Roles and responsibilities of boards of directors revisited in reconciling conflicting stakeholders interests while maintaining corporate responsibility

The article analyses the business of business and comes to the view that the role of business is to balance all stakeholders’ interests while giving relative dominance to the interests of investors, over those of other stakeholders. Based on this understanding, we propose an economic model, which describes the nexus and interactions between the interests of stakeholders, and develops a set of functions aimed at achieving better management of risk through corporate socially responsible (i.e. CSR) investment. The model takes into account the utilities of the corporate officers, short term and long term investors. All three functions are considered by the Board of Directors, who are deemed the final arbiters with respect to firm decision-making and the body to whom executive management owes fiduciary duties. Finally, a decision rule is developed that defines the circumstances under which the Board of Directors will consider to invest corporate funds in CSR.     

Health‐care Nonprofits: Enhancing Governance and Public Trust

Nonprofits are a major part of the U.S. economy and they are not immune from corporate malfeasance controversies. Even Congress has expressed concern about the crisis in nonprofit governance. The nonprofit response to Congress has been a historic initiative recognizing critical challenges to nonprofit governance. In contrast to their for‐profit counterparts, nonprofits are committed to missions serving the public benefit and not to shareholder profits. Accordingly, their missions and financial resources are intrinsic to their very existence, which is built upon the public trust. That trust is rooted in fiduciary responsibility and reflected in best practices. This article traces the history of the nonprofit public trust and fiduciary standards and examines principles of Sarbanes–Oxley and other best practices as they apply to nonprofits. The authors sampled 80 health‐care nonprofit corporation web sites from eight asset classes to determine compliance with Sarbanes–Oxley and identification of fiduciary duty, ethical values, and other best practices. Among the very largest health‐care nonprofits, many comply with Sarbanes–Oxley and identify fiduciary duty, ethical values, and other best practices. However, there are substantial deficiencies in such compliance and identification among all remaining seven asset classes ranging from 99.9 million to less than 100,000. The results appear to corroborate the urgent necessity for reform articulated by the Congress and the nonprofit sector. Nonprofit governance has entered a new era where best practices must be implemented to sustain the public trust.     

零售商运营视角下投贷联动最优投资结构模型

投贷联动是供给侧结构性改革背景下驱动"金融服务实体经济"与推动"产融结合"的重要手段,而合理投资结构成为探索投贷联动机制以提升"金融资源配置效率"的关键。本文刻画了供应链鲁棒风险模型支持下投融资博弈的新特征,构建了零售企业投贷联动融资模型,探讨合理投资结构存在性。研究表明:投资方参与零售企业投贷联动融资博弈时,存在协调投资方利益最大化的"投贷联动区间"与最优投资结构,且最优投资结构受市场成长性主导。此外,企业所得税降低导致负债税盾效应减弱时,存在"反啄食顺序"的投资偏好。     

Pension Fund Trustees:: Role and Contribution

Although Boards of Trustees have statutory authority over pension fund investment, how these boards exercise their responsibility is considered to vary unduly. Recently, pension fund trustees have been under pressure from government, sponsors and beneficiaries. The question being asked is, ‘What is the trustee’s role and contribution?’. In response, a UK-based study conducted at Cranfield School of Management explores, from the trustees’ perspective, the nature of their role and contribution.The results of the study highlight that in addition to pension fund trustees being mindful of their fiduciary duties, under trust law, by acting at all times in their beneficiaries’ best financial interests, they also make a valuable contribution to seven key areas of activity considered as critical to pension fund management. It is concluded that trustees are well capable of positionally responding to the challenges they face within the financial markets environment and utilize external resources, such as financial services consultants, effectively.     

信贷资产证券化、异质性投资者和金融风险

在Gennaioli等人^[1]建立的标准模型基础上,引入投资者异质性时间偏好和由投资者过度自信引起的异质性信念,探讨投资者非理性对金融风险的影响。研究发现,与Gennaioli等人^[1]的结论不一样,银行金融中介并不会利用投资者非理性发行更多的表面无风险实际有风险的债券,因此,非理性投资者参与资产证券化产品的交易并不会增加金融市场的风险。这一结论为信贷资产证券化产品在交易所发行交易,允许中小投资者参与其中提供了理论依据。     

The Impact of Ethical Tools on Aggressiveness in Financial Reporting

The proposed adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in the United States has ignited a debate as to whether the principles‐based nature of these standards better serves the interests of investors. While it is argued that these principled‐based standards will encourage more transparent financial reporting than the current rules‐based U.S. standards, critics argue that IFRS will invite more aggressive financial reporting through the liberal exercising of professional judgment. This empirical study aims to understand what individual and organizational factors may affect aggressiveness when making accounting judgments. In particular, we examine the influence that prior ethics training, codes of ethics and an individual's predominant moral reasoning schema have on adherence to company policy in an accounting‐related (depreciation) judgment. Results of the study show that respondents with prior ethics training are more likely to adhere to company accounting policy than those who have not had formal ethics education. Respondents presented with a company ethics code also were less aggressive in their accounting judgments than those who were not presented with a code prior to reading the scenario. Finally, decision aggressiveness was moderated by individuals who used conventional moral reasoning schemas.     

金融投资中的教育溢价及其性别异质性——基于P2P网贷投资的实证检验

通过匹配出来的P2P网贷投资中关于投资者个人特征和投资结果的数据,本文从投资的成功率、违约率、收益率三方面检验了P2P网贷投资中的教育溢价及教育溢价的性别异质性。研究首先发现在金融投资绩效上存在显著的性别差异和教育溢价,男性在投资成功率和投资收益率上占优,女性在违约风险识别上占优。教育溢价效应在提高投资成功率、降低违约风险和提高投资收益率上均有体现。进一步的检验结果表明,教育溢价效应存在性别异质性,受教育水平的提高进一步提升了女性投资者在违约风险识别上的能力和男性投资者对投资机会上的把握能力以及投资收益上的获取能力。这意味着教育在整体改善投资绩效的同时,强化了男女性各自的优势,使得原有的性别差异进一步扩大。这些结论对于理解教育在金融投资中的作用及其异质性效果具有一定启示意义。     

The tradeoff between mutual fund and direct stock investments: a theoretical analysis involving different types of investors

We study the tradeoff between direct and indirect stock investments through equity mutual funds for a utility-maximizing investor. Whereas direct investments impose higher transaction costs on the formation of a well-diversified portfolio, mutual funds charge fees for their services. Our results show that the fee levels that make private investors indifferent between direct and indirect stock investments vary heavily according to risk aversion, the amounts invested, correlations between assets, transaction costs, and the length of investment horizon. In particular, our results suggest that for a wide range of actively managed mutual funds, the fees charged are too high for these mutual funds to appeal to a wide range of informed investors. However, accounting for search costs, such as costs for financial advice, can facilitate an understanding of the levels of management fees charged by mutual funds existing in the market.     

网络借贷市场参与主体行为策略的演化博弈均衡分析——基于三方博弈的视角

由于监管缺失、信用风险管理缺位,导致网络借贷市场的违约事件持续出现,损害网络借贷市场的参与者利益。本文构建了一个包括网络借贷平台、金融监管机构和投资者的网络借贷市场参与主体的三方行为策略演化博弈模型,从演化博弈的角度分析了网络借贷平台、金融监管机构和投资者的策略选择对网络借贷市场运行的影响,并以拍拍贷平台为案例进行数值模拟分析。研究结果表明：不同初始值的三方博弈结果存在显著差异,网络借贷市场参与主体行为策略的演化博弈不具有稳定中心点、且不存在稳定的均衡点。另外,当金融监管机构采取"严格监管"措施时,惩罚值越高,网络借贷平台越倾向于选择"自律"的行为策略,随着投资者投资额度的增加,网络借贷平台选择"自律"行为策略的概率逐渐降低。最后,提出规范网络借贷市场参与者行为和风险控制的对策建议。     

Evaluation frequency and evaluator’s experience: the case of venture capital investment firms and monitoring intensity in stage financing

In this paper we analyze the relation between an investor’s experience and the intensity of monitoring activities. Specifically, we consider venture capitalist firms and their choices of time intervals between financing rounds. We hypothesize that more industry investment experience leads to longer time intervals between financing rounds and hence, lower monitoring intensity. Using a unique data set of venture capital firms from Germany during the period from 1995 to 2005 we find evidence for our hypothesis that in a given time frame more experienced investors evaluate and monitor their investments less often than less experienced investors. In addition, VC investors pool their experience and share the risk involved in investing by forming syndicates which reduces the incentives to monitor subsequently. On the basis of our results we argue that the optimal frequency of performance evaluations should take into account the experience of the evaluator.     

金融推荐服务的渠道竞争策略研究

投资者对理财产品的认知能力有限,主要依赖外部“价值信号”形成自己对收益期望的“愿景”,从而简化投资过程。据此,本文通过构建一个新的三方博弈模型研究银行与数字金融平台之间的竞争决策,以探讨当银行有选择其销售顾问能力水平时,如何利用投资者的价值感知和对手特征来占客户对“愿景”错误理解的“便宜”,从而将这种系统性偏差转化为另一种获利来源。研究表明,金融服务强度的有效配置提升了银行的竞争力,但投资者剩余往往被完全剥夺。有趣的是,在同平台竞争中,银行增加了提供金融知识培训的额外动机,并且可能更喜欢强敌而不是弱者。此外,银行应该努力控制服务成本,以规避监管者为防止恶意竞争而禁止银行销售理财产品的风险。     

Vocabularies of Motive and Temporal Perspectives: Examples of Pension Fund Engagement and Disengagement

Prior research on institutional investors’ role in corporate governance draws a distinction between engaged and disengaged pension funds. The aim of this study was to shed more light on how pension fund practitioners talk about engagement and disengagement. Using insights from 35 in‐depth, semi‐structured interviews and round‐table discussions with pension fund trustees, executives, investment officers and financial intermediaries, we identify different types of vocabularies and temporal perspectives used to account for different stances towards engagement. We highlight a tension between a seemingly causal relationship between accounts and future behaviour and argue that these ‘accounts’, ‘vocabularies’ and ‘uses of the past’ in themselves need to be treated as an object of study because they may represent not simply the individual motivations but rather the expressions of extant norms in the broader social context of financial markets. An important policy implication is that perceived realities of investment are unlikely to cause a change in pension fund behaviour because participants seem to decouple their view of the world from their impact on the world.     

天使还是魔鬼?——分析师媒体荐股的市场效应

利用证券分析师在《中国证券报》、《上海证券报》、《证券时报》上发布的荐股信息,研究分析师媒体荐股的市场反应、效率及其对财富流动的影响.结果表明:1)媒体荐股信息对市场,特别是对个人投资者的行为产生了强烈影响;2)媒体荐股信息公布后,被推荐股票存在显著为负的超额收益,这一现象在下跌行情时表现尤为突出;3)媒体荐股信息影响了市场财富的流动,个人投资者依赖于荐股信息的买入行为给他们带来了显著损失.研究结果一方面说明媒体发布的荐股信息质量低下;另一方面也证实媒体荐股行为中存在内幕交易和利益输送的现象,直接导致个人投资者的财富流向机构投资者.     

Rising prices,financial statements and fundamental research

Adequate consideration cannot be given to the subject of inflation accounting without a rigorous reappraisal of the nature and usefulness of published financial statements. It is argued that much fundamental research is a necessary prerequisite for the evaluation of methods of accounting in a period of inflation. Such research should begin with a consideration of the purposes to be served by the publication of financial statements. A framework is presented for such fundamental research and the results of some preliminary work outlined to assess the usefulness of financial statements in providing information to assist investors to make investment decisions. The use of financial statements by investors for this purpose is one of a number of possible objectives for financial statements.     

Corporate governance and accounting irregularities: Canadian evidence

This study examines the extent to which corporate governance acts as an efficient means of protecting investors against accounting irregularities. It is grounded in the literatures on public enforcement of securities laws by market authorities, governance, and fraudulent financial statements. A unique feature of the Canadian tracking and enforcement system for reporting issuers in default is used to refine the definitions of accounting irregularities or fraudulent financial statements used in other studies. We test and find that the governance mechanisms of firms found in default of financial reporting regulations during the first 5 years of existence of the Canadian system are weak compared to a sample of no-default firms. For instance, they have fewer independent and financial expert directors on their boards and audit committees, are more prone to have recently changed auditor and to having their CEO as chair of the board. They also appear to fulfill their financing requirements through private rather than public funds, which is consistent with the fact that default firms are less likely to be in a position to return to the public market to fulfill their needs. This study offers evidence relevant to policy makers and others who are concerned with the potential role of market authorities and governance in protecting investors against accounting irregularities.     

The relationship between information content and institutional investors: evidence from new product preannouncements

In this study, we investigate the relationship between information content of new product preannouncements (NPPAs) and trading behaviors of institutional investors. Using hand-collected data from 1995 to 2004, in empirical results, we find that there is a significantly positive relationship between information content and institutional investors. NPPAs can help institutional investors to evaluate the potential success of forthcoming new products through signaling enough information content. As a result, more information cues and earlier NPPAs can make institutional investors choose these preannouncing firms into their investment portfolios to increase their holdings and attract more different institutional investors to hold these shares of preannouncing firms. In addition, we also find the positive advertising and R&D investment effects. Our findings suggest that managers should use the information content of NPPA signals to reduce information asymmetry and help managers to implement their NPPA strategies so as to receive greater financial support from institutional investors.     

基于代表性异质投资者的汇率动态模型

传统汇率模型通常忽略投资者的异质性对市场造成的影响。随着对外汇市场高频动态行为研究的深入,异质投资者模型显示出对金融市场运行规律强大的解释能力。本文依据异质投资者理论,结合外汇市场的实际特点,对由供求关系主导的孤立的外汇市场,推导并建立了基于投资者异质决策的汇率的非线性离散动态模型;并采取试验经济学的研究方法,对该模型进行了仿真。通过对不同条件下的仿真结果的研究可知,在由投资者主导的外汇市场中,基础投资者的投资行为是汇率发生振荡的原因,技术投资者的投资行为使汇率的振幅放大。     

最终控制人性质、两权分离度与机构投资者持股——兼论不同类型机构投资者的差异

上市公司所有权与控制权的严重分离会影响其公司价值,进而会影响投资者的投资决策.本文以2004-2007年我国A股上市公司为研究样本,考察了上市公司两权分离状况对机构投资者总体和各类机构投资者持股决策的影响.研究发现,最终控制人所有权比例越高,两权分离度越小时,机构投资者(主要是证券投资基金)持股比例越高;而且两权分离度指标对机构投资者持股决策的影响在最终控制人为非国有性质的企业中表现更为明显.本文的研究结论表明.我国机构投资者总体上能够做到自我利益保护,在投资者保护方面发挥积极的作用,但是这种作用的发挥在各个类型机构投资者中存在显著差异.     

Better the devil you don't know: Types of corruption and FDI in transition economies

Corruption has a negative impact on foreign direct investment (FDI). However, transition economies show high levels of corruption and also high levels of FDI. I argue that it is not the level but rather the type of corruption that affects FDI in transition economies. Pervasive corruption, or corruption that is widely present, acts as a deterrent to FDI because it increases the known costs of investing, while arbitrary corruption, or corruption that is uncertain, does not have such a deterring influence because it becomes part of the uncertainty of operating in transition economies. In transition economies, investors prefer to deal with an unknown evil – arbitrary corruption – rather than a known one – pervasive corruption.