Corporate Governance, Capital Structure and Moderating Effect of Women on Board of Directors in Malaysia's Energy Firm

Abstract

It is undeniable that corporate governance is an important element towards the capital structure across industries as it affects the financial decision which drives the companies’ reputation and revenue. However, the big question is what drives the relationship of corporate governance and capital structure within the industry. As we move into the twenty-first century, diversity and inclusion has been discussed globally. This shift can differentiate the board decision on financial strategy in terms of capital structure. Hence, the motivation behind this research is to investigate the moderating role of women on board towards the relationship of corporate governance and capital structure. Data is collected from annual report of 24 listed energy firms in Bursa Malaysia over the period of 2015 to 2019. As a result, to determine the research objectives, this study employs descriptive statistical analysis, correlation coefficient, and random effects regression models. Moreover, the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimate is used for robustness, and the results obtained differed from the random effect models. According to the findings of this study, board size and the proportion of women on boards of directors have a negative and substantial link with capital structure in terms of leverage level. Meanwhile, there is a positive and significant association between CEO duality and firm leverage, but no relationship exists between board independence and leverage. Additionally, when there is a large proportion of female directors on the board, the influence of board size on the firm's leverage level is beneficial.