Board Composition and Firm Performance: Evidence from BIST 100 Companies in Turkey

Abstract

This study examines how board composition affects firm performance. Female directors, independent directors and foreign directors and board size were taken as the indicators of board composition. The empirical analysis, based on a sample of 100 firms drawn from the BIST 100 Index over a 3-year period, the years between 2012 and 2014. In the study, for financial performance indicators, Return on Assets, and Return on Equity were used and for market performance indicator Market Value to Book Value was used. After the analysis, it is found that, board composition has an impact on firm performance in BIST 100 companies. This study is unique in terms of analyzing the effects of 2012 regulation of mandating at least 1/3 of all board members to be independent directors and suggesting at least one female director to BIST 100 company boards by Capital Boards of Turkey..