Board characteristics and microfinance institutions’ performance

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 369-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Usman Shettima ◽  
Nazam Dzolkarnaini
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Agency Cost ◽  
Microfinance Institutions ◽  
Board Size ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Board Characteristics ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Specific Country

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of board characteristics on MFIs performance in Nigeria. A specific country study is warranted given the results from pooled cross-country studies may be biased owing to a failure to control for country differences. It is also particularly challenging to generalize the outcome of these results into a specific country given that many factors about MFIs, ranging from the nature of governance, legal status, size and prudential regulations, are not similar across countries. Design/methodology/approach The relationship between board characteristics and microfinance banks performance in Nigeria is tested using a sample of 120 firm-year observations covering 30 MFIs in the periods from 2010 to 2013. The study extracted all microfinance-level data from the Microfinance Information Exchange database. Findings The authors document a positive and significant relationship between board size and MFIs performance. The authors also find negative relation between female directors and MFIs performance, but not significant. The results suggest that larger board size indicates good corporate governance practice, which leads to reduced agency cost. Research limitations/implications This study sheds new lights on the Nigerian MFIs’ board room dynamic. As the government is increasingly contemplating on the board structure and corporate governance policies, the study offers useful and timely empirical guidance to the Nigerian regulators. Originality/value Given the important role of microfinance industry in Nigeria, this is the first study of its kind analyzing the impact of board characteristics on microfinance performance among Nigerian MFIs.

scholarly journals Corporate governance and voluntary risk and forward-looking disclosures

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 592-607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed M. Elgammal ◽  
Khaled Hussainey ◽  
Fatma Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Global Financial Crisis ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Board Size ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Board Characteristics ◽  
Panel Regressions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Forward Looking

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of corporate governance on risk and forward-looking disclosures in Qatar.Design/methodology/approachThe authors automatically measure levels of risk and forward-looking disclosures in the annual reports of Qatari firms for the period 2008–2014. The authors also use two ways clustered error pooled panel regressions to examine the determinants of these disclosures.FindingsThe authors find that firms with a higher percentage of foreign ownership disclose more forward-looking information; conversely, board size has a negative impact on the forward-looking disclosure. Financial firms tend to disclose less forward-looking information, however, they tend to disclose more forward-looking information after the 2008 global financial crisis. The authors also find negative relationships between the risk disclosure and both the number of non-executive members of the board of directors and duality role of the CEO.Research limitations/implicationsThe study uses the quantity of disclosure as a proxy for the quality of disclosure.Practical implicationsThe findings should help the users of corporate annual reports in Qatar to understand managerial incentives for reporting risk and forward-looking information. This should help regulators to set a proper set of disclosure rules. Moreover, this study increases our understanding of the behavior of international investors and the board characteristics (i.e. board size) in motivating risk and forward-looking disclosures in Qatari firms.Originality/valueThe authors provide the original empirical evidence on the impact of corporate ownership and board characteristics on risk and forward-looking disclosures for Qatari firms using two ways clustered error pooled panel regressions.

scholarly journals The Impact of Board Characteristics on Co-operative Reputation From the Lense of Resource-Based View Theory (RBVT)

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 43
Author(s):  
Aida Maria Ismail ◽  
Siti Muliyana Ahmadi ◽  
Normahiran Yatim ◽  
Puteh Mariam Ismail
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Ethnic Diversity ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Board Size ◽  
Resource Based View ◽  
Board Characteristics ◽  
Age Diversity ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

Numerous studies on corporate governance proposed the connection of boards’ characteristics on firm performance and reputation. However, the results are mixed and limited research in the co-operatives context has creates a great interest to fill the conspicuous gap. This study seeks to examine the potential relationship between board characteristics and co-operative reputation in Malaysia from the perspective of resource-based view theory (RBVT). Hence, multiple regressions were conducted to analyze the relationship between co-operatives reputation with the respect of Top 100 Co-operatives Index and board characteristics in terms of board size, ethnic diversity, gender diversity, age diversity and education diversity in this study. The sample is composed of 61 listed co-operatives in the Top 100 Co-operatives Index for the three-consecutive year during the period 2015 to 2017. Reputation data were obtained from Top 100 Co-operative Index that published at Malaysia Co-operative Societies Commission (MCSC) website. While, the data of board characteristics and co-operative size on log of total assets which lagged by a year were extracted from MCSC’s INFOKOP system that provides both financial and non-financial data. The results found that Malaysian co-operatives that appear high up in terms of ranking in the reputation MCSC index tend to have a greater proportion of high educational directors on their board. Other board characteristics including board size, ethnic diversity, gender diversity and age diversity were not associated with the reputation of co-operatives. This generally can be explained that different types of law, geography, historical background, cultural environment and other factors may affect composition and diversity; and particularly the board in co-operative societies. Findings of this study provide insights into potential strategies in relation to corporate governance towards improving co-operative’s values and indirectly help the government in achieving the national economic goals.

Are board characteristics relevant for banking efficiency? Evidence from the US

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 655-679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yulia Titova
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Cost Efficiency ◽  
Banking Sector ◽  
Stochastic Frontier Analysis ◽  
Board Size ◽  
Lower Efficiency ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Frontier Analysis ◽  
Board Characteristics ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to examine whether board-related characteristics matter for cost efficiency in banking sector. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a sample of publicly traded US commercial banks and savings institutions to estimate a relationship between cost efficiency measured by stochastic frontier analysis and a set of board-related characteristics for the period 2007-2013. Findings An inverted U-shape relation is found between board size and efficiency. Thus, there is a trade-off between costs and benefits of larger boards. Optimal board size is higher for banks with more complex operations. This study also observed an inverted U-shape relation between board independence and cost efficiency. The banks where the Chairman also executes the CEO responsibility show lower efficiency. However, a higher proportion of independent board members in banks with unitary leadership structure may mitigate the conflict of interest and lower efficiency stemming from CEO duality. Research limitations/implications This study’s evidence supports the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision emphasis on advising a board composition that provides for a sufficient degree of director independence. Practical Implications The results are relevant for banks and their external and internal stakeholders. Banks may adjust their current board characteristics to increase the board effectiveness. Externally, potential investors can evaluate the quality of corporate governance of banks before making investment decisions. The empirical findings can also be useful for regulators imposing corporate governance codes in banking. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to provide empirical evidence on the impact of board characteristics on bank efficiency for a wide panel of US banks. Additionally, a comprehensive set of board-related variables is used.

scholarly journals Agency costs and corporate governance mechanisms in Indian state-owned companies and privately owned companies - A panel data analysis

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 8-17
Author(s):  
Stuart Locke ◽  
Geeta Duppati
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Agency Costs ◽  
Panel Data Analysis ◽  
Agency Cost ◽  
Open Market ◽  
Public Companies ◽  
Corporate Governance Mechanisms ◽  
The Government ◽  
Suitable Reference ◽  
The Impact

This paper explores the impact of corporate governance reforms and changing ownership patterns of core public sector enterprises. A number of reforms were introduced by the Government of India in 1991, and intensified in 2004 with the aim of improving efficiency and financial performance across state owned enterprises. The core state enterprises provide a unique opportunity to consider two aspects of the reforms. First, did the reforms have an impact, and second, is there a distinguishable difference between wholly government owned and partially-public shareholding enterprises? The public listed companies provide a suitable reference point for comparison. A comprehensive dataset of 123 SOEs and matching listed public companies for 10 years was collected for the study. A regression approach is adopted with agency cost as the dependant variable and several corporation-specific governance variables. Size and industry are the independent variables. The findings of the study indicate that the agency costs for mixed ownership models tend to be lower than those of the concentrated state-owned firms because they operate in an open market with the market facing the regulatory framework of a competitive environment.

Corporate governance and value relevance of accounting information

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-262
Author(s):  
Hesham I. Almujamed ◽  
Mishari M. Alfraih
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Value Relevance ◽  
Accounting Information ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Board Size ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Book Value ◽  
Board Characteristics ◽  
Market Participants ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to explore how the characteristics of the board of directors (BoD) shape earnings and book value information available to market participants. Design/methodology/approach The authors investigated the impact of board size, presence of non-executives and role duality as proxies of effective corporate governance on the value relevance of financial reporting for 178 firms on the Kuwait stock exchange in 2013. Regression analysis based on Ohlson’s (1995) valuation model was used to test hypotheses. Findings The authors found that board size was significantly associated with company value and that Kuwaiti firms with large boards increased the value-relevance of earnings and book value. The influence of role duality was positive although not significant. The presence of non-executives on the board had a negative correlation with market value (not significant). Research limitations/implications These findings deliver empirical support for the prediction that the characteristics of the BoD improve the value relevance of financial reporting. Limitations such as small sample size and one-year duration of the study did not negate the basic findings, however. Future studies will use larger samples, longer duration and additional board characteristics. Practical implications This study provides empirical support for the hypothesis that board size influences market valuation. This study may benefit managers, investors and other decision-makers. Originality/value This study delivers empirical evidence on the impact of board characteristics on the value relevance of accounting information. It will be useful for regulators and market participants monitoring the influence of board characteristics on the value relevance of accounting information.

The impact of VC backing on the corporate governance of Chinese IPOs

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 330-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qing (Sophie) Wang ◽  
Hamish D. Anderson ◽  
Jing Chi
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Firm Performance ◽  
Independent Directors ◽  
Board Independence ◽  
Board Size ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Shareholder Protection ◽  
Political Ties ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Industry Experience

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how venture capital (VC) backing influences the board size and independence and how VC backing and board structure impact firm performance in China. Design/methodology/approach Using hand-collected data from 924 initial public offering (IPO) prospectuses covering the period from January 2004 to December 2012, the authors investigate the impact of VC backing on board size, board independence and firm market performance through regression analysis. A two-stage approach is also used to address the endogeneity issue. Findings The authors find robust evidence that VC-backed IPOs have more independent boards, after controlling for CEO and firm characteristics, and the potential endogeneity concerns. Furthermore, firms backed by VCs with management political ties (PTs) have more independent directors with industry relevant expertise than other firms. While no significant relationship is found between board independence and firm performance, the authors present some evidence that IPOs which have a larger percentage of independent directors with industry relevant expertise exhibit higher long-term stock returns, and VCs with management PTs also improve IPO long-run stock performance. Research limitations/implications Although VC is new in China and the Chinese capital market has relative poor corporate governance and weak minority shareholder protection, the authors find support in this paper that VC backing is valuable to IPO firms in China not only through providing funding but also by providing political ties and industry experience. However, Chinese regulatory and institutional settings have strong impact on test results and they change rapidly, so the results may not apply to other period in Chinese markets. Originality/value This paper sheds lights on the influences of VC backing on corporate governance and firm performance in a transitional and emerging economy. It discovers the value of VC investors in a transitional economy as of providing political ties and industry experience. The new definition of independent directors suggested by Suchard (2009) is first used by our paper in the Chinese context.

The effects of ownership structure on likelihood of financial distress: an empirical evidence

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 589-612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahab Udin ◽  
Muhammad Arshad Khan ◽  
Attiya Yasmin Javid
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Ownership Structure ◽  
Financial Distress ◽  
Generalized Method Of Moments ◽  
The Body ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of corporate governance proxies by ownership structure on the likelihood of firms’ financial distress for a sample of 146 Pakistani public-limited companies listed at the Karachi Stock Exchange over the period of 2003-2012. Design/methodology/approach The dynamic generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator and panel logistic regression (PLR) are used to determine the impact of corporate governance on the financial distress. The ownership structure is used as a determinant of corporate governance, while the Altman Z-score is utilized as an indicator of financial distress, as it measures financial distress inversely. The smaller the values of the Z-score, the higher will be the risk of financial distress. Findings The authors find insignificant impact of ownership structure on firms’ likelihood of financial distress based on the dynamic GMM method. However, the PLR results indicate that foreign shareholdings have a significant negative association with firms’ likelihood of financial distress, in the case of Pakistan. An evidence of a negative and insignificant relationship between institutional ownership and financial distress was observed, which indicates the passive role of institutional investors in Pakistan. The results also reveal a positive and significant relationship between insider’s ownership and likelihood of financial distress. This finding is consistent with the entrenchment hypothesis which predicts that insiders are more aligned with their self-interest than outside shareholders’ interest when their shareholding increases in the business. Furthermore, the results also reveal insignificant association between government shareholdings and the probability of financial distress. The reason could be the social welfare objective of the government entities rather than profit maximization. Practical implications The findings of this study provide more insight to corporate managers and investors about the association between the quality of corporate governance and the degree of financial distress, with respect to Pakistani firms. Furthermore, this study contributes to the existing literature by adding new evidence from developing countries like Pakistan which are helpful for regulatory bodies and policymakers in the formulation of long-term corporate governance strategies to manage the financial distress. It is well established that strengthening the quality of corporate governance practices enhances the efficiency of capital markets and reduces the probability of financial distress. Originality/value The study extends the body of existing literature on corporate governance and the likelihood of financial distress with reference to Pakistan. The results suggest that policymakers may pay special attention to the quality of corporate governance, specifically ownership structure, while predicting corporate financial distress.

scholarly journals Does internal corporate governance mechanism control firm risk? Evidence from Indonesia’s three high-risk sectors

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 1362-1376
Author(s):  
Saarce Elsye Hatane ◽  
Stellania Supangat ◽  
Josua Tarigan ◽  
Ferry Jie
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Idiosyncratic Risk ◽  
Board Independence ◽  
Total Risk ◽  
Firm Risk ◽  
Board Size ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Asset Return ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Board Ownership

Purpose This study aims to examine the control of corporate governance towards firm risks for a sample of Indonesian firms in agriculture, mining and property industries. This study highlights the impact of four indicators of internal mechanism of corporate governance, i.e. board size, board independence, board gender and board ownership, on three measurements of firm risks, i.e. total risk, asset return risk and idiosyncratic risk. Design/methodology/approach Panel data analysis is conducted using a sample of 62 companies of agriculture, mining and property industries listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange from 2013 to 2017. Pooled ordinary least square with hetero-corrected is the statistical approach conducted to test the hypotheses. Findings The result indicates that board size and board gender insignificantly influence firm risks. While board independence gives varied impacts towards firm risks, it gives positive influence towards total asset return risk, insignificant towards idiosyncratic risk and negative towards total risk. Other interesting results are found in board ownership that has insignificant influence on asset return risk and negative influence on idiosyncratic and total risk. Research limitations/implications Firms should incorporate corporate governance, especially the impactful roles of board independence and board ownership as they serve as tools in reducing firm risk. Moreover, investors may have a better understanding of corporate governance and factors that are influencing firm risks. Therefore, this study can assist them to make the right investment decision. Originality/value This study is notably the first to use comprehensively three measurements of firm risks in Indonesia. Risks can come from internal and external, thus the company should understand the various types of risks facing the company. Total risk measures both the internal and external risks, while asset return risk gives another perspective using overall market perception about the equity and assets of the company. Finally, this study also measures internal risk, which is the only risk that can be controlled and minimised by the board of the company.

Risk reporting appraisal in post-revolutionary Tunisia

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 522-542 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wael Hemrit
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Liquidity Risk ◽  
Operational Risk ◽  
Risk Information ◽  
Risk Disclosure ◽  
Board Size ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tunisian Revolution ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Risk Reporting

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the determinants of operational and liquidity risk reporting for the Tunisian insurance and banking sectors after the outbreak of the Tunisian revolution on 14 January 2011. Design/methodology/approach A manual content analysis approach was used to measure risk disclosure by counting the number of risk-related words within risk-related sentences in a wide range of publications. Findings The results show that operational risk disclosure is associated positively with operational losses frequency, institution size and the proportion of independent non-executive members of the board of directors. Also, board size is found to be negatively associated with risk disclosure. Moreover, net stable funding ratio, size and proportion of independent non-executive members have a positive effect on liquidity risk disclosure. The authors also discover that infrequency of board meetings and the presence of young members on the board increase the extent of liquidity risk information. Research limitations/implications The research focuses on a small number of observations which somewhat restrict the generalization of results to the entire class of financial sector in Tunisia. Also, the qualitative character of some supposed explanatory variables (frequency and severity of operational risk) relies heavily on the experiences of interviewees and their basic perceptions. Practical implications Investors might do well to rely on such characteristics (large board size, less active board and a high proportion of non-executive directors) to predict the disclosure of risk information, either operational or liquidity risk. Board members should keep an eye on reporting on risk, by promoting the success keys of governance, because good corporate governance has to be recognizable at first to be an effective value driver. Originality/value The findings rationalize the debate over the impact of improved corporate governance on risk disclosure practices within the context of the Tunisian revolution. The logic of this rationalization may help to promote political incentives that will encourage a risk management culture based on a dynamic communication framework.

A hybrid of state regulation and self-regulation for remuneration governance in Australia

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 539-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahid Riaz
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Social Practice ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Chief Executive ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
State Regulation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Executive Remuneration ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to explore an alternative approach to regulation for addressing governance problems relating to director and executive remuneration in publicly listed firms. The author investigates the development of hybrid regulatory framework, composed of state regulation and self-regulation, for remuneration governance in Australia. Design/methodology/approach The synthesis of constructs borrowed from agency and institutional theories and its contextual analysis examines the effectiveness of formal (state regulation) and informal (self-regulation) institutions for the development of a hybrid of regulation. Thereafter, the author examines the impact of hybrid regulation on remuneration disclosure behavior in Australia. Findings The author finds that improvement in disclosure is primarily driven by the establishment of remuneration committees and separate role of chief executive officer (CEO) and chairperson but weakened by the presence of CEO at remuneration committee and presence of remuneration consultant. Originality/value Global crises have called for greater transparency and protection of investors through state regulation alone. However, corporate governance, being a social practice that is shaped by diverse interests, calls for a holistic approach. A useful contribution of this study is that through an in-depth examination into the stages and actors of the government interventions involving the balancing of tension between conflicting forces, it provides insights for developing an effective regulatory hybrid which has greater acceptance for corporate governance. In conclusion, it implies the significance of priming the social arena through active engagement of diverse market forces prior to introducing state regulation.

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