Board Diversity and Corporate Sustainability Performance: Do CEO Power and Firm Environmental Sensitivity Matter?

Abstract

The study assesses whether CEO power and firm environmental sensitivity matter to board diversity (i.e., board cultural (BCD) and board gender (BGD) diversity) and corporate sustainability performance nexus. Australian S&P/ASX300′s firm data for a period of ten years (2011–2020) were used in the study’s analysis. Although board diversity positively influences ESG performance, the presence of powerful CEOs and when firms operate in environmentally sensitive industries weaken the board diversity and sustainability performance nexus. Additionally, the study found that although board diversity is essential, the effect of BGD has a greater statistical power on sustainability than BCD, affirming the present focus on BGD.