Voluntary corporate governance disclosure and bank performance: evidence from an emerging market

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Haitham Nobanee ◽  
Nejla Ould Daoud Ellili

Purpose This study aims to explore the extent of voluntary corporate governance disclosure in the annual reports of banks in the UAE, operating in an emerging economy in the Gulf Cooperation Council region. It also examines the effect of this non-financial disclosure on bank performance by differentiating conventional and Islamic banks. Design/methodology/approach This study applies content analysis to explore the extent of voluntary corporate governance disclosure using data collected from the annual reports of all the banks traded on the UAE financial markets from 2003 through 2020. It further examines the potential effect of voluntary disclosure on bank performance using dynamic panel data regressions. Findings The results indicate a low level of voluntary corporate governance disclosure in the annual reports for most disclosure indices. However, conventional and Islamic banks do not differ significantly. Additionally, the results of the robust dynamic panel data from the two-step generalized method of moments system estimation confirm that voluntary corporate governance disclosure does not affect bank performance significantly. Practical implications The findings of this study would benefit the central bank and lawmakers in the UAE in developing a framework for appropriate voluntary disclosure and enhancing the corporate governance framework to improve the quality of annual reports. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature on the extent of corporate governance disclosure, as well as its association with bank performance in an emerging economy by differentiating between conventional and Islamic banks.

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tawida Elgattani ◽  
Khaled Hussainey

Purpose This study aims to investigate the impact of the accounting and auditing organisation for Islamic financial institution (AAOIFI) governance disclosure on the performance of Islamic banks (IBs). Design/methodology/approach The ordinary least squares regression model was used to test the impact of AAOIFI governance disclosure on the performance of 126 IBs from 8 countries that mandatorily adopt the AAOIFI standards for three years (2013–2015). In this regression model, return on asset (ROA) and return on equity (ROE) are the dependent variables, while AAOIFI governance disclosure is the independent variable. Corporate governance mechanisms, firm characteristics, year dummy and country dummy are used as control variables. Findings This paper found an insignificant relationship between AAOIFI governance disclosure and IBs performance. Research limitations/implications This study highlighted the implication that the current research may help IBs and encourage them to disclose more information in annual reports, especially those related to AAOIFI governance standards because following good corporate governance leads to good financial performance. The major limitation of the paper is that it is only focussed on two measurements of bank performance – ROA and ROE; it would be good to use other firm performance measures, such as profit margin. Originality/value This study provides new empirical evidence on the impact of AAOIFI governance disclosure on IBs performance.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 1161-1172
Author(s):  
Haitham Nobanee ◽  
Osama F. Atayah ◽  
Charilaos Mertzanis

Purpose This paper aims to test the levels of anti-corruption disclosure and its implication on the banking performance of both conventional and Islamic banks listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and Dubai Financial Market. Design/methodology/approach The authors have used the content analysis to identify the levels of anti-corruption disclosure in the banks’ annual reports. They have also used the two-steps generalized method of moments (GMM) regression applied to dynamic panel data analysis to examine the effect of the anti-corruption disclosure on the banking performance. Findings The empirical results show that the anti-corruption disclosure is at low levels for all banks and conventional and Islamic banks samples. The results also show no significant differences in the anti-corruption disclosure between Islamic and conventional banks. The results of the two-steps GMM regression applied to dynamic panel data analysis show a negative and significant impact of the levels of anti-corruption disclosure on the bank’s performance for both all banks and conventional banks; the results of the dynamic panel data analysis show an insignificant impact of anti-corruption discloser for the Islamic banks' sample. Practical implications The findings recommended a comprehensive framework of anti-corruption disclosure to the central banks and financial market regulators to enhance anti-corruption practices within the financial institutions to increase transparency and enhance their performance. Originality/value Fighting against anti-corruption is essential for financial institutions. This paper is the first study that examined the extent of anti-corruption levels and their effect on banking performance for both Islamic and conventional banks operates in the UAE. The findings help in enhancing reporting practices in terms of anti-corruption to improve transparency and performance in the banking sector.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nazrul Hazizi Noordin ◽  
Salina Kassim

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the empirical linkage between the composition ofShariahCommittee and the extent ofShariahgovernance disclosure in 16 licensed Islamic banks in Malaysia.Design/methodology/approachThis paper adopted a multiple regression analysis to test the association between the composition ofShariahCommittee and the extent ofShariahgovernance disclosure. A disclosure index was developed to measure the extent ofShariahgovernance disclosure made by the Islamic banks. Whereas to measure the extent ofShariahgovernance disclosure, this study used content analysis as a method of coding qualitative information in the annual reports.FindingsUsing 2009 data, the study found a significant association between different compositions of theShariahCommittee in the Malaysian Islamic banks and theirShariahgovernance disclosure level before the introduction of theShariahGovernance Framework (SGF). However, because of less variation in the composition ofShariahCommittee after the introduction of SGF 2010, a weak linkage was found between the composition ofShariahCommittee and the extent ofShariahdisclosure of Malaysian Islamic banks in 2013.Research limitations/implicationsFindings of this study offer several implications for further improvements of the Malaysian Islamic banking sector in particular, and other Islamic banks globally. As better composition ofShariahCommittee in terms of its size, academic background and other relevant expertise would result in effective monitoring system leading to better practices ofShariahdisclosure, this finding highlights the relevance and important role of theShariahCommittee in improving voluntaryShariahdisclosure level of the Islamic banks. This finding suggests that ample focus has to be channelled in strengthening the composition ofShariahCommittee in crafting future development of SGF in Malaysia. It is also suggested that Islamic banks need to give priority in providing more education and training in various areas of expertise to theirShariahCommittee members that would result in greater confidence of investors, stakeholders and the society on the information disclosed by the banks.Originality/valueThe novelty of this paper lies in highlighting the importance of different composition ofShariahCommittee in determining the extent of voluntary disclosure made onShariahmatters by the Islamic banks.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 587-606 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rihab Grassa

Purpose This paper aims to assess the effects of deposits structure and ownership structure on the GCC Islamic banks’ corporate governance disclosure (CGD) practices. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on a sample of 38 Islamic banks operating in five Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, and the authors observed them over the period from 2006 to 2011. The authors used the transparency and disclosure score, developed by Standard & Poor’s (S&P), to identify the sample’s CGD scores. Findings This paper’s findings suggest that the level of CGD is lower for Islamic banks with higher ownership concentration, for levered Islamic banks and for Islamic banks with greater concentration of nonprofit-sharing investment accounts (PSIA) and is higher for Islamic banks with greater concentrations of PSIA; the Islamic bank size; the bank age; listed bank and the country transparency index. By disaggregating the total CGD into the three sub-categories, the authors are able to specify, also, the components of corporate governance (CG) impacted by various determinants. Research limitations/implications This paper is subject to a number of limitations. First, there is manual scoring of annual reports (subjectivity). Second, the research focuses exclusively on the GCC context and excludes the other Middle East, Southeast Asia and Far East countries, where ownership structure and deposits structure might affect CGD differently. Third, the governance score, which is used in this research, is developed by S&P and does not take into account the characteristics of Islamic banks. Practical implications The findings of this paper suggest many policy implications. First, through the optimization of ownership structure, GCC countries’ regulators have to improve the Islamic banking system’s CG mechanisms through the optimization of ownership structure (dispersed ownership) to promote transparency and disclosure. Second, regulators and policymakers should revise guidelines with the main purpose of protecting PSIA’ holders (considered to be minor shareholders without voting power) through promoting disclosure and transparency. Third, the findings can be useful for many international supervisory bodies, like the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) and Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI), in evaluating transparency and disclosure standards. Originality/value This study is expected to be useful for all market participants, namely, investors, financial analysts, managers, marker regulators and many international Islamic supervisory bodies, such as the IFSB and AAOIFI, by providing new requirements on CGD in the GCC region and in better understanding its determinants for Islamic banks in this region.


Author(s):  
Yosra Mnif ◽  
Marwa Tahari

Purpose This study aims to examine the effect of the main corporate governance characteristics on compliance with accounting and auditing organisation for Islamic financial institutions’ (AAOIFI) governance standards’ (GSs) disclosure requirements by Islamic banks (IB) that adopt AAOIFIs’ standards in Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Syria, Sudan, Palestine and Yemen. Design/methodology/approach The sample consists of 486 bank-year observations from 2009 to 2017. Findings The findings reveal that compliance with AAOIFIs’ GSs’ disclosure requirements is positively influenced by the audit committee (AC) independence, AC’s accounting and financial expertise and industry expertise, auditor industry specialisation, IB’s size and IB’s listing status. On the other hand, it is negatively influenced by the ownership concentration. Research limitations/implications This study has only examined compliance with AAOIFI’s GSs’ disclosure requirements and has focussed on one major sector of the Islamic financial institutions (which is IB). Practical implications The findings are useful for various groups of preparers and users of IBs’ annual reports such as academics and researchers, accountants, management of IBs and some organisations. Originality/value While the study of the AAOIFIs’ standards has grown contemporary with considerable contributions from scholars, however, the majority of these studies are descriptive in nature. Indeed, the existing literature that has explored the determinants of compliance with AAOIFI’s standards is in the early research stage. To the best of the knowledge, there is a paucity of empirical research testing this issue.


2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 114-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Santhosh Abraham ◽  
Claire Marston ◽  
Edward Jones

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate Indian companies’ compliance with the mandatory and voluntary corporate governance disclosure requirements of the Stock Exchange Board of India’s Clause 49. Design/methodology/approach – The authors develop a corporate governance disclosure index and sub-indices based on Clause 49. Annual reports of listed Indian companies are scored according to their disclosures in two periods – pre and post amendments to Clause 49. Findings – Indian companies are highly compliant with corporate governance disclosure requirements of Clause 49. Disclosure increases significantly after amendments to Clause 49 as the penalties for non-compliance increase in severity. Government controlled firms disclose significantly less than privately owned firms. Research limitations/implications – The findings are consistent with bonding theory and the authors note that the presence of an independent regulator (with powers to take action against violators) provides corporate India with additional incentives to comply with corporate governance reform. Practical implications – These findings have important implications for policy makers and regulators as they contribute to the debate on the choice between formal corporate governance regulation versus informal self-regulation. The study also has implications for understanding factors associated with the adoption of disclosure practices in general. Originality/value – This is the first study to examine disclosure compliance in a major developing country pre and post amendments to mandatory corporate governance requirements. Prior evidence indicates a low level of disclosure in India but our results demonstrate an improvement in line with our theoretical predictions that suggests, India is converging towards an Anglo-Saxon model of corporate governance.


Author(s):  
Sarra Ben Slama Zouari ◽  
Neila Boulila Taktak

Purpose – This study aims to investigate empirically the relationship between ownership structure (concentration and mix) and Islamic bank performance, with a special attention to the identity of the block investor (foreign, family, institutional and state). Design/methodology/approach – Regression analyses are conducted to test the impact of the identity of the first shareholders and the degree of concentration on Islamic bank performance, using a panel data sample of 53 Islamic banks scattered over > 15 countries from 2005 to 2009. Findings – Results suggest that ownership is concentrated at 49 per cent, and for 41 banks from the full sample, the ultimate owner is institutional. State investors come in second place, followed by family ultimate shareholders. Using return on assets and return on equity as performance measures, empirical evidence highlights the absence of correlation between ownership concentration and Islamic bank performance. It also reveals that the combined effort of family and state investors is beneficial to bank performance. Results also indicate that banks with institutional and foreign shareholders do not perform better. Empirical findings suggest that the financial crisis impacts negatively Islamic bank performance. Research limitations/implications – The use of dummy variables to measure the nature of the largest owner represents the main limitation of this study. This is due to the lack of information, as the percentage of the largest capital held referring to owner category was available only for some banks. Practical implications – This research has given a brighter insight into corporate governance and bank performance in selected Islamic banking institutions. Findings provided useful information to bank managers, investors and policy makers. Financial performance can be improved by identifying practices associated with ownership structure. So, it will have policy implications for Islamic banks as to how to improve their performance. Finally, different types of bank ownership have had different concerns about implementing corporate governance practices among Islamic banks. Originality/value – This work is the first of its kind for Islamic banks. It extends previous research by examining whether ownership structure (concentration and mix) affects performance. It also fills the gap in the literature by providing empirical evidence on a large sample involving data from 15 countries. Finally, manual data collection on ownership structure constitutes a large part of the research for this paper.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (01) ◽  
pp. 63
Author(s):  
Ima Maspupah ◽  
Shofia Mauizotun Hasanah

<p><em>As part of the corporate organization, Islamic banks are encouraged to create good performance. But in the benchmark, there are still Islamic banks that assess the performance of banks using conventional measuring instruments. So in this study using maqashid index approach to measure the performance of Islamic banks. In addition to creating good performance, the obligations of business organizations are also to take part in activities aimed at protecting and improving the welfare of society as a whole and creating good corporate governance. banks in Indonesia have poor corporate governance rankings compared to neighboring countries such as Malaysia. So the purpose of this comparison study, it is hoped that there will be some advantages between them that can be identified. The method used in this research is quantitative method by using Mann-Whitney test. The data used are annual reports from three Indonesian islamic banks and three Malaysian Islamic banks. The results obtained no significant differences in Good Corporate Governance between Indonesian and Malaysian Islamic banks. While the achievement of maqashid shariah both have differences. This is because, firstly, the difference between banking history and the second, the difference of implementation of Shariah compliance in both countries.</em><em></em></p><strong><em>Keywords:</em></strong><em> Good Corporate Governance, Islamic Banking, Maqashid Shariah</em>


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haitham Nobanee ◽  
Nejla Ellili

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the extent of anti-Money laundering (AML) disclosures in the annual reports and websites by differentiating between UAE Islamic and conventional banks, and examine the effect of AML disclosure on UAE bank’s performance. Design/methodology/approach This study uses content analysis to explore the extent of AML disclosure in the annual reports and the dynamic panel data two-step robust system to study the impact of the AML disclosures on banking performance. Findings The findings show that AML disclosure is at a low level for all UAE banks, conventional and Islamic banks. The results also show that the degree of AML disclosure on the websites of the banks is higher than that in the annual reports. Research limitations/implications The sample for this study comes only from banks traded on UAE markets. Thus, the results may not be generalizable to banks traded on other financial markets. Practical implications Because of the cross-border character of the money laundry practices, our study suggests the UAE central bank to internationalize the AML regulations and develop an international AML regime as efforts to respond to the international development of the money laundry practices. Originality/value This is the first study that develops an index to measure the AML disclosure and contributes significantly in providing greater insight in respect to AML disclosure in banking industry within the emerging markets.


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