The Impact of Board of Directors’ Characteristics on Firm Performance: A Case Study in Jordan

This study tested the effect of the board of directors’ (BOD) characteristics on the corporate performance of the Jordanian industrial and service companies listed on the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) during the period 2015–2019. The characteristics of the BOD were measured through the following variables: MO = managerial ownership; CEODU = CEO duality; BI = board independence; GD = gender diversity; ND = nationality diversity; AE = advanced education; BM = board meetings; BSIZ = board size; CSIZ = corporate size; CA = corporate age. The corporate performance was measured by return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE). The corporate size and corporate age were used as control variables. The study sample consisted of 85 industrial and service companies with 425 observations to identify the nature of the effect of the BOD characteristics on performance. This study applied time-series data (panel data), and the multiple linear regression method was used to achieve study objectives. Results showed a positive effect of the study variables on performance, while the corporate age and the education level (BOD members) have a negative effect on performance.