The impact of managerial political ties on corporate governance and debt financing: Evidence from Ghana

In this study, we draw upon insights from agency theory to examine the impact of managerial political ties on cost of debt and also to explore whether corporate governance mediates this impact. We hypothesize that political ties reduce financial reporting quality, disclosure of non-financial information and board independence, and are therefore associated with higher interest rates. We also hypothesize that the negative effect of political ties on the cost of debt will be stronger if firms borrow from privately-owned banks versus government-owned banks. Using data from Ghana, we find support for our direct and moderation hypotheses; political ties are associated with high interest rates and poor corporate governance. However, we do not find evidence of mediation. Altogether, the findings reveal the dark side of political connections and highlight the cost of political embeddedness in emerging credit markets.     

Does employee welfare affect corporate debt maturity?

This study examines the effect of employee well-being on the corporate debt maturity structure of U.S. firms. It hypothesizes that a firm's degree of commitment to employee welfare affects its debt maturity structure. Using a sample of 19,347 firm-year observations over the period 1991–2014, we find evidence that firms with higher employee welfare scores prefer long-term debt over short-term debt. This relationship is more pronounced for firms operating in human-capital-intensive industries and firms with lower labor union-membership rate. Our findings are robust to endogeneity concerns and insensitive to the use of alternative regression methods, variable measurements, and sample compositions. This paper provides novel evidence on the role of employment policies and practices in explaining variations in debt maturity.     

财务困境、财务困境间接成本与公司业绩

本文研究了上市公司财务困境、财务困境间接成本及其与公司业绩之间的关系.通过实证研究企业陷入财务困境以后业绩变化的情况,本文认为,我国上市公司的间接财务困境成本显著为正,从总体来看,公司的间接困境成本大约为企业价值总额的25%-36.5%之间,资本结构对这种业绩的变化所引起的困境间接成本具有显著影响.负债率越高的企业,在困境期内将损失越大的市场份额和利润.     

Auswirkungen der IFRS-Umstellung auf die Risikoprämie von Unternehmensanleihen – Eine empirische Studie für Deutschland, Österreich und die Schweiz

Does an IFRS-adoption reduce the information asymmetry between firms and providers of debt capital and therefore the risk premium of corporate bonds? Contrary to prior empirical studies we examine the relationship between disclosure and cost of capital for debt financing. We analyse the impact of an IFRS-adoption on the risk premium of German, Austrian, and Swiss corporate bonds between 1997 and 2005. Our results indicate that the change in risk premium declines after an IFRS-adoption by 40%. However, the effect occurs with a time-lag.     

Corporation taxes and the debt policy of multinational firms

This paper analyzes the impact of corporate taxes on the capital structure of foreign subsidiaries of multinational firms. The empirical investigation employs a large micro-level panel dataset of German multinationals covering 31 countries over a 10-year period. A special feature of this dataset is that it allows us to distinguish between internal and external debt financing. Our results confirm a positive effect of local tax rates on both types of debt. Moreover, while adverse local credit market conditions are found to reduce external borrowing, internal debt is increasing, supporting the view that the two channels of debt finance are substitutes. Our findings suggest that internal credit markets give rise to significant advantages and enhance multinationals?? opportunities to use debt as a tax shield.     

资本结构治理效应:中国上市公司的实证研究

资本结构影响公司治理的结果最终会体现在公司绩效的变化上。本文通过对1992-2004年间我国上市公司资本结构影响公司绩效的实证分析发现:资产主营业务净利润率、经营费用率和资产利用率三个指标比股票价值能更好地解释资本结构对公司绩效的影响;国家股比例对公司绩效的负向影响越来越不显著;法人股比例和负债融资比例对公司绩效有不显著的正向影响等。这些结论表明,完善资本结构是完善我国上市公司治理结构从而提高公司绩效的重要途径之一。     

Capital structure,managerial ownership and firm performance: evidence from Egypt

This paper focuses on an important issue, which has generally received less attention in corporate governance literature, being the effect of managerial ownership on the relationship between debt and firm performance. By employing a sample of Egyptian listed firms, the generalized least squares method, as a panel data technique, is used to examine the joint effect of debt and managerial ownership on various measures of firm performance (i.e., Tobin’s q and ROA). The results reveal that managerial ownership moderates the relationship between debt and firm performance, with the relationship being negative (positive) in presence (absence) of managerial ownership concentration. The implication of this finding is that the optimal capital structure is more likely to be contingent on contextual variables as well as the roles, power, and stakes of key internal and external actors. Put simply, the effectiveness of one corporate governance mechanism (i.e., debt) is more likely to be contingent on the effect of other existed corporate governance mechanisms, and hence, there is not one best arrangement of either capital structure or ownership structure, but different arrangements are not equally good.     

企业融资约束与创新绩效:人力资本社会网络的视角

企业融资约束对创新绩效具有重要的影响作用。现有相关研究对企业融资约束与创新绩效之间可能存在的、更为复杂的非线性关系考虑不足，同时偏重从企业外部宏观的角度提出缓解二者之间消极关系的方法，不利于企业能动性的发挥。本文通过结合领英（LinkedIn）在线简历大数据和国泰安（CSMAR）上市企业相关数据，实证研究了我国上市企业融资约束与创新绩效之间存在的复杂关系以及人力资本社会网络在其中发挥的重要作用。研究结果表明，企业融资约束与创新绩效之间存在显著的倒U型关联，企业中高层管理者、科技人才的流动所形成的人力资本社会网络对企业融资约束与创新绩效之间的关系存在显著的积极调节作用。研究结论延续和深化了企业融资约束与创新的相关研究，并进一步丰富与拓展了人力资本社会网络在企业行为研究中的应用。     

Determinanten der Vorstandsvergütung

Using a novel, hand-collected data set covering all German non-financial firms listed in the Prime Standard of FWB (Frankfurt Stock Exchange), we examine determinants of executive compensation in German listed firms. We distinguish three potential determinants: firm characteristics, firm performance, and corporate governance characteristics. While we find that simple firm characteristics like size and industry affiliation together with time effects explain more than 60 % of variation in overall compensation, performance characteristics are economically inconsequential for the explanation of compensation levels. When we distinguish between widely held firms and firms with a large blockholder, we find that the latter grant compensation packages that are smaller, less sensitive to the firm’s stock market performance but more sensitive to the firm’s operating performance. Finally, we confirm that supervisory board characteristics also affect the level of executive compensation in German firms. Overall, our findings suggest that although the corporate governance environment in Germany has changed dramatically during the last decade, German listed firms are still exposed to high agency costs.     

Investment Appraisal and Measures of Performance in Italian Divisionalised Companies

The aim of this study was to describe and analyse the current practice and trends in the development of management control practice as regards divisional investments in large Italian firms, using a survey questionnaire method. Some comparison with top North-American and German international manufacturing units were also made.The findings of the study supported two theoretical propositions. In the identification stage, firms tend to decentralise the process of capital budgeting and the control mechanism ensuring the link between corporate strategic objectives and capital expenditure projects at divisional level is based on guidelines produced by headquarters. In the selection stage firms which perceive a high interface level with the corporate strategic objectives in divisional capital expenditure tend to use discounted cash flow techniques when choosing one or more investment projects. When an economic approach is used to provide a comprehensive measure of performance, the theoretical framework fails to predict the relationship between corporate control and performance evaluation system in divisionalised companies. Essentially, financial control combines non-financial measures, used to understand manufacturing operations, with traditional accounting measures, used to understand the effects of manufacturing activities on the level of operating cash flow and operating income, as a comprehensive measures of performance in the medium-term of divisional investments.     

Utilization and value of social networking relationships in family and nonfamily firms in an African transition economy

This study investigates the utilization of managerial networking relationships with social and political entities to create social capital in family-owned and nonfamily firms, and compares the impact of the value of the social capital derived from the networking relationships on performance between family-owned and nonfamily firms. Using data from Ghana, the findings show that there are differences in the utilization of networking with social and political stakeholders to create social capital by family-owned and nonfamily firms. While networking relationships with government bureaucratic officials and community leaders have an inverted U-shaped relationship with performance for family-owned firms, it has a linear, positive and monotonic relationship with performance for nonfamily firms. Overall, the findings suggest that networking relationship matters, but extensive utilization of networking relationships with external stakeholders may have diminishing returns to performance for family-owned firms.     

管理者过度自信、税盾拐点与公司绩效

随着行为公司金融的兴起,管理者非理性尤其是过度自信的认知偏差与公司财务决策关系的研究成为一个新的研究热点.基于中国制度背景,以2002年至2007年沪深两市A股上市公司为观测值,考察管理者过度自信、债务政策与公司绩效之间的关系.采用Tobit和Lopstic回归模型,从管理者过度自信视角,利用税盾拐点考察公司的债务政策.实证检验结果发现,管理者过度自信显著影响公司的债务政策,公司税盾拐点随管理者过度自信程度的增强而降低,表明过度自信管理者将实施更为激进的债务融资策略.利用OLS回归模型检验过度自信管理者实施的债务政策与公司绩效之间的关系,发现公司绩效随债务税盾拐点的降低而下降,意味着如果过度自信管理者奉行的债务政策是激进的,将对公司绩效产生不利影响.     

融资融券对上市公司治理影响的研究

以融资融券机制推出为背景, 运用我国内地A股市场上市公司为样本, 研究了融资融券对上市公司治理水平的影响.回归结果显示, 成为融资融券标的后, 上市公司高管离职与高管薪酬对于公司绩效的黏性均有提高, 表明融资融券可以作为外部公司治理机制.机制检验显示融资融券是通过促进公司信息释放而提升公司治理水平的.进一步分析显示, 当公司面临行业竞争压力较小或面临财务约束时, 融资融券对于公司治理的促进作用更加明显.最后, 将融资和融券分开分析, 发现融资机制和融券机制均对公司治理有提升作用.证明了融资融券机制可以提高资本市场对企业的监督, 促进企业信息释放, 从而提高上市公司治理水平.     

The influence of corporate governance on changes in risk following the global financial crisis: evidence from the Portuguese stock market

This paper examines the influence of corporate governance characteristics on changes in total, market and idiosyncratic risk in the Portuguese capital market following the collapse of Lehman Brothers. We aim to address corporate practices, while determining if corporate governance characteristics can help predict future variations of the risk associated with a certain security and, in this sense, if these characteristics may be used to help monitor or forecast risk of an existing portfolio of securities over time. We find positive and significant changes in total and idiosyncratic risk for non-financial firms listed on Euronext Lisbon, consistent with increases in investor uncertainty during the crisis period. Our results suggest that changes in risk measures over a shorter-term and a longer-term period vary with governance characteristics. The capital market rewarded companies with a greater proportion of non-executive directors and directors that exercise (on average) management roles in more companies or institutions. On the other hand, the capital market punished companies with a greater proportion of independent directors and greater ownership concentration.     

Corporate social responsibility reporting and firm performance: evidence from China

A series of product safety and child labor scandals in the mid-2000s aroused global concerns over business ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in China. The general public expects companies to be socially responsible and to look beyond the maximizing of profits. In this study, we examine the relationship between the issuance of CSR reports and performance, in terms of accounting income, market return, and growth by firms listed in China in 2008–2009. We find that the historical performance of firms has significant and positive effects on the issuance of standalone CSR reports. There is also a positive correlation between current CSR disclosures and subsequent performance. Finally, we find that corporate donations are positively associated with improved performance in the following year. Our results support the view that CSR is a useful business strategy even in a developing country such as China. We call for government authorities in emerging markets to advocate CSR practices and for the market participants to change their perception of and attitude towards CSR.     

管理者关系特性对海外子公司知识获取及公司绩效的影响研究

基于组织学习理论和社会资本理论,考察了管理者关系特性对海外子公司内外部网络知识获取和企业绩效的影响。研究结果显示,母子公司管理者之间的信任和沟通频率对获取母公司知识有正向影响,海外子公司管理者和本地重要企业管理者之间的信任对获取本地商务知识有正向影响,海外子公司管理者和本地政府主要负责人之间的私人关系对获取本地制度知识有显著影响。此外,本地制度知识在母公司知识对海外子公司绩效的影响中起正向调节作用,本地商务知识起负向调节作用。     

终极控制权与资本结构决策

以2004～2008年我国上市公司为研究对象,从终极控制人的视角实证检验了终极控制股东特征对公司资本结构的影响。研究表明,负债融资扩大了终极控制股东可控制的资源,便利了其攫取行为,且不会导致控制权的稀释,终极控制股东两权分离程度与资本结构显著正相关。较高的现金流权能够有效制约终极控制股东通过扩大负债融资获取私有收益的行为,终极控制股东现金流权对其两权分离程度与资本结构间的关系具有显著的调节作用。与非国有控制公司相比,国有终极控制股东通过扩大负债融资获取私有收益的动机相对较弱,其两权分离程度对资本结构的正向影响也相对较小。     

Conservative accounting as a signaling device in debt covenants

This paper provides a signaling explanation for benefits of conservative accounting in a debt contracting setting. It develops a model in which firms want to finance more or less risky projects through debt, which is private information. Creditors price the risk on average riskiness, which implies a relatively high interest rate for low-risk firms. These firms can signal their low-risk type by implementing a conservative accounting system. The accounting signal is used in a debt covenant that stipulates early repayment in case of a bad signal. Thus, the low-risk firms benefit from a lower interest cost, but at the cost of higher risk of being forced to liquidate a profitable project. The analysis establishes conditions for separating and pooling equilibria and determines their individual and social welfare implications. It shows that conservative accounting by low-risk firms can even increase social welfare if it mitigates underinvestment.     

The impact of corporate sustainability performance on information asymmetry: the role of institutional differences

This paper empirically investigates whether corporate sustainability performance (CSP) affects information asymmetry (IA) for European firms listed in the STOXX Europe 600 from 2002 to 2013. We find a significantly negative effect of CSP on IA. By exploiting institutional differences between the European countries, we determine that the negative effect of CSP on IA is more pronounced in liberal market economies compared to coordinated market economies, thus pointing to a substitutive effect of CSP and economic coordination. Further, the impact is greater in countries with stricter disclosure requirements. In such countries, there is generally a greater appetite for company-specific information. However, disclosure requirements fulfil this need only partially because they concentrate on the corporate governance dimension of corporate sustainability. Hence, information on the social pillar especially matters to investors in a complementary manner and drives the overall effect. Our study contributes to the literature on the positive capital market effects of CSP by showing the proposed effect in European capital markets and the institutional determinants of its strength.     

制度变迁、国家控股与股权激励

本文在代理理论的框架下,基于中国国有企业与制度变迁背景,就经理人股权激励与公司价值关系进行分析,并以2001-2006年宣告实施股权激励国有上市公司为样本,实证检验了股权激励对公司价值的改善作用。结果发现,对国有企业的经理人实行股权激励能提高公司价值,受地方政府控制的公司,股权激励更能明显增加公司价值。并且,股权分置改革这种制度变迁进一步改进了原有的激励效果。上述研究发现为理解国有企业治理机制的改善、资本市场改革提供了一个有益的视角。