Theses & Dissertations

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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14170/188

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Browsing Theses & Dissertations by Author "Amjad Hamad Abdullah"
  • Publication
    Board composition and firm performance: the moderating role of corporate governance practices perception in Iraq
    ( 2021)
    Amjad Hamad Abdullah
    FGovernance is increasingly recognized by the business community, regulators and capital market authorities as a fundamental driver of corporate performance. This study examined the impact of the Board Composition (Board Educational Level, Board Political Connection, Board Ethnic Diversity, and Board Gender Diversity) on firm performance. Then, examine the impact of Corporate Governance Practices perception as a variable that moderate the relationship between the composition of the board of directors and the performance of Iraqi companies. This study used Agency Theory and Upper Echelon Theory in developing the hypotheses. A quantitative research method (questionnaire) has been adopted to achieve research objectives. The study sample consists of 207 Iraqi companies, including 107 companies listed on the Iraqi Stock Exchange and 100 companies with large capital and not listed on the Iraqi stock exchange. The questionnaire was used to explore corporate governance in Iraq by obtaining and analyzing top management perceptions. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) through Smart PLS 3.3 have been used to analyze the hypotheses. The study provides robust evidence that board composition variables such as board educational level, board political connection and board ethnic diversity significantly affect the Firm Performance in the Iraqi context. However, the result propounds non-significant influences of Board gender diversity. Moreover, there is evidence that the presence of Corporate Governance Practices Perception tends to negatively moderate the influence of board political connection and board gender diversity on corporate performance. On other hand, corporate governance practices positively moderate the relationship between board ethnic diversity and firm performance, while does not affect board educational level on firm performance. These results give rise to certain regulatory and managerial implications, all of which, calls for more concerted efforts in strategically implementing prudent governance solutions in order to the future proof Iraqi market. The focus on Iraq is important because it allows regulators, managers and researchers to investigate the link between the Board Composition and consistent performance using the agency's theory against an institutional background specific to Iraq. The second contribution relates to the empirical investigation of the impact of Corporate Governance Practices Perception as moderate on corporate performance. The third contribution, in Iraq, is dominated by the private sector in the business environment. The results of this study show that the implementation of good governance practices increases the performance of companies.