The Effect of Board Independence on the Information Environment and Information Asymmetry

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beng Wee Goh ◽  
Jeffrey Ng ◽  
Kevin Ow Yong
Keyword(s):  
Information Asymmetry ◽  
Information Environment ◽  
Board Independence

Corporate social responsibility disclosure and information asymmetry: does boardroom attributes matter?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amal Hamrouni ◽  
Mondher Bouattour ◽  
Nadia Ben Farhat Toumi ◽  
Rim Boussaada
Keyword(s):  
Information Asymmetry ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Moderating Effect ◽  
Board Independence ◽  
Environmental Disclosure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Csr Disclosure ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Social Disclosure

PurposeThe current study aims to investigate the relation between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and information asymmetry, as well as the moderating effect of board characteristics (gender diversity, size and independence) on this relationship.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses a panel data regression analysis with the system generalized method of moments (SGMM) estimator of nonfinancial French firms included in the SBF 120 index. The environmental and social disclosure scores are collected from the Bloomberg database, while financial data are collected from the FactSet database.FindingsThe empirical results demonstrate that environmental disclosure has a positive impact on the level of information asymmetry, while social disclosure has no effect on the information environment. Gender diversity and board independence negatively impact the opacity index, while board size has a positive effect. The presence of women in board composition has a substitution effect on the relationship between environmental disclosure and information asymmetry. There is no moderating effect of board size on the association between CSR disclosure and information asymmetry. However, the proportion of independent female directors and board independence operates as substitutes to social disclosure on reducing information asymmetry.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the models include the most common control variables used in the literature, they omit some variables. Second, the results should be interpreted with caution and should not be generalized to the entire stock market since the sample is based on large French companies.Practical implicationsThe results of this study may be of interest to managers, investors and French market authorities since France is characterized by highly developed laws and reforms in the area of CSR. In addition, the paper leads to a better understanding of how women on the board, in particular, independent female directors, affect the relationship between CSR disclosure and information asymmetry. This could be of interest to French authorities, which has encouraged the appointment of women through the adoption of the Copé–Zimmermann law.Originality/valueFirst, to the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to explore the moderating effect of board characteristics on the relationship between CSR and information asymmetry. Second, unlike previous studies using individual proxies to measure information asymmetry, the authors favor the opacity index of Anderson et al. (2009). They calculate this index by including a fifth individual measure, namely, share price volatility. The opacity index better describes the information environment of companies than individual measures since it reflects the perceptions of investors and analysts together.

scholarly journals Disclosure Frequency, Information Environment, and Cost of Capital under Regulation Fair Disclosure in the Korean Market

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (14) ◽  
pp. 5856
Author(s):  
Hoshik Shim
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Markets ◽  
Information Asymmetry ◽  
Information Leakage ◽  
Equity Capital ◽  
Information Environment ◽  
Price Ratio ◽  
Corporate Disclosure ◽  
Regulation Fair Disclosure ◽  
Fair Disclosure ◽  
Korean Market

Disclosure policy contributes to improve sustainable corporate information environment by mitigating information asymmetry surrounding companies. Economic theories generally support that more disclosures reduce the level of information asymmetry, increase stock liquidity, and thus decrease the costs of equity capital. However, the effect of corporate disclosure in emerging markets is not clearly predictable because of the potential information leakage prior to disclosure. Considering this issue, this study focuses on the Regulation Fair Disclosure which prohibits selective disclosure. Using the earnings-to-price ratio as a proxy of the costs of equity, the study finds that disclosure frequency is negatively related to the cost of equity capital. However, I do not find evidence that disclosure is negatively related to the implied costs of equity capital (ICOE). The results of the quintile analysis suggest that this inconsistency is attributable to the better information environment of the ICOE sample. The findings of this study have implications for disclosure regulations in emerging markets, given that the existing literature casts doubt on the effectiveness of corporate disclosure in such markets.

Do financial blogs serve an infomediary role in capital markets?

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura K. Rickett
Keyword(s):  
New Media ◽  
Information Asymmetry ◽  
Capital Markets ◽  
Earnings Quality ◽  
Abnormal Returns ◽  
Information Environment ◽  
Economic Uncertainty ◽  
Market Conditions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Retail Investors

Purpose – Financial blogs provide an online platform whereby retail investors effortlessly gain access to an abundant array of investment guidance. Prior studies find that the market reacts to financial blogs and similar online venues but results are inconsistent and financial blogs, a growing area in new media and distinct from other online venues, have received little attention. The purpose of this paper is to examine the particular conditions in which financial blogs serve an infomediary role in capital markets; when information asymmetry is high, earnings quality is low, and during economic uncertainty. These are conditions in which retail investors may seek easily accessible advice for their investment decisions. Design/methodology/approach – Abnormal returns for firms mentioned in blog posts on the SeekingAlpha.com financial blog are examined using a multivariate regression to determine whether or not the market reaction associated with these posts is related to information asymmetry, earnings quality, and economic uncertainty. Findings – Results indicate that abnormal returns are associated with the SeekingAlpha.com financial blog when information asymmetry is high and during bearish market conditions, and in particular when buy recommendations are posted on the blog for firms with high information asymmetry. This association is strengthened for firms with low institutional ownership, a proxy for unsophisticated or retail investors. Research limitations/implications – Results are based on a sample collected during a specific time period in order to detect whether financial blogs serve an infomediary role during uncertain market conditions. Practical implications – Results of this study can be useful to company executives who may want to monitor investment advice posted about their firm on financial blogs. Financial blogs and other forms of social media such as Twitter and Facebook are becoming the “new normal” in the investor information environment, a trend that is likely to continue. Originality/value – Financial blogs provide an abundance of supplemental information demanded by investors. Financial blogs represent a form of “new media,” now considered a key component of firms’ information environment (Saxton, 2012). In contrast to prior studies which primarily investigate only whether the market reacts to financial blogs or similar online platforms such as stock message boards, this study attempts to understand the specific conditions in which the market reacts to financial blogs. The results provide a rationale as to when and why investors rely on financial blogs and whether financial blogs serve an infomediary role in capital markets.

Employee mistreatment and information asymmetry

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Omer Unsal
Keyword(s):  
Information Asymmetry ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Small Firms ◽  
Information Environment ◽  
Employee Relations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Equity Risk ◽  
Panel Fixed Effects ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Impact

PurposeIn this paper, the author utilizes a unique hand-collected dataset of workplace lawsuits, violations and allegations to test the relation between employee mistreatment and information asymmetry.Design/methodology/approachThe author tests the impact of employee treatment on firms' information environment by utilizing the S&P 1500 firms of 17,663 firm-year observations, which include 2,992 unique firms and 5,987 unique CEOs between 2000 and 2016. These methods include panel fixed effects, as well as alternative measures of information asymmetry, event study and matched samples for further robustness tests.FindingsThe author finds that employee disputes exacerbate the information flow between insiders and outsiders. Further, the author reports that case characteristics, such as case outcome and case duration, aggravate that problem. The author documents that the positive relationship between employee mistreatment and information asymmetry is stronger for small firms and firms with smaller market power, as well as firms with a high level of equity risk.Originality/valueThis study is the first to investigate how employee relations influence a firm's information asymmetry. The author aims to contribute to the literature by studying (1) the relation between information asymmetry and employee mistreatment, (2) how firm characteristics affect the path from employee disputes to information asymmetry and (3) the influence of various other types of evidence of employee mistreatment beyond litigation on the information environment.

Seeing or believing? Cross-listing and the earnings response

2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 671-685
Author(s):  
Madhurima Bhattacharyay ◽  
Feng Jiao
Keyword(s):  
Information Asymmetry ◽  
Abnormal Returns ◽  
Information Environment ◽  
Analyst Coverage ◽  
Content Type ◽  
International Firms ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
Cross Listing ◽  
Earnings Response ◽  
The Usa

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify and examine two contrasting mechanisms of information asymmetry for cross-listed firms with respect to the information environment and its impact on earnings response. Design/methodology/approach The study empirically assesses two mechanisms of information asymmetry (“seeing” and/or “believing”) by looking at abnormal returns and volume reactions to international firms’ earnings announcements pre- and post-listing in the USA from 1990 to 2012. Findings The authors’ findings indicate that investors “seeing” more (media and analyst coverage) decrease the earnings response; however, “believing” more or gaining more credibility has the opposite effects. Based on the results, both mechanisms of information asymmetry can take effect simultaneously. Research limitations/implications The study sheds light on the multi-dimensional impact of the improved information environment that non-US firms face when they list their securities on US exchanges. Originality/value This study identifies and reconciles these two mechanisms of information asymmetry (visibility and credibility) under one setting and estimates the magnitude of each effect empirically.

scholarly journals The Effect of Board Independence on Information Asymmetry

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beng Wee Goh ◽  
Jimmy Lee ◽  
Jeffrey Ng ◽  
Kevin Ow Yong
Keyword(s):  
Information Asymmetry ◽  
Board Independence

scholarly journals Investor Competition over Information and the Pricing of Information Asymmetry

2011 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian K. Akins ◽  
Jeffrey Ng ◽  
Rodrigo S. Verdi
Keyword(s):  
Information Asymmetry ◽  
Cost Of Capital ◽  
Institutional Investor ◽  
Fundamental Question ◽  
Information Environment ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Jel Classifications

ABSTRACT Whether the information environment affects the cost of capital is a fundamental question in accounting and finance research. Relying on theories about competition between informed investors as well as the pricing of information asymmetry, we hypothesize a cross-sectional variation in the pricing of information asymmetry that is conditional on competition. We develop and validate empirical proxies for competition using the number and concentration of institutional investor ownership. Using these proxies, we find a lower pricing of information asymmetry when there is more competition. Overall, our results suggest that competition between informed investors has an important effect on how the information environment affects the cost of capital. JEL Classifications: G12; G14.

Board independence and information asymmetry: family firms vs non-family firms

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-349
Author(s):  
Kean Wu ◽  
Susan Sorensen ◽  
Li Sun
Keyword(s):  
Information Asymmetry ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
Family Firm ◽  
Independent Directors ◽  
Board Independence ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Corporate Disclosure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Negative Relation ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of independent directors in reducing firms’ information asymmetry. Moreover, the authors enrich this investigation by differentiating the effectiveness of independent directors in an intriguing comparative setting of family vs non-family firms. Family firms are used to represent an interesting environment where controlling insiders (i.e. firms’ founding families) have dominant control over corporate decisions. This study addresses the question of whether controlling-insiders dominate independent directors. Design/methodology/approach The authors manually collect firms’ founder information to identify family firm status in a sample of S&P 500 firms. Following a large literature in capital market research, the authors proxy information asymmetry by trading volume, bid-ask spread and price volatility. The authors employ multivariate regression with two-stage least square analysis, instrumental variable method, Heckman selection model and Hausman–Taylor model to address the issue of endogenous selection of board of director and family firm status. Findings The authors find a negative relation between the board independence and information asymmetry, suggesting independent directors are effective in reducing information asymmetry. Furthermore, the authors find this negative relation is stronger in family firms. These results are robust after controlling for the endogenous issues using various models. Research limitations/implications Our results suggest that independent directors in family-controlled firms are more successful in reducing information asymmetry than their counterparts in non-family firms. The authors provide direct evidence to support the existing theoretical arguments from Rediker and Seth (1995) and Anderson and Reeb (2004) that founding families and independent boards might be a powerful combination for aligning the interest of insider and diffused shareholders. The findings ease a prevalent concern that the role of independent directors might be compromised in an environment with controlling shareholders, and advocate regulations promoting board independence for various business practices. Originality/value A number of studies concentrate on the practice of corporate disclosure of firm’s performance and governance and how corporate disclosure mitigates information asymmetry (Leuz and Verrecchia, 2000; Ali et al., 2007; Chen et al., 2008). To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to examine the impact of independent directors in reducing information asymmetry. The research adds to understanding the incentives of board members and supports recent findings that different types of investors have heterogeneous incentives for corporate disclosure (Srinidhi et al., 2014).

Tax Aggressiveness and Corporate Transparency

2018 ◽  
Vol 94 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karthik Balakrishnan ◽  
Jennifer L. Blouin ◽  
Wayne R. Guay
Keyword(s):  
Information Asymmetry ◽  
Earnings Quality ◽  
Tax Planning ◽  
Information Environment ◽  
Forecast Errors ◽  
Tax Aggressiveness ◽  
Corporate Transparency ◽  
Tax Benefits ◽  
Tax Savings ◽  
Jel Classifications

ABSTRACT We investigate whether aggressive tax planning firms have a less transparent information environment. Although tax planning provides expected tax savings, it can simultaneously increase the financial complexity of the organization. And to the extent that this greater financial complexity cannot be adequately clarified through communications with outside parties, such as investors and analysts, transparency problems can arise. Our investigation of the association between tax aggressiveness and information asymmetry, analysts' forecast errors, and earnings quality suggests that aggressive tax planning is associated with lower corporate transparency. We also find evidence that managers at tax-aggressive firms attempt to mitigate these transparency problems by increasing various tax-related disclosures. Overall, our results suggest that firms face a trade-off between tax benefits and financial transparency when choosing the aggressiveness of their tax planning. JEL Classifications: G30; H26; M41.

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