This study attempts to investigate the moderation impact of CEO duality concerning the link between audit committee independence (ACI) and the CEC (CEC) in Jordanian publicly listed companies. Using a dataset from the period 2014 to 2018, the analysis incorporates panel regression models to evaluate the interaction between these governance mechanisms and their impact on firms' equity financing costs. The findings indicate that the independence of the audit committee reduces the CEC, which shows its importance for financial transparency and investors' confidence. On the other hand, CEO duality moderates this relation, and the findings suggest that when the CEO works as board chair, the effectiveness of independent audit committees diminishes in order to mitigate the equity cost. This research contributes to the literature on corporate governance by emphasizing complex interactions between board dynamics and financial outcomes and presenting practical implications for policymakers and corporate stakeholders seeking to enhance governance structures in emerging markets.
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