The Performance Implications of Ownership-driven Governance Reform

This paper explores the performance impact of recent changes in foreign shareholdings and boardroom reforms in Japan. Empirical research on the impact of reform on the Japanese corporate governance system could provide useful lessons for their European counterparts who are themselves facing similar pressures to reform. We found that although participation of outside directors in strategic decision-making was associated with positive stock returns, the increase in the ratio of outside directors, the separation of the board members and executive officers, and the reduction of board size were not related to firm performance.     

Board members’ contribution to strategic decision-making in small firms

This article explores how the boards of small firms actually undertake to perform strategic tasks. Board strategic involvement has seldom been investigated in the context of small firms. We seek to make a contribution by investigating antecedents of board strategic involvement. The antecedents are “board working style” and “board quality attributes”, which go beyond the board composition features of board size, CEO duality, the ratio of non-executive to executive directors and ownership. Hypotheses were tested on a sample of 497 Norwegian firms (from 5 to 30 employees). Our results show that board working style and board quality attributes rather than board composition features enhance board strategic involvement. Moreover, board quality attributes outperform board working style in fostering board strategic involvement.     

Board age and corporate financial fraud: An interactionist view

Unlike past studies which have focused on either executives or boards of directors, this study takes an interactionist view to investigate the determinants of corporate financial fraud. We propose that CEOs evaluate the opportunities for financial fraud according to both situational stimuli and their own personal characteristics. As older directors are often more experienced and have more to lose if they fail in their monitoring duties, we expect them to be more capable and to have stronger motivation for monitoring CEOs closely. As such, we propose that a CEO is less likely to engage in corporate financial fraud when the average age of the board of directors increases (i.e., board age). However, when the CEO is older than the board, the CEO may attach less importance to board age when deciding whether to commit fraud. Therefore, we further propose that the CEO–board directional age difference can weaken the effect of board age. Our empirical analyses provide strong support for these hypotheses. Our study contributes to the literature on corporate governance by highlighting the often neglected roles of board age and CEO–board directional age difference in deterring corporate financial fraud.     

所有权结构、资本结构、董事会治理与公司价值

本文以中国上市公司为样本,实证检验了公司所有权结构、以董事会监督为核心的治理结构及资本结构对公司价值的影响。结果显示:法人股权与国家股权相比占相对多数时,公司价值上升。公司债务比率上升时,公司价值下降。董事会监督并未对公司价值产生显著影响。然而,如果考虑到公司所有权结构对资本结构、治理结构与公司价值之间关系的影响,我们发现,随着法人股权的增加,公司债务比率的上升以及有效的董事会监督将会促进公司价值上升。     

Ownership and corporate social responsibility: "The power of the female touch"

Using a sample of 26,029 firm-year observations over the period 2002–2017 from 4,479 firms and 44 countries, we examine the relationship between ownership concentration and corporate social responsibility by focusing on the mediating role of board gender diversity and the moderating role of family shareholding. We find that ownership concentration negatively affects corporate social responsibility, and the board gender diversity partially mediates this negative effect. Our results indicate that the mediating effect of board gender diversity leads to a 10.65 percent decrease in the impact of ownership concentration on corporate social responsibility. Furthermore, moderated path analysis indicates that family shareholding weakens the direct effect of ownership concentration on board gender diversity and its indirect effect on corporate social responsibility. In post hoc analysis, we also document that the effect of gender diversity on the board is more prevalent in high gender-egalitarian societies where women are more involved in decision-making. Our study addresses the strategic role of female board members in increasing firms’ respect for corporate social responsibility, especially in family-controlled firms. Thus, our results may provide insights to regulators and policymakers to enhance firms’ corporate social practices by encouraging women’s participation on corporate boards.     

股权结构的适度性与公司治理效率

股权结构与公司治理效率存在着密切的关系,在一定条件下,股权结构决定着公司治理结构,适度的股权结构又是影响公司治理效率的决定因素之一。本文从股权结构的适度性角度来考察德美日公司的治理效率,并在此基础上提出了建立有效的公司治理的股权结构适度性模型,从而对转轨时期的中国企业公司治理改革具有一定的参考价值。     

股权特征与董事会领导结构关系的实证研究

本文选用 1998 年以前上市的所有 A 股公司作为样本,对样本公司的股权特征与董事会领导结构之间的关系进行了研究。研究结果表明:(1)董事长和总经理两职合一模式的公司比例在逐年下降;(2)含有国家股和国家股比例越高的公司越倾向于总经理和董事长两个职位由同一个人担任;(3)由母公司控股以及中央和部委所属的公司更倾向于由大股东董事长同时担任上市公司董事长;(4)控股股东持股比例越高,控股股东董事长担任上市公司董事长的可能性就越大。     

Activity-based diversification,corporate governance,and the market valuation of commercial banks in the Gulf Commercial Council

This article examines the effect on market valuation of both corporate governance and the diversity of activities conducted by GCC commercial banks. It shows evidence on the endogenous effect of corporate governance and the characteristics of the banking industry in determining the diversification level of a bank. Empirical findings show a bias in results using ordinary least squares regressions. When controlled for endogeneity, they indicate a negative (but weak) association between the diversification index and the market valuation—consistent with the agency-based hypothesis. Interestingly, foreign banks and corporate shareholders are effective monitors who invest in more diversified GCC banks with higher valuation multiples. Conversely, domestic corporate shareholders—related by a complex web of relationships—invest in less diversified banks with a lower market valuation. In addition, diversified commercial banks with either subsidiaries in developed countries or involvement in market-based activities have higher market valuation. The latter may be explained by the effect on performance of the recent bubble in the Arab stock market.

The wisdom and madness of crowds: How information networks and board cognition help or hinder firm performance across the business cycle

We know little of why a minority of firms pursue counter-cyclical strategies and consequently outperform competitors during recessions. Based on the theory of institutional isomorphism, we hypothesize that these firms avoid the mimetic and normative pressures that promote strategic convergence during uncertainty. We demonstrate these effects at the board-level in a sample of 1,615 U.S. firms. Mimetic processes are evident, with firms' connectedness in board interlock networks attenuating profitability and decreasing firm value during recessions—a reversal of the positive effects during expansions. Normative pressures arise from homogeneity in directors’ educational and professional experience, with greater consequences for long-term performance. Overall, recessionary performance is improved when firms occupy relatively isolated positions in informational networks and appoint directors from a range of backgrounds.     

Board of directors structure and firm financial performance: A qualitative comparative analysis

Previous research about the effects of board structure and process on the firm financial performance is based on conflicting theoretical perspectives, and empirical results, mostly based on regression analysis, are inconclusive. Building from Complexity Theory and configurational analysis, this study offers clarity to inconclusive previous empirical results about the link among several board features and firm financial performance. From a sample of 295 non-financial firms from Southern Europe for the period 2001–2010, and by using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis, findings of this study show that firm financial performance depends on a complex configuration of several board features (board size, board independence, leadership structure and board activity) and several corporate characteristics (firm size, firm leverage and firm age). This paper has implications for academics. Despite different theoretical arguments and inconclusive results of the wide empirical literature addressing the effect of board characteristics on the firm performance, building from Complexity Theory this paper adds to our knowledge because it empirically explores under which circumstances different board features should contribute positively or negatively to firm performance. The results of this study have also implications for policy makers and practitioners by providing some useful hints to the controversial relationship between corporate governance and financial performance. In this sense, general corporate governance recommendations must be rethought.     

Insider ownership and corporate performance: evidence from Germany

In this paper we address the question whether insider ownership affects corporate performance. Evidence from studies dealing with Anglo-Saxon countries is rather inconclusive, especially because results seem to be significantly affected by endogeneity. Economically, this is due to the fact that in these countries insider ownership seems to be mainly driven by management’s compensation contracts. We argue that Germany is different in this regard, as insider ownership is often related to family control, stock-based compensation is less widespread, and the market for corporate control used to be less developed. Starting from this presumption, our data allows an unbiased observation as to whether insider ownership affects firm performance. Using a pooled data set of 648 firm observations for the years 2003 and 1998, we find evidence for a positive and significant relationship between corporate performance—as measured by stock price performance, market-to-book ratio and return on assets—and insider ownership. This relationship seems to be rather robust, even if we account for potential endogeneity by applying a 2SLS regression approach. Furthermore, the results hold for a sub-sample of firms that did not have a stock-based compensation program in place. Moreover, we find outside block ownership as well as more concentrated insider ownership to have a positive impact on corporate performance. Overall, the results indicate that ownership structure might be an important variable explaining the long term value creation in the corporate sector.

The unfriendly board: Antecedents and consequences of board dissent

This study examines the antecedents and consequences of board dissent. Drawing from agency theory and the information-processing perspective, we propose that the level of earnings management is negatively associated with the likelihood of board dissent, and that this relationship is moderated by environmental complexity. We also contend that board dissent may improve firm performance, but it may prompt managers to use more deviant strategies. Using a sample of public firms in China, we find support for our hypotheses. Our findings contribute to the literatures on board effectiveness and corporate governance.     

股权结构、财务困境成本与困境公司绩效

本文以1997—2003年发生财务困境的105家上市公司为研究样本,以资本支出率度量公司投资水平,以销售增长率与“EBIT/总资产”度量公司绩效,采用单变量与多变量分析方法。研究发现,第一大股东持股比例越大,困境公司的投资与绩效水平越高;股权制衡对困境公司不再具有显著的积极作用;由于预算软约束的存在,国有公司比非国有公司在财务困境期间具有更低的财务困境成本,失去了更少的投资机会、市场份额与利润,从而表现出更高的投资与绩效水平;公司是否被企业集团控制与财务困境成本及困境公司的投资、绩效水平没有显著相关性。     

中国上市公司监事会治理绩效评价与实证研究

本文在对现有监事会评价理论与实践回顾基础上,结合中国自身环境条件及改革进程,设计了中国上市公司监事会治理绩效评价指标体系,并且利用调研数据,对上市公司监事会治理水平进行了评价与实证研究。结果显示,监事会治理总体水平较低,不同行业、不同企业性质之间的治理水平存在着很大差别,大股东的持股比例亦对监事会治理的有效性具有显著影响。     

共同所有权与控制权配置制度环境和治理效率

本文在分解的两权概念下,在兼顾股东与管理者、大股东与小股东之间代理问题的框架中,运用博弈论来分析不同制度环境下,这些利益主体的行为选择导致的治理问题,并对代表不同制度环境和不同所有权与控制权配置--英美模式、日德模式及东亚家族模式进行比较分析.我们得到的重要启示是风险制造人与风险承担人应该对应;决策控制权与决策管理权应该分离;应通过强化各类市场竞争、完善控制权机制来构建高效的公司治理自适应体系.     

不完全契约、资产专用性与最优企业所有权安排

不完全契约和资产专用性引致了交易中的敲竹杠问题,带来生产成本和交易成本的上升。由于人力资本的产权特征,企业内也存在敲竹杠问题,因而最优的企业所有权安排必定是能使敲竹杠问题总成本最小化的结构。通过比较,本文认为,由非人力资本所有者和人力资本所有者共同拥有企业所有权是最优的。     

The challenge of board composition: Effects of board resource variety and faultlines on the degree of a firm’s international activity

This study explores the relationship between diversity in board composition and the degree of a firm's international activity. Specifically, we posit that board resource variety has a positive relationship with the international activity of the firm and that the strength of board faultlines moderates this relationship. Using data collected from Spanish public companies over the period 2005 to 2010, our analysis shows strong support for our hypotheses. Our work contributes to the literature on board's diversity by demonstrating that board resource variety should be captured by considering “the director profile” rather than any single attribute and that this type of variety can engender subgroups that weakens its benefits. Therefore, our results have implications for the strategic management challenge international firms face when they put together their boards. A corporate board needs to structure itself in such a way as to benefit from the wealth of the variety of its resources, but without succumbing to the risks posed by conflicts between subgroups arising from the presence of faultlines.     

Governance,boards and value co-creation: Changing perspectives towards a service dominant logic

In this multidisciplinary and conceptual paper, we use insights from new and challenging developments in the management and marketing literature to inform corporate governance research. We shed light on the role of governance and specifically boards of directors in value creation in small and medium enterprises. While corporate governance research mostly tends to emphasise the role of governance mechanisms such as boards in the protection and distribution of value, our research problematises such a narrow view and (re)conceptualises their role in value co-creation. By exploring the role of boards as resource integrators within a wider service ecosystem, we propose novel ways in which boards can become integral to firms’ value creation processes. In doing so, we develop a new logic for framing the boards’ tasks and suggest new directions for corporate governance research and practice. We apply an empirical conceptualisation strategy in order to make our findings more accessible.     

超额控制、董事会构成与公司多元化折价

本文利用2004年的上市公司资料和国际通用的超额价值分析方法,不仅验证了我国上市多元化公司存在折价现象,平均折价程度达到4.8%,而且,从控股股东超额控制和董事会构成两个方面考察了控股股东攫取行为对公司多元化折价的影响.我们发现,公司多元化程度与控股股东的超额控制程度、来自控股股东的董监事比例、集团所属和两职合一呈显著正相关关系.