TRSM Research Seminar by Dr. Vik Singh

Title: Board Gender Diversity, Government Subsidy and Sustainability: Evidence from Green Vehicle Sales in China

Description: This study investigates whether increased female representation on a board improves firm performance in terms of electric vehicle (EV) sales in China when government subsidies are available. The increase in EV sales in China is a direct result of the sustainability efforts spearheaded by the various levels of local and state governments. This area is of importance due to the rising Chinese footprint in global EV sales, the increasing role of subsidies, and a transformation from State Owned Enterprises (SOE) to market-driven firms that are more likely to pay attention to corporate governance issues such as board diversity. Using the instrumental variable (IV) approach, we estimate a two-stage least squares (2SLS) regression to control for more women representation on EV boards using firm-level data. The results indicate that board gender diversity (BGD) positively impacts firm performance in terms of EV sales. Furthermore, the effect amplifies in the presence of government subsidies. The insights bridge the critical literature gap in board diversity and offer valuable insights into corporate governance and policymaking.

Bio: Dr. Vik Singh is Assistant Professor in the Global Management Studies program at the Ted Rogers School of Management. His research investigates the role culture plays in shaping global linkages and in particular the challenges China faces in stemming crisis events in an era of increasing globalization. He is also investigating how ethnicity influences housing purchase decisions in a global context. He received his Ph.D. in Business from Griffith University and holds an MBA from Schulich School of Business at York University and M.A in Economics from the University of Regina.