Independent directors, ownership concentration and firm performance in listed companies

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thi Tuyet Mai Nguyen ◽  
Elaine Evans ◽  
Meiting Lu
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Firm Performance ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Ownership Concentration ◽  
Independent Directors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Controlling Shareholders ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of independent directors on firm performance in Vietnam and identify how different types of ownership structure and the presence of controlling shareholders influence the relationship. Design/methodology/approach For a sample of 217 non-financial Vietnam-listed companies during the period from 2010 to 2014, this study uses the ordinary least squares regressions to estimate the relationship between independent directors and firm performance. Two econometric techniques – the fixed effects estimation and the difference in difference estimation – are used to control for endogeneity. The results are also robust to the lag variable of independent directors. Findings The results reveal that independent directors have an overall negative effect on firm operating performance. This finding may be because of information asymmetry, expertise disadvantage and the dominance of ownership concentration that prevent independent directors from fulfilling their monitoring function in governance. The negative relationship between independent directors and firm performance is stronger in firms where the State is a controlling shareholder. Research limitations/implications Findings suggest that changes relating to independent directors, as a response to the new corporate governance code in 2012, do not have a positive effect on the relationship between corporate governance and firm performance. Further reform is required to improve internal control mechanisms and corporate governance systems in Vietnam. Originality/value This is the first study to provide a robust evidence on the relationship between independent directors and firm performance in Vietnam as well as to explore the impact of the type of controlling shareholders on the relationship.

Audit committee characteristics and the moderating effect of Malaysian code of corporate governance on IPO liquidity

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amal Mohammed Al-Masawa ◽  
Rasidah Mohd-Rashid ◽  
Hamdan Amer Al-Jaifi ◽  
Shaker Dahan Al-Duais
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Initial Public Offerings ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Moderating Effect ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Code Of Corporate Governance ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This study aims to investigate the link between audit committee characteristics and the liquidity of initial public offerings (IPOs) in Malaysia, which is an emerging economy in Southeast Asia. Another purpose of this study is to examine the moderating effect of the revised Malaysian code of corporate governance (MCCG) on the link between audit committee characteristics and IPO liquidity. Design/methodology/approach The final sample consists of 304 Malaysian IPOs listed in 2002–2017. This study uses ordinary least squares regression method to analyse the data. To confirm this study’s findings, a hierarchical or four-stage regression analysis is used to compare the t-values of the main and moderate regression models. Findings The findings show that audit committee characteristics (size and director independence) have a positive and significant relationship with IPO liquidity. Also, the revised MCCG positively moderates the relationship between audit committee characteristics and IPO liquidity. Research limitations/implications This study’s findings indicate that companies with higher audit committee independence have a more effective monitoring mechanism that mitigates information asymmetry, thus reducing adverse selection issues during share trading. Practical implications Policymakers could use the results of this study in developing policies for IPO liquidity improvements. Additionally, the findings are useful for traders and investors in their investment decision-making. For companies, the findings highlight the crucial role of the audit committee as part of the control system that monitors corporate governance. Originality/value To the authors’ knowledge, this work is a pioneering study in the context of a developing country, specifically Malaysia that investigates the impact of audit committee characteristics on IPO liquidity. Previously, the link between corporate governance and IPO liquidity had not been investigated in Malaysia. This study also contributes to the IPO literature by providing empirical evidence regarding the moderating effect of the revised MCCG on the relationship between audit committee characteristics and IPO liquidity.

scholarly journals The board of directors and firm performance: empirical evidence from listed companies

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 508-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Merendino ◽  
Rob Melville
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Firm Performance ◽  
Agency Theory ◽  
Ownership Structure ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Independent Directors ◽  
Board Structure ◽  
Board Size ◽  
Ceo Duality ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThis study aims to reconcile some of the conflicting results in prior studies of the board structure–firm performance relationship and to evaluate the effectiveness and applicability of agency theory in the specific context of Italian corporate governance practice.Design/methodology/approachThis research applies a dynamic generalised method of moments on a sample of Italian listed companies over the period 2003-2015. Proxies for corporate governance mechanisms are the board size, the level of board independence, ownership structure, shareholder agreements and CEO–chairman leadership.FindingsWhile directors elected by minority shareholders are not able to impact performance, independent directors do have a non-linear effect on performance. Board size has a positive effect on firm performance for lower levels of board size. Ownership structure per se and shareholder agreements do not affect firm performance.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper contributes to the literature on agency theory by reconciling some of the conflicting results inherent in the board structure–performance relationship. Firm performance is not necessarily improved by having a high number of independent directors on the board. Ownership structure and composition do not affect firm performance; therefore, greater monitoring provided by concentrated ownership does not necessarily lead to stronger firm performance.Practical implicationsThis paper suggests that Italian corporate governance law should improve the rules and effectiveness of minority directors by analysing whether they are able to impede the main shareholders to expropriate private benefits on the expenses of the minority. The legislator should not impose any restrictive regulations with regard to CEO duality, as the influence of CEO duality on performance may vary with respect to the unique characteristics of each company.Originality/valueThe results enrich the understanding of the applicability of agency theory in listed companies, especially in Italy. Additionally, this paper provides a comprehensive synthesis of research evidence of agency theory studies.

Corporate governance and firm performance in Malaysia

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 896-912 ◽  
Author(s):  
Padmanabha Ramachandra Bhatt ◽  
R. Rathish Bhatt
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Firm Performance ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Institutional Environment ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Resource Dependency ◽  
Government Agencies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Governance Code ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of Malaysian Code on Corporate Governance (MCCG, 2007 and 2012) on the performance of the listed companies in Malaysia. The agency theory and resource dependency theories indicate that the firms with strong corporate governance outperform firms with weaker governance. This paper explores this relationship in a developing country like Malaysia having different institutional environment compared to western countries. Design/methodology/approach The study used a sample of 113 listed companies in Malaysia. The study incorporates the endogenous relationship between corporate governance, firm performance and leverage. Findings The study analyzes how the corporate governance framework affected firm performance in Malaysia with the help of self-developed corporate governance index (MCGI). The authors’ findings show that the performance of the firm is positively and significantly related with corporate governance measured by MCGI. Secondly, corporate governance of sample firms shows marked improvements after implementation of MCCG 2012 as compared to MCCG 2007. Originality/value The findings of this paper support the agency and the resource dependency theories. The study contributes to the understanding of the relationship between the corporate governance and firm performance in emerging economy and builds a case for enforcement of strong corporate governance code by government agencies.

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.

Dynamic study of corporate governance structure and firm performance in China

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 299-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Shao
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Firm Performance ◽  
Generalized Method Of Moments ◽  
Supervisory Board ◽  
Governance Structure ◽  
State Ownership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The paper aims to provide a comprehensive investigation of the relationship between corporate governance (CG) structure and firm performance in Chinese listed firms from 2001 to 2015. The authors’ motivation derives from the fact that the CG system in China is different from those in the US, the UK, Germany, Japan and other countries. Design/methodology/approach A large unbalanced sample, covering more than 22,700 observations in Chinese listed firms, was used to explore, by means of a system-generalized method-of-moments (GMM) estimator, the relationship between CG structure and firm performance to remove potential sources of endogeneity. Findings Results show that Chinese CG structure is endogenously determined by the CG mechanisms investigated: there is no relationship between board size (including independent directors) and firm performance; CEO duality has a significantly negative effect on firm performance; concentration of ownership has a significantly positive influence on firm performance; managerial ownership is negatively correlated with firm performance; state ownership has a significantly positive effect on firm performance; and a supervisory board is positively correlated with firm performance. Practical implications The findings provide policymakers and firm managers with useful empirical guidance concerning CG in China. Originality/value Few integrative studies have examined the impact of CG structure on firm performance in China. This study adds new empirical evidence that the relation between CG structure and performance in China is endogenous and dynamic when controlling for unobserved heterogeneity, simultaneity, and dynamic endogeneity.

Corporate governance and risk reporting: Indian evidence

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (4/5) ◽  
pp. 378-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ridhima Saggar ◽  
Balwinder Singh
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Risk Information ◽  
Ownership Concentration ◽  
Regulatory Regime ◽  
Risk Disclosure ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Board Characteristics ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This study aims to measure the extent of voluntary risk disclosure and examine the relationship between corporate governance firm level quality in the form of board characteristics and ownership concentration’s impact on risk disclosure in the annual reports of Indian listed companies. Design/methodology/approach The method adopted in this study is automated content analysis, which is applied to a sample of 100 listed Indian non-financial companies to find out the extent of risk disclosure. Further, multiple linear regressions have been applied to find out the relationship between corporate governance firm level quality in the form of board characteristics, ownership concentration and risk disclosure. Findings The findings reveal that the total number of positive risk keywords surpasses negative risk keywords disclosure. The corporate governance mainsprings, namely, board size and gender diversity have a positively significant effect on risk disclosure, whereas ownership concentration in the hands of the largest shareholder insignificantly affects risk disclosure, but identity of the largest shareholder having ownership concentration negatively affects disclosure of risk information in the case of Indian promoter body corporate, foreign promoter body corporate and non-institutions in comparison to family ownership. Research limitations/implications This study relied on a set of 39 risk keywords for measuring the extent of risk disclosure. Further, it uses a sample of 100 companies to examine the effect of corporate governance on risk disclosure at one point of time. However, a longitudinal study can help in understanding risk disclosure adopted by Indian listed companies in a better manner. Practical implications The findings have implications for regulatory bodies such as the Securities and Exchange Board of India, which needs to strengthen corporate governance norms with respect to board characteristics and keep a check on ownership concentration for improving risk disclosure by companies. Originality/value To best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is a preliminary attempt linking two research lines in India, that is, corporate risk disclosure and corporate governance quality in the form of board characteristics and ownership concentration. The study identifies corporate governance firm level qualities which lead to divulgation of risk information by the companies pointing towards strengthening of regulatory regime in the country for improved corporate governance regulations adopted by listed companies.

Monitoring or tunneling by large shareholders: evidence from China private listed companies

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaobao Song
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Ownership Concentration ◽  
Company Performance ◽  
State Dependency ◽  
Content Type ◽  
General Managers ◽  
Large Shareholders ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between ownership concentration and company performance in China private listed companies. Design/methodology/approach – By taking into account of the difference of managerial positions of large shareholders in listed companies (whether they assume the posts as presidents or general managers), and based on the two agency theories, the paper analyzes the state dependency of the relationship between ownership concentration and the company performance of listed companies with the samples of China private listed companies from 2003 to 2011. Findings – The paper finds that if the large shareholders assume no posts in the listed companies, there is an inverted U shape relation between shareholding ratio of the largest shareholders and the company performance. This result indicates the inadequate or excessive monitoring to the companies by the large shareholders according to different shareholding ratios. If large shareholders assume posts in the listed companies, there is a U shape relation between shareholding ratio of the largest shareholders and the company performance. This result indicates the tunneling and propping to the small shareholders by the large shareholders according to different shareholding ratios. Research limitations/implications – This paper has not taken the influence of earnings management of the listed companies. Practical implications – For strengthening the protection of investors, proper distinction shall be made among shareholders of different conditions, and difference of roles large shareholders play in the company under different conditions shall be understood correctly, so as to formulate and perfect market rules for corporate governance, rather than just restraining the power (rights) of large shareholders. The study in this paper is for helping understand the different roles large shareholders play under different corporate governance conditions. Originality/value – First, different from the research paradigm of relationship between ownership concentration and company performance in existing literature, the paper discriminates the study background with the post-assuming conditions of large shareholders in listed companies and believes that relationship between ownership concentration and company performance shall be presented differently under different post-assuming conditions. Second, by using monitoring theory and tunneling and propping theory to explain the behaviors of large shareholders under different post-assuming conditions respectively, a new theory explanation view is provided for explaining the relation between ownership concentration and company performance.

Ownership concentration, ownership composition and the performance of the Kuwaiti listed non-financial firms

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 108-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mejbel Al-Saidi ◽  
Bader Al-Shammari
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Firm Performance ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Ownership Concentration ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Financial Firms ◽  
Large Shareholders ◽  
Ownership Composition ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the relationship between ownership structure (ownership concentration and ownership composition) and firm performance in Kuwaiti non-financial firms. To this end, it examines the relationship between firm performance and ownership concentration to determine whether the impact of this relationship is conditional on the nature of the large shareholders. Design/methodology/approach – First, the relationship between ownership concentration and firm performance was tested using ordinary least squares regressions on 618 observations (103 listed firms) from 2005 to 2010; next, the ownership compositions were classified as institutional, government and individuals (families) and their impact on firm performance examined. Findings – The overall concentration ownership by large shareholders showed no impact on firm performance. However, when the type of shareholders was introduced, only the government and individuals (families) ownership categories influenced firm performance. Therefore, certain types of shareholders are better at monitoring, and not all concentration by large shareholders is beneficial to Kuwaiti firms. Research limitations/implications – This study examined only one important aspect of the corporate governance mechanisms, namely, ownership concentration. Thus, further study may include other mechanisms such as board variables, role of debt and shareholders rights in examining the firm performance. This study is limited to the Kuwaiti environment, and thus, next step can be very useful in case of comparing ownership concentration in the Gulf Cooperation Council (Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia) or across different Arab countries. Practical implications – The results of this study have important implications for the regulators in Kuwait in their efforts to increase the efficiency of the rapidly developing capital markets and in protecting investors and keeping confidence in the economy. They may mandate a corporate governance code to protect minority shareholders. Investors may use the findings to understand Kuwaiti companies. Such findings may assist them to diversify their investment portfolios. Originality/value – This paper extends literature review by investigating the role of large shareholders in the context of a developing country that is characterized by high level of ownership concentration and weak legal protection for investors as well as the absence of code that organized the corporate governance practices.

scholarly journals Ownership structure, board of directors and firm performance: evidence from Taiwan

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 189-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mao-Feng Kao ◽  
Lynn Hodgkinson ◽  
Aziz Jaafar
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Firm Performance ◽  
Board Of Directors ◽  
Ownership Structure ◽  
Firm Value ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Independent Directors ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Listed Firms

PurposeUsing a data set of listed firms domiciled in Taiwan, this paper aims to empirically assess the effects of ownership structure and board of directors on firm value.Design/methodology/approachUsing a sample of Taiwanese listed firms from 1997 to 2015, this study uses a panel estimation to exploit both the cross-section and time–series nature of the data. Furthermore, two stage least squares (2SLS) regression model is used as robustness test to mitigate the endogeneity issue.FindingsThe main results show that the higher the proportion of independent directors, the smaller the board size, together with a two-tier board system and no chief executive officer duality, the stronger the firm’s performance. With respect to ownership structure, block-holders’ ownership, institutional ownership, foreign ownership and family ownership are all positively related to firm value.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the Taiwanese corporate governance reform concerning the independent director system which is mandatory only for newly-listed companies is successful, the regulatory authority should require all listed companies to appoint independent directors to further enhance the Taiwanese corporate governance.Originality/valueFirst, unlike most of the previous literature on Western developed countries, this study examines the effects of corporate governance mechanisms on firm performance in a newly industrialised country, Taiwan. Second, while a number of studies used a single indicator of firm performance, this study examines both accounting-based and market-based firm performance. Third, this study addresses the endogeneity issue between corporate governance factors and firm performance by using 2SLS estimation, and details the econometric tests for justifying the appropriateness of using 2SLS estimation.

The mediating role of intellectual capital in corporate governance and the corporate performance relationship

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 531-561
Author(s):  
Tamer Mohamed Shahwan ◽  
Mohamed Mahmoud Fathalla
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Firm Performance ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Corporate Performance ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
Operating Efficiency ◽  
Efficiency Ratio ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the impact of intellectual capital (IC) as a mediator variable on the association between corporate governance (CG) practices and firm performance. This study also examines bi-causality linkages between these variables. Design/methodology/approach The designated corporate governance index and the value-added intellectual coefficient method were used to assess the level of CG practices and the performance of IC. Tobin’s Q (TQ) and operating efficiency ratio were used to measure firm performance. Findings The aggregate CG score has a significant positive impact on the IC and the two measures of firm performance. However, the IC has only a partial mediation effect on the relationship between the aggregate corporate governance score and a firm’s operational efficiency ratio. The IC has partial and full mediation effects in the relationship between the sub-dimensions of corporate governance and the performance of Egyptian corporates. Moreover, a bi-causality relationship can be observed between CG and TQ. Research limitations/implications Generalizing the obtained results would require the sample size to be extended. Practical implications The findings should alert legislative institutions and practitioners of the need to comply with good CG practices and develop the efficiency of IC to elicit a firm’s superior performance. Originality/value This study is one of the first attempts to investigate the causality relationships and the mediation impact of IC on the relationship between CG practices and corporate performance in the Egyptian context.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document