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This study aims to examine the extent to which board characteristics and ownership structure affect firm performance with specific focus on providing new empirical insights following the revised corporate governance (CG) code 2012.

This study uses a sample of non-financial firms listed on Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX)-100 index for the years 2011-2014. Firm performance is measured by accounting-based performance indicators (ROA and ROE) and market-based performance indicators (Tobin’s Q and MTB). This study uses multivariate regression techniques including fixed effects model and two-stage least squares (2SLS).

The findings show that board diversity increases over the two periods (pre-2012 and post-2012), whereas there are cases that companies have not fully complied with the revised CG code 2012 in terms of board independence. In addition, the multiple regression results show that firm performance is negatively and significantly associated with institutional ownership. Nevertheless, the results show that board size, board independent, board diversity and board meetings do not have significant impact on firm performance. The findings are fairly consistent and robust across two periods (pre-2012 and post 2012) and a number of econometric models that sufficiently address the potential endogeneity problems.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first empirical study which investigates the impact of the compliance and implementation of 2012 CG code on firm performance in Pakistan. This study is different from the most prior studies in that they use independent non-executive directors rather than conventional non-executive directors to measure board independence.

This study aims to examine the level of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure among the UK extractive and retail sectors and consequently ascertain whether corporate board characteristics and firm characteristics can explain observable differences in the extent of CSR disclosure.

Based on the KPMG survey 2017, the sample comprises all the firms in the extractive industries, such as mining and oil and gas and also retail industries, such as food and drug retailers and general retailers for the sample period of 2005 to 2018.

The findings show that the level of CSR disclosure from extractive sector is much higher than that of their counterparts in retail sector. In addition, the multiple regression results show that CSR disclosure is positively and significantly associated with board gender diversity, board independence, board size. Nevertheless, the results show that board meetings and Chief Executive Officer duality do not have a significant impact on CSR disclosure.

This study contributes to the existing literature on CSR in that it advances the understanding of the interaction between governance mechanisms and specific firm characteristics of two distinct sectors of the UK economy and how this in turn influences the CSR in the two sectors.