Environmental disclosures by Indian companies: role of board characteristics and board effectiveness

This research recognizes the increasing importance of the preservation of the natural environment for society as well as for the corporate sector. The study adopts a stakeholder-agency theory perspective to examine the influence of characteristics and effectiveness of the board of directors on the environmental disclosures made by the corporate sector. The method of content analysis was adopted for collecting information on board characteristics, board processes, and environmental disclosures made by the sample companies. The extent of environmental disclosure has been measured by using an Environmental Disclosures Index. It was found that a higher proportion of independent directors, the absence of chairman-CEO duality, and the overall board effectiveness had a significant positive influence on the extent of environmental disclosures. However, board diversity represented by female directors on the boards was found to have a statistically insignificant impact on environmental disclosures.