Characteristics of the Board of Directors and Corporate Financial Performance—Empirical Evidence

The objectives of the research are to investigate the characteristics of the Board of Directors on the financial performance of the enterprise using sample data from 52 construction and real estate enterprises listed on the Vietnam stock exchange in the period 2006–2020. Using typical regression methods such as pooled OLS, FEM, REM, and assessing the defects of the research model, the FGLS method is selected. At the same time, due to the existence of endogenous phenomena and the nature of interdependence among enterprises in Vietnam, research using the instrumental variables two-step generalized method of moments (IV-GMM) is conducted in order to correct for cross-sectional dependence, autocorrelation, endogeneity, and heteroskedasticity in the analysis. Research results suggest that board size, female board members, meeting frequency, and board members’ education have a positive influence on financial performance. Moreover, as the independence of the Board of Directors increases, the business efficiency decreases. The research also found a positive relationship of tangible fixed assets, and a negative relationship between capital structure choice, firm size, and corporate financial performance. Finally, we propose some implications for enhancing the financial performance of Vietnamese firms.