Volume 64, Issue 4 pp. 4217-4249
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Female directors and cash holdings adjustment: Evidence from South Korea

Jagadison K. Aier

Jagadison K. Aier

Costello College of Business, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA

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Eun Hye Jo

Eun Hye Jo

Costello College of Business, George Mason University, Songdo, Incheon, Korea

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Jung Wha (Jenny) Lee

Corresponding Author

Jung Wha (Jenny) Lee

Costello College of Business, George Mason University, Songdo, Incheon, Korea

Correspondence

Jung Wha (Jenny) Lee, School of Business, George Mason University, Songdo, Incheon 21985, Korea.

Email: [email protected]

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First published: 25 July 2024

Abstract

This paper investigates whether female board participation improves a firm's efforts to manage its cash holdings in Korea. We find that firms with female directors quickly adjust their cash holdings towards the target, particularly when they have excess cash, suggesting that female directors are more likely to respond to anticipated problems related to excess cash relative to liquidity problems that may arise on account of a cash shortage. Furthermore, the relationship between female directors and cash holding adjustment is stronger for non-chaebol affiliates, female-friendly companies, and non-controversial business environments.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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