Why and when female directors are less engaged in their board duties: An interface perspective

Female representation on boards is perhaps one of the most studied topics in board-governance research. At the same time, much is unknown about female directors' task engagement within boards. Drawing from psychological theory on societal gender beliefs, our study tests whether the impact of director gender on supervisory task engagement hinges on status dynamics in two relational interfaces: the director–board interface and the director–CEO interface. According to this perspective, female directors show less task engagement because gender is a diffuse status cue that creates status differentiation within the director–board interface. Multi-source board survey data (n = 61 boards, n = 315 directors) confirms that, within the confines of the boardroom, female directors do, indeed, receive lower-status ratings than male directors. This effect is weaker when boards have a female chair. Furthermore, lower status explains perceived lower task engagement of female directors, but this link critically hinges on the CEO–director interface. The impact of status differences is more pronounced when directors intersect with a relatively dominant CEO. All in all, the results demonstrate that relational interfaces play a key role for female directors’ task engagement in their board duties.     

Two heads are safer than one: Changes in CEO duality and venture failure

We study the dynamics of a major design choice in the governance of ventures: whether to distribute power at the top of the venture between a separate CEO and board chair. We propose that ventures are more likely to combine (separate) their CEO and chair positions when operational performance is poor (strong), demonstrating behavior in line with the threat rigidity thesis. Paradoxically, however, ventures would most benefit from a separate CEO and board chair when operational performance is poor. Empirical analysis of data from the Australian mining industry offers general support for our theory, with some interesting nuances. We discuss the implications of our findings for emerging conversations in the literatures on venture boards, boards of directors, and entrepreneurship.     

“Are they allowed to do that?” Content and typology of corporate socio-political positioning on TWITTER. A study of DAX-30 companies in Germany

In the USA, corporate attitude communication has been identified as an irreversible trend. Outside the USA, it is a comparatively new phenomenon. We have conducted a content-analytical study on the publicly communicated socio-political positioning of DAX-30 corporations and their CEOs in Germany. Based on the Corporate Social Advocacy (CSA) approach, our results reveal a typology of different strategies. It shows that the companies under investigation differ significantly in terms of the degree of controversy and positioning frequency. The study provides evidence that corporate characteristics (e.g. size), timing and thematic factors, as well as the communicative behavior of other companies/organizations determine positioning strategies. We identified two different strategic motives for socio-political positioning: The aim to (1) further improving trust, image, and reputation while avoiding risk as far as possible or (2) to secure room for maneuver within the framework of specific, very concrete (socio-political) challenges and in doing so accepting certain risks in the process.     

遗嘱继承制度的价值悖论——兼论我国《继承法》遗嘱自由的合理定位

遗嘱继承制度隐含着四个价值悖论：遗嘱自由与公平的悖论;遗嘱自由与效率的悖论;遗嘱自由与秩序的悖论;遗嘱公平与效率的悖论。实现遗嘱继承价值间的平衡,从悖论的境况中解脱出来,是近现代世界各国遗嘱法的理性选择。我国《继承法》也应顺应世界遗嘱法的发展趋势,结合我国继承文化的实际,对遗嘱自由重新进行合理的定位,即将遗嘱自由限定在一定的范围内,构建遗嘱自由、公平、效率、秩序价值间的平衡机制。     

效率逻辑还是权力逻辑——公司政治与上市公司CEO强制离职

基于1997-2007年676家中国上市公司的面板数据及其CEO、董事长、独立董事、基金经理和相关政府官员的访谈资料,本文深入分析了中国上市公司CEO强制离职的影响因素及作用机制,揭示出一种与代理理论预测和西方经验不同的中国的CEO解职规律。研究表明,CEO解职不仅仅是一个经济过程,受“效率逻辑”的支配,更是一个社会政治过程,受“权力逻辑”的强烈影响。组织中普遍存在的“权力逻辑”压倒“效率逻辑”的现象可能是阻碍中国公司治理改革和其他组织和制度变迁的深层原因,从而使改革流于形式,新制度止于表象。     

英汉成语的历史承继性对比研究

人类经历了相同的历史进程,因此英汉成语的历史承继性呈现出惊人的相似性;英汉两种语言本身经历了不同的具体文化传承,所以英汉成语的历史承继性又有显著的差异性.英汉成语的对比研究有利于我们更好地理解成语,领略语言的魅力,可以为语言分析,语言教学,言语交际等提供有益的启示.     

与时俱进的产物一脉相承的关系--论邓小平民主法制思想与党的第三代领导集体的依法治国方略

邓小平民主法制思想与党的第三代领导集体依法治国方略,都是社会主义民主法治理论的重要内容。后者是在前者的基础上发展而来的,是与时俱进的产物。二者的前提与基础、根本保证、实施方针和目标特色等方面,存在一脉相承的关系。     

基于传记特征的CEO继任财富效应研究

CEO继任是事关企业发展存续的重大战略问题,CEO继任财富效应也是西方学者近年关注的热点问题之一。引入5个CEO传记特征变量分析CEO继任的财富效应,通过应用事件研究法,以2004年中国发生CEO继任的216家上市公司为例进行实证分析。研究结果表明,中国上市公司的CEO继任财富效应显著,与继任CEO的受教育程度、拥有MBA背景和国际经历正相关,与CEO的继任来源无显著关系。     

银行贷款、商业信用融资及我国上市公司的公司治理

本文讨论了银行贷款以及商业信用融资对我国上市公司公司治理的影响.通过对1995到2000年间上市公司CEO更换的研究,我们得到两个结论:第一,在经营业绩为负的公司中,银行贷款与强制性CEO更换存在负向关系,而商业信用融资与强制性CEO更换存在正向关系;第二,在盈利能力一般的公司中,商业信用融资与强制性CEO更换仍为正向关系,但银行贷款与强制性CEO更换却不存在明显的关系.以上结果表明,商业信用融资在CEO强制性更换中起到了积极的作用,改善了上市公司的公司治理,而银行贷款却没有起到相应的作用,甚至有负面的作用.     

日本“女帝世纪”历史成因论考

七八世纪的日本飞鸟、奈良时代因集中出现了八代六位女天皇而被称为,＂女帝世纪＂。学界普遍认为,这一时期女天皇的频出源于顺利＂过渡＂、＂中继＂皇位。然而,在考察了这一时期女天皇继位的社会、政治背景之后,笔者发现,＂女帝世纪＂的形成与当时母权制遗风浓厚的社会习俗以及皇位观念和皇室继承制度的历史变迁密切相关。