The role of the board of directors in corporate ethics in Latin-American countries
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Abstract
In the present paper, we analyze the ethical values promoted in the codes of ethics of Latin American organizations, and the influence of the composition of the Board of Directors (BD) in this regard is identified. In particular, the presence of gender diversity, independent directors and foreign directors in the BD. The study was conducted on the 100 largest listed companies in Latin America. The results indicate that the companies studied elaborate codes of conduct with ethical values that enhance the relationships with their stakeholders. However, prevailing the establishment of values that protect the organization from the employee, and the imposition of sanctions. On the other hand, the regression analysis indicates a positive and significant influence of women and independent directors of the BD in the content of codes of ethics however, the effect of foreign directors in this respect is negative. The research findings allow advance the sparse literature on business ethics in the Latin American context.
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