The association between CEO characteristics and privileges and the extent of firms’ sustainability disclosure: The role of board independence

Abstract

The literature argues that the quality of a firm’s financial reporting is reflected in the extent of its sustainability disclosure (SD). This study therefore examines the link between CEO characteristics (i.e., age, financial experience, duality leadership structure) and privileges (i.e., compensation and ownership) and the extent of SD. It also examines whether board independence has a vital impact on this association. A panel data set of 329 firm-year observations of firms listed on the Amman stock Exchange (ASE) between 2022 and 2023 is investigated. While the results show that a CEO’s age and compensation positively and significantly affect the magnitude of a firm’s SD, the CEO’s financial experience, duality and ownership do not have a significant link to SD. Moreover, when board independence moderates the association between CEO characteristics and privileges and the extent of SD, the only variable that has a positive and significant effect on the extent of sustainability information is the CEO’s age. The findings are expected to be beneficial to firms’ decision makers regarding the selection of CEOs, as well as in deciding their compensation schemes. It also adds new evidence to the current debate in the literature on this issue, especially from a developing capital market like Jordan.