Busy boards and environmental, social and governance performance: a gender perspective on NASDAQ-100 firms

Abstract The composition of corporate boards determines board governance and influences firm performance. In the current corporate environment, greater emphasis is being placed on the environmental, social and governance performance of companies. In this sense, board members serving on multiple corporate boards have emerged as relevant corporate governance mechanisms. Using the OLS model on sample data composed of companies listed on the NASDAQ-100 Index, this research aims to evaluate the effect of busy boards and the tenure of board members on ESG performance from a gender perspective. The results indicate that board networks, experience, and knowledge have a positive effect on Bloomberg’s and S&P Global ESG scores, with female directors and independent directors playing an important role. In this way, the human and social capital of corporate boards is a valuable resource for corporate governance. This research contributes to identifying the principal attributes of corporate boards that influence ESG performance.