DETERMINANTS OF BANK PERFORMANCE: REVISITING THE ROLE OF CEO'S PERSONALITY TRAITS USING GRAPHOLOGY

Abstract

It is well-known that Chief Executive Officer (CEO) plays an important role in the success of many businesses. In this study, we revisit the relationship between CEO's personality and firm performance for 27 Vietnamese commercial banks. We use graphology to classify 299 handwritten signatures of CEOs into different personality traits such as extraversion or conscientiousness. Those personalities, among other factors (e.g., ownership, listed status, and CEOs' experiences), are then used to explain bank performance. We document that banks with conscientious CEOs tend to outperform their counterparts.