Dynamic endogeneity and corporate governance-performance relationship

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 727-744
Author(s):  
Sujani Thrikawala ◽  
Stuart Locke ◽  
Krishna Reddy

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between corporate governance (CG) and microfinance institution (MFI) performance, using a dynamic panel generalised method of moments (GMM) estimator to mitigate the serious issues with endogeneity. Design/methodology/approach Inconsistent findings and a general lack of empirical results for the microfinance industry leave an unclear message regarding the impacts of CG on MFI performance, especially in emerging economies. The authors use GMM estimation techniques to examine whether CG has an influence on MFI performance. Findings This study confirms that the MFIs’ contemporaneous performance and CG characteristics are statistically significantly positively linked with their past performance. This study finds statistically significant governance effects on MFI performance, including the presence of international directors and/or donor representatives on the board, client representatives on the board, percentage of non-executive directors and the quality of the national governance system. Practical implications These findings provide some insights for policy-makers and practitioners to develop suitable policies and guidelines to streamline MFIs’ operations in emerging countries. Moreover, national and international investors and donors may use these finding as a benchmark for their investment and funding decisions. Originality/value This paper is the first to estimate the CG and performance relationship of MFIs in a dynamic framework by applying the GMM estimation method. This approach improves upon traditional estimation methods by controlling the likely sources of endogeneity. Further, this paper examines whether quality of national-level governance characteristics is related to performance measures of profitability and outreach of MFIs.

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 120-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vicente Lima Crisóstomo ◽  
Isac de Freitas Brandão

Purpose High ownership concentration makes controlling blockholders powerful enough to use private benefits of control and able to shape the corporate governance system to favor their own interests. This paper aims to examine the effect of the nature of the ultimate firm owner on the quality of corporate governance in Brazil. Design/methodology/approach Econometric models are estimated to assess whether the nature of the ultimate controlling shareholder affects the quality of the corporate governance system. Models are estimated using panel data methodology with coefficients estimated by the generalized method of moments system estimator. Findings The results show that the absence of a controlling shareholder has a positive effect on corporate governance, whereas the presence of a controlling blockholder, or a shareholder agreement among a few large shareholders, has a negative effect. This adverse effect holds when the controlling blockholder is a family or another firm. The findings are in line with the expropriation effect given that weaker corporate governance system facilitates controlling shareholders’ ability to extract private benefits of control. The findings also give support to the substitution effect as powerful blockholders take on the management monitoring function by weakening the board. Originality value Following important previous literature, the study investigates the effect of the nature of large controlling shareholders on the adoption of good corporate governance practices. The work provides additional evidence on the effect of the nature of large controlling shareholders on the quality of the corporate governance system in Brazil, taking into account the main kinds of controlling blockholders present in that market. The findings give support to both the expropriation and substitution hypotheses highlighting the presence of the principal-principal agency model in an important emerging market, Brazil.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 1344-1361
Author(s):  
Isaiah Oino

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of transparency and disclosure on the financial performance of financial institutions. The emphasis is on assessing transparency and disclosure; auditing and compliance; risk management as indicators of corporate governance; and understanding how these parameters affect bank profitability, liquidity and the quality of loan portfolios. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 20 financial institutions was selected, with ten respondents from each, yielding a total sample size of 200. Principal component analysis (PCA), with inbuilt ability to check for composite reliability, was used to obtain composite indices for the corporate governance indicators as well as the indicators of financial performance, based on a set of questions framed for each institution. Findings The analysis demonstrates that greater disclosure and transparency, improved auditing and compliance and better risk management positively affect the financial performance of financial institutions. In terms of significance, the results show that as the level of disclosure and transparency in managerial affairs increases, the performance of financial institutions – as measured in terms of the quality of loan portfolios, liquidity and profitability – increases by 0.3046, with the effect being statistically significant at the 1 per cent level. Furthermore, as the level of auditing and the degree of compliance with banking regulations increases, the financial performance of banks improves by 0.3309. Research limitations/implications This paper did not consider time series because corporate governance does not change periodically. Practical implications This paper demonstrates the importance of disclosure and transparency in managerial affairs because the performance of financial institutions, as measured in terms of loan portfolios, liquidity and profitability, increases by 0.4 when transparency and disclosure improve, with this effect being statistically significant at the 1 per cent level. Originality/value The use of primary data in assessing the impact of corporate governance on financial performance, instead of secondary data, is the primary novelty of this study. Moreover, PCA is used to assess the weight of the various parameters.


2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 517-529 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlo Bellavite Pellegrini ◽  
Bruno S. Sergi ◽  
Emiliano Sironi

Purpose – Alternative corporate governance systems (CGSs) have attracted a significant bulk of research recently. While the connection between the adoption of an alternative system (one tier board or two tier board system) and firms’ performances has not been fully analysed yet, the purpose of this paper is to analyse whether companies which have turned into an alternative board system have eventually improved their performance over time. Design/methodology/approach – Using a sample of more than 15,000 Italian unlisted joint stock companies, the authors compare performance outcomes in 2009 of firms adopting alternative systems with performances of firms that maintained the system in force before the 2003 Corporate Law Reform (defined as “traditional”). Because of the choice of an alternative system (one tier or two tier board) instead of a traditional one is not random, the authors reduce selection bias implementing matching methods and comparing firms that are close in terms of propensity score measured in 2003 (the year before the new CGSs have been introduced by a corporate law reform). Findings – The authors do not find evidence of a significant improvement of performances in 2009 concerning those firms that have adopted a one tier or two tier board systems with respect to those which maintained a traditional one. Originality/value – The novelty of the study concerns the application of propensity score matching for the evaluation of the impact of the change of the CGS that is possible in presence of two conditions that are all verified in our setting: first, to have a country where corporate law allows for choosing among different systems; in this case Italy is a good laboratory, because it allows for the choice among three different systems; and second, to have the opportunity to evaluate the effect of the change in light of a relatively recent “pre-treatment” condition; this is made possible by the fact that before the 2003 Reform of corporate law all the companies had a traditional system.


2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 658-681 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yousef Hassan ◽  
Rafiq Hijazi ◽  
Kamal Naser

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relation between audit committee (AC) and a set of other corporate governance mechanisms in one of the emerging economies, United Arab of Emirates (UAE). In particular, the current study examines whether an effective AC can serve as a substitute or as a complement mechanism to board characteristics and ownership structure of Emirati listed non-financial companies. Design/methodology/approach Using substitution and complementary theories, a panel data from 48 nonfinancial companies listed on the UAE Stock Exchanges [Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange and Dubai Financial Market] during the period between 2011 and 2013 were used in the current study. A composite measure of four proxies has been used to measure the AC effectiveness, namely, AC size, independence, financial expertise and diligence. To test the hypotheses formulated for the study, a logistic regression model was used to identify the influence of a set of board characteristics and ownership structure variables on the effectiveness of the AC after controlling for firm size, auditor type, industry type and profitability. Findings While AC effectiveness appeared to be positively associated with board size and board independence, it is negatively associated with CEO duality. This points to a complementary governance relation. On the other hand, the negative relationship between AC effectiveness and each of institutional and government ownership suggests substitutive relations. Research limitations/implications The main shortcoming of the current study is that it examines the influence of a certain set of corporate governance factors on the effectiveness of AC. Other corporate governance mechanisms may, however, contribute to the effectiveness of AC. The findings of the study can be used by companies’ managements and regulators in the UAE to improve the corporate governance system. Originality/value To the best of researchers’ knowledge, this study provides the first evidence about the interaction among multiple governance mechanisms required by the code of corporate governance issued by the UAE Ministry of Economy in 2009. The current paper is expected to add to the limited AC literature in Middle East and North African countries in general and Arab World in particular.


2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 409-423
Author(s):  
Ratna Wardhani ◽  
Sidharta Utama ◽  
Hilda Rossieta

This research investigates the effect of governance system and degree of convergence to IFRS on financial reporting quality. With sample of Asian countries, this study concludes that country level and firm level governance systems, both at, and the degree of convergence have positive influence on financial reporting quality.The effect of degree of convergence of local GAAP to IFRS and corporate governance practice to financial reporting quality will be stronger for companies in countries with weak investor protection. Also, we find that in company with weak corporate governance practice, the adoption of international standards will increase the quality of financial reporting.The results indicate that the adoption of international accounting standard become more important in the countries and companies with weak governance system.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristian Baú Dal Magro ◽  
Roberto Carlos Klann

Purpose Although board interlocking underlying forces are largely hidden, the purpose of this paper is to provide managers, auditors, analysts, regulators and other stakeholders with sociological board interlocking information considering the different backgrounds of their members. Design/methodology/approach The research sample gathered 1,606 observations from 2010 to 2017. For data analysis, the direct and indirect board interlocking linkages, considering the different backgrounds of board members, established the centrality indicators. Subsequently, the authors used these indicators according to each measured background in the regression models. Findings The results indicate that the political background of board interlocking members is positively related to real earnings management practices, while the financial background has a mitigating effect on such practices. Research limitations/implications The findings suggest that individual skills and interests conveyed across the corporate social network have shaped corporate governance, with distinct impacts on the quality of accounting information. Practical implications The authors conclude that both backgrounds could have implications on agency conflicts, increasing (policy) or reducing (financial) information asymmetry between the company and its various stakeholders, which indicates that the authors must consider sociological and not just economic aspects within corporate governance. Social implications The sociological background of individuals is necessary for the congruence of monitoring mechanisms, and consequently, the quality of accounting information. Originality/value This study examines the influence of the political and financial background of board interlocking members on real earnings management practices in Brazilian publicly traded companies in the International Financial Reporting Standards post-adoption period.


Author(s):  
Arwa Hassan Baabbad

The present study aimed to find out the role of corporate governance in improving the quality of information in the Saudi Electricity Company. The researcher used the descriptive survey methodology. As to achieve the study objectives، the researcher utilized the questionnaire tool، in which the study sample (50) members of SEC distributed into employees، managers and decision makers. The study concluded to many results، among of which are: there is a statistically significant relationship between the availability of corporate governance system and performance improvement of the Saudi Electricity Company، there is a statistically significant relationship between corporate governance and appropriateness in improving the performance of the Saudi Electricity Company، it was also found that there is a statistically significant relationship between corporate governance and optimal disclosure in improving the performance of Saudi Electricity Company. The study also found that there is a statistically significant relationship between corporate governance and the right timing in improving the performance of the Saudi Electricity Company. The study suggested number of recommendations، among of which are: the importance of the shareholding companies to comply with the corporate governance regulations considering the interest of companies and their shareholders and all other parties benefiting from the financial statements، attempting to take advantage of the multiple benefits of corporate governance and expand its application in the various economic units in Saudi Arabia، conduct studies on companies that applies the requirement of the Corporate Governance Regulations، and the impact of the application of corporate governance on the shares of these units to find out the relationship between the quality of accounting information in light of the application of corporate governance and the stock market from another angle، imposing deterrent penalties concerning the Corporate Governance Regulations on companies that did not apply this regulation.


2016 ◽  
Vol 39 (11) ◽  
pp. 1431-1446 ◽  
Author(s):  
Namporn Thanetsunthorn ◽  
Rattaphon Wuthisatian

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the current state of corporate governance in various aspects of business settings and to empirically examine the impact of national culture on corporate governance performance, with a view of supporting business corporations in further enhancing the effectiveness of their corporate governance system. Design/methodology/approach A pooled sample of 9,003 companies drawn from 50 countries across ten different regions is collected. A variety of statistical methods, including the paired sample t-test, the ordinary least squares regression and the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient are implemented to analyze the current state of corporate governance. To empirically investigate the causal relationship between national culture and corporate governance, the multivariate regression analysis is also applied. Findings This study proposes a broad set of the empirical findings regarding the current state of corporate governance. Despite being accepted as a prerequisite building block for sustainable corporate social responsibility (CSR), corporate governance is still receiving far less attention among business corporations. The governance framework is widely adopted by business corporations, yet the intensity of implementing corporate governance is significantly different across regions. The variation of the intensity observed across regions can be explained by the national cultural characteristics that are all likely to impact the degree to which corporations act in corporate governance manners. Corporate governance performance is strongly related to three other aspects of socially responsible corporate performance – community, employee and environment. Research limitations/implications This study provides both the motivation and a starting point for further investigation in the milieu of corporate governance. It would be interesting for future research to further explore the extent to which corporate governance has a positive indirect impact on a firm’s financial performance. There is potential to provide a more comprehensive analysis of the interaction effect of national culture and geographic region on corporate governance performance of the corporations embedded in that region through a statistical interaction method. In addition, it may be interesting to integrate corporate financial performance (CFP) into the analysis to identify a specific type/practice of the corporate governance that could provide the highest return on the investment. Last, another interesting avenue for future research would be to explore the ethical mechanisms that have been institutionalized to promote corporate governance practices. Practical implications The present study is beneficial to both business corporations and policy makers. In essence, the study can potentially draw managers’ attention to applying modified corporate governance strategies according to their national culture. Furthermore, the study can alter business corporations to promote a strong corporate governance regime in chorus to CSR strategies so as to promote CSR development, which ultimately results in higher levels of competitiveness and CFP. In addition, policy makers who are responsible for inward foreign investment can use the findings of this study to evaluate the investors’ potential governance adoption. Originality/value The findings of this study are useful in encouraging the business corporations to further strengthen their corporate governance system. This study helps to fill the theoretical void regarding the cultural impact on corporate governance by exploring a broad set of national cultural characteristics under which good corporate governance is more or less likely to occur.


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruiting Xu ◽  
Zhigeng Fang ◽  
Jinyu Sun

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to find out a scientific method to evaluate quality of complex products, whose quality is different from general products. Design/methodology/approach – Based on interval grey number theory, reliability analysis method and stochastic network theory, authors have established grey success tree analysis-graph evaluation and review technique (GSTA-GERT) model in this paper. Findings – Comparing complex products and general products, authors have found that complex products have two characters, i.e. quality of manufacture and quality of service. Furthermore, this paper has proved the GSTA-GERT model is a scientific and reasonable approach to estimate quality of complex products from the sight of manufacture-service network. Originality/value – This paper has established GSTA-GERT model, which surmounts the defect of traditional estimation method, such as lacking logic analysis in the method of analytic hierarchy process.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaoqin Li ◽  
Xichan Chen ◽  
Wanli Li ◽  
Xixiong Xu

PurposeThis study explores whether and how Buddhism impacts corporate cash holdings. Buddhist culture affects investors' perception of how cash is deployed and then influences corporate cash holdings. This study first examines the impact of Buddhism on corporate cash holdings and then investigates whether formal governance mechanisms such as legal institutions and institutional ownership influence the relationship between Buddhism and corporate cash holdings.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conduct empirical tests with data on Chinese listed companies between 2006 and 2019. Buddhism is measured with the natural logarithm of the number of Buddhist temples within a radius of a certain distance around a firm's headquarters. The authors adopt the OLS method to regress and take the 2SLS method, Heckman selection model and FEVD approach to address the endogeneity issue.FindingsThe results show a positive relationship between Buddhism and corporate cash holdings. This positive relation is more prominent for firms located in regions with weak legal institutions and for firms with low institutional ownership. Further analysis shows that Buddhism works through the channel of alleviating agency problems and finally improves the value of cash to investors.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors’ findings have important implications. First, this study provides inspiration for incorporating the ethical values of traditional cultures, such as Buddhism, into the corporate governance system. Second, the findings imply that informal institutions can influence corporate financial decisions beyond the effect of formal institutions, suggesting that informal systems should be emphasized when dealing with business affairs in countries where legal institutions are relatively weak. Third, the results suggest the significance of encouraging research on religious culture to explore its active role in corporate governance.Originality/valueThis study illustrates the positive value of religious culture in advancing corporate governance by relating Buddhism to corporate cash holdings based on the explanation of investors' perception. It makes a marginal contribution to the literature that investigates the determinants of cash policies and explores the firm-level consequences of religious culture, adding to the research area of culture and corporate finance.


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