4(2), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.22452/ajba.vol4no2.1
- Gul, F. A., Srinidhi, B., & Ng, A. C. (2011). Does board gender diversity improve the informativeness of stock prices? Journal of Accounting and Economics, 51(3), 314- 338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacceco.2011.01.005
- Hambrick, D. C., & Mason, P. A. (1984). Upper echelons: The organization as a reflection of its top managers. Academy of Management Review, 9(2), 193-206. https://doi.org/10.2307/258434
- Hillman, A. J., & Dalziel, T. (2003). Boards of directors and firm performance: Integrating agency and resource dependence perspectives. Academy of Management Review, 28(3), 383-396. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2003.10196729
- Jensen, M. C. (1986). Agency costs of free cash flow, corporate finance, and takeovers. The American Economic Review, 76(2), 323-329.
- Jensen, M. C. (1993). The modern industrial revolution, exit, and the failure of internal control systems. The Journal of Finance, 48(3), 831-880. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6261.1993.tb04022.x
- Kumar, J. (2003). Does dividend policy influence firm value? Evidence from India. Finance India, 17(4), 1395-1406.
- La Porta, R., Lopez-de-Silanes, F., Shleifer, A., & Vishny, R. W. (2000). Agency problems and dividend policies around the world. The Journal of Finance, 55(1), 1-33. https://doi.org/10.1111/0022-1082.00199
- Lintner, J. (1956). Distribution of incomes of corporations among dividends, retained earnings, and taxes. The American Economic Review, 46(2), 97-113.
- Miller, M., & Rock, K. (1985). Dividend policy under asymmetric information. The Journal of Finance, 40(4), 1031-1051. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6261.1985.tb02362.x
- Modigliani, F., & Miller, M. H. (1961). Dividend policy, growth, and the valuation of shares. The Journal of Business, 34(4), 411-433. https://doi.org/10.1086/294442
- Muhammad, H. I., Yadudu, M. & Bello, M. A. (2023). Dividend Policy and Market Capitalization of Listed Consumer Goods Companies in Nigeria. African Banking and Finance Review Journal, 7(7), 159 – 172. www.abfrjournal.com
- Musa, F. (2009). The impact of board composition on dividend policy in Nigeria. Journal of Business Management, 2(4), 123-136.
- Okike, E. N. M. (2017). Corporate governance in Nigeria: The status quo. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 25(3), 169-183. https://doi.org/10.1111/corg.12206
- Peng, M. W., Zhang, S., & Li, X. (2007). CEO duality and firm performance during China's institutional transitions. Management and Organization Review, 3(2), 205-225. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1740-8784.2007.00071.x
- Richard, O. C., Barnett, T., Dwyer, S., & Chadwick, K. (2004). Cultural diversity in management, firm performance, and the moderating role of entrepreneurial orientation dimensions. Academy of Management Journal, 47(2), 255-266. https://doi.org/10.5465/20159576
- Saeed, A., & Sameer, M. (2017). Impact of board gender diversity on dividend payments: Evidence from some emerging economies. International Business Review, 26(6), 1100-1113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2017.04.005
- Sanda, A. U., Mikailu, A. S., & Garba, T. (2010). Corporate governance mechanisms and firm financial performance in Nigeria. African Economic Research Consortium Research Paper 149. https://aercafrica.org/publications/corporate-governance-mechanisms-and-firm-financial-performance-in-nigeria/
- Talke, K., Salomo, S., & Rost, K. (2010). How top management team diversity affects innovativeness and performance via the strategic choice to focus on innovation fields. Research Policy, 39(7), 907-918. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2010.04.001
- Ujunwa, A. (2012). Board characteristics and the financial performance of Nigerian quoted firms. Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society, 12(5), 656-674. https://doi.org/10.1108/14720701211275587
- Uwuigbe, U. (2013). Determinants of dividend policy: A study of selected listed firms in Nigeria. Accounting and Management Information Systems, 12(3), 442-454.
- Uwuigbe, U. R. (2013). Board diversity and corporate financial performance: Evidence from Nigeria. International Journal of Business and Management, 8(14), 42-53. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v8n14p42
- Van der Walt, N., & Ingley, C. (2003). Board dynamics and the influence of professional background, gender, and ethnic diversity of directors. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 11(3), 218-234. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8683.00320
- Yermack, D. (1996). Higher market valuation of companies with a small board of directors. Journal of Financial Economics, 40(2), 185-211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-405X(95)00844-5
How to Cite
Bello, M. A. (2024). The Mediating Role of Dividend Policy in the Relationship between Board Diversity and Firm Value: Evidence from Nigeria. Bayero Journal of Management Sciences, 6(2), 222-242. https://doi.org/10.67894/bjms.2024.wpfgl7z4
M. A. Bello, "The Mediating Role of Dividend Policy in the Relationship between Board Diversity and Firm Value: Evidence from Nigeria," Bayero Journal of Management Sciences, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 222-242, December 2024. doi: 10.67894/bjms.2024.wpfgl7z4