| Author: | Li, Chi King |
| Title: | Impact of CEO characteristics on firm performance in the fintech industry over the COVID-19 period |
| Advisors: | Cho, Vincent (MM) |
| Degree: | DFinTech |
| Year: | 2024 |
| Subject: | Chief executive officers -- Attitudes Financial services industry COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-2023 Technological innovations -- Management Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations |
| Department: | Faculty of Business |
| Pages: | vi, 139 pages : color illustrations |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | FinTech has been touted as a unique industry that churns out innovation which revolutionizes the finance industry. However, it is unknown whether the uniqueness of the industry has translated to the selection of its leaders – CEOs. Despite the industry's rapid growth and transformative impact, the question of how to select a suitable CEO remains curiously unexplored. This paper leverages the Upper Echelons Theory to investigate whether the assumption that traditional leadership characteristics can directly translate to success in the FinTech industry. Using a unique dataset of CEO characteristics and firm performance across the COVID-19 pandemic era (2019 to 2023), the author finds that the CEO’s educational level attainment and age do not hold significant bearing in the FinTech industry. However, gender disparity persists in the FinTech industry, with a positive correlation between male CEOs in FinTech and financial performance. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic, while crippling non-FinTech firms, proved beneficial to the performance of already digital FinTech companies. This paper provides valuable insights for firms and boards when selecting CEOs for an evolving FinTech landscape. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7808.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 1.61 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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