Gender diversity, sustainability reporting, CEO overconfidence, and efficient risk-taking: Evidence from South Asian agri-food industry

This article aims to understand the impact of board gender diversity (BGD) on the firm's deviation from efficient risk-taking (DERT) along with the mediating effect of sustainability reporting and the moderating effect of CEO overconfidence. The sample consists of 77 South Asian agri-food firms over the period 2010–2019. To account for endogeneity and other statistical biases, we use a system GMM approach. The results show that there is a non-monotonic relationship between BGD and DERT. Consistent with critical mass theory, we find that at least three women on board (WOB) are required to reduce the firm's DERT. The findings of the study also reveal that the overconfident CEO may restrict the female directors to achieve the firm's efficient risk-taking. The evidence further suggests that sustainability reporting quality (SRQ) does not mediate the link between BGD and a firm's DERT. The robustness tests are performed based on alternative risk proxy and the likelihood of financial distress. Our results theoretically support stakeholder, critical mass, and agency perspective that South Asian capital markets should enhance the representation of WOB to mitigate agency conflicts and to improve long-term firm sustainability.