The effect of two-tier board characteristics on firm value: The mediating role of corporate reputation in Indonesia

Abstract

This study examines the effect of two-tier board characteristics on firm value, with corporate reputation, proxied by Return on Assets (ROA), as a mediating variable. The research focuses on the Indonesian two-tier governance context, where the Board of Commissioners supervises management under concentrated ownership structures. The study uses panel data from 333 firm-year observations of non-financial companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) and included in the Kompas 100 Index over the 2019–2023 period. Data were analyzed using panel regression models with the Sobel test applied to evaluate the mediating effect. The results reveal that among the six examined board attributes, namely independence, size, tenure, education, meeting frequency, and age, only board meeting frequency shows a significant positive effect on firm value (p < 0.01). Board size positively affects ROA, indicating that a larger supervisory board enhances operational effciency, while board education exhibits a negative influence, suggesting a potential mismatch between academic qualifications and practical business needs. However, ROA does not significantly affect firm value (p > 0.05), indicating that corporate reputation, when proxied by financial performance, fails to mediate the relationship between board characteristics and firm value. These findings underscore the crucial role of board meetings as a formal mechanism for effective supervision in Indonesia’s two-tier system. Moreover, they highlight that financial reputation alone is insuffcient to drive firm value in emerging markets where direct governance mechanisms are more influential.