Corporate governance reform in Nigeria: upstream and downstream interventions

Purpose Internal (e.g. firm performance, internal stakeholders) and external pressures (e.g. globalisation, technology, corporate scandals) have intensified calls for corporate governance reforms across varieties of capitalism. Yet, corporate governance practices among developing economies remain problematic. Drawing insights from Africa’s largest economy (Nigeria) and relying on the resource dependence theorisation, this study aims to address two questions – what are the prerequisites for effective reforms; and what reforms yield robust corporate governance? Design/methodology/approach This study adopts a qualitative methodology comprising semi-structured interviews with 21 executives in publicly listed Nigerian firms. The interviews were analysed using the content analysis technique. Findings This study proposes two sequential reforms (i.e. the upstream and downstream). The upstream factors highlight the preconditions that support corporate governance reforms, i.e. government commitment and enabling environment, while the downstream reforms combine elements of awareness and regulation to proffer robust corporate governance interventions. Originality/value This research further stresses the need to consider a bottom-up approach to corporate governance in place of the dominant top-down strategy. This strategy allows agents to participate actively in corporate governance policy-making rather than a top-down model, which imposes corporate governance on agents.

How can suppliers increase their buyers’ CSR engagement: the role of internal and relational factors

PurposeBuyer engagement proves important supports for suppliers' corporate social responsibility (CSR); however, little is known about whether and how buyer CSR engagement can be actively searched for by a supplier and what activities and policies of suppliers could enhance buyer CSR engagement. From the perspective of resource dependence theory, this study aims to explore how suppliers seek to achieve buyers' CSR engagement.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed model and hypotheses were tested by structural equation modeling methodology using survey data collected from 243 manufacturing and service firms in China.FindingsThe results show that instrumental CSR motives and internalization of CSR policies jointly improve buyers' dependence, which in turn increases buyers' CSR engagement. In addition, this study investigates the influence of suppliers' trust on the effect of buyers' dependence on buyers' CSR engagement and finds a negative moderating effect on the dependence–engagement relation.Practical implicationsThe findings show that suppliers can actively engage in CSR to strengthen their position and improve the buyer CSR engagement. In fact, proactive CSR policies and implementation do pay off in the long run for them.Originality/valueThis study offers a fresh perspective on the role of suppliers in improving CSR. In contrast to much of the literature that has considered buyer-initiated practices and policies, this is the first theoretical and empirical investigation into how suppliers can increase the buyer CSR engagement.

Linkage Between Inclusive Digital Finance and High-Tech Enterprise Innovation Performance: Role of Debt and Equity Financing

This study investigates the relationship between digital financial inclusion, external financing, and the innovation performance of high-tech enterprises in China. The choice of corporate financing methods is an important part of organizational behavioral psychology, and different financing models will have a certain effect on organizational performance, especially in the digital economy environment. Therefore, based on resource dependence theory and financing constraint theory, the present study utilizes the panel data collected from the China Stock Market & Accounting Research (CSMAR) database from 2011 to 2020 of 112 companies in the Yangtze River Delta region and the “The Peking University Digital Financial Inclusion Index of China (PKU-DFIIC)” released by the Peking University Digital Finance Research Center and Ant Financial Group. The results show that the Digital Financial Inclusion Index (DFIIC) has a significant positive correlation with the innovation performance of high-tech enterprises. The higher the level of debt financing, the stronger the role of digital financial inclusion in promoting innovation performance. Investigating the DFIIC in terms of coverage breadth and usage depth, we find that usage depth does not significantly encourage innovation performance. The effect of the interaction between coverage breadth and external financing is consistent with the results for the DFIIC. The study suggests that equity financing promotes the usage depth of the DFIIC in state-owned enterprises. In contrast, debt financing promotes the coverage breadth of non-state-owned enterprises. Finally, we propose relevant policy recommendations based on the research results. It includes in-depth popularization of inclusive finance in the daily operations of enterprises at the technical level, refinement of external financing policy incentives for enterprises based on the characteristics of ownership, and strengthening the research of technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence (AI), and cloud computing. The paper presents a range of theoretical and practical implications for practitioners and academics relevant to high-tech enterprises.

Risks of using pre-event time scale and ordinal scale measurements in COVID-19 clinical trials

BACKGROUND. The article shows the results of literature search and analysis of endpoints of interventional clinical trials of phase III-IV of the treatment of hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and of its prevention. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Among 102 trials found, ordinal scales were used in 60 trials, time-to-event outcome measures were used in 54 trials, both scales – in 49 trials. Time-to-event endpoints were related to hospitalization/intensive care unit term, discontinuation of oxygen therapy, and clinical improvement standardized on ordinal scales. At the same time, the early discontinuation of oxygen therapy and the early discharge create risks to the biometric measurement. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. Statistical calculations showed the association of the number of new COVID-19 hospital admissions per day with the percentage of free beds, but not only with the number of new coronavirus infection cases in general, the number of deaths and the number of people recovering from COVID-19 per day in different regions of Ukraine. These results may indicate that resource-dependence and organizational aspects affect the hospitalization of patients with COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS. Therefore, to ensure that the discharge or discontinuation of oxygen therapy was due solely to a positive clinical outcome, data on changes of number of beds, access to oxygen supplies as well as data relevant to determination of the desired clinical outcome (body temperature, oxygen saturation, severity of symptoms, etc.) should be collected. It is recommended to collect biomarker data after discharge, if possible.

Strategic Alliance and Acquisition Performance: Impact of Interfirm Synergies and Motives in the Bio-Pharmaceutical Industry

This study draws on transaction cost, resource dependence, and organizational learning theories to posit relationships between transaction performance and transaction structure (alliances versus acquisitions), interfirm synergies, and motives. The study involves analysis of 66 international and intra­national alliances and acquisitions that were undertaken in the pharmaceutical industry. An initial survey was administered to firms involved in these transactions to gather information regarding motives, transaction structure, and interorganizational synergies. A second survey was administered two years after the transaction to gather information on transaction performance. Findings support the importance of transaction structure and strategic synergies between firms. Specifically, transaction structure and high levels of strategic fit between the firms had a positive impact on performance. There is also some evidence that synergies must be linked to the motives driving the transaction. The study yields meaningful results regarding factors leading to success of transactions (alliances and acquisitions) in a longitudinal study of intranational and international transactions in the biopharmaceutical industry.

The nasty face of the liability of foreignness: MNCs and rent extraction

Purpose This study aims to clarify the factors that act as a buffer to rent extraction from multi-national corporations (MNCs) in exchange relationships with the host country’s political actors. Design/methodology/approach This study proposes a conceptual model of the factors that determine rent extraction by host country political actors from MNCs. The model identifies the sources of power the MNC can use to alleviate the power imbalance relative to the political actor to decrease rent extraction. Additionally, it identifies the factors that constrain the power-advantaged political actor, thus moderating the relationship between power imbalance and rent extraction. Findings This conceptual paper’s propositions remain for future empirical validation. Originality/value This study integrates insights from the international business literature and resource dependence theory (RDT) to identify the determinants of firm-specific rent extraction risk for MNCs. First, the model sheds light on the heterogeneity among MNCs in their susceptibility to rent extraction and their ability to manage their liability of foreignness in the host country. Second, by integrating the horizontal and vertical distribution of power in the political environment to analyze the power-dependence relationship between the MNC and host country political actors, the framework addresses a shortcoming of RDT and accounts for the dynamics of the external environment for MNCs managing their dependencies. This study also provides a basis for discussing the rent extraction MNCs face worldwide and lays the foundation for future empirical works.

Board attributes, ownership structure and risk management: A proposed model for insurance firms in Nigeria

As a response to the weaknesses in corporate governance and risk management created by the 2007/2008 financial crises, Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) becomes imperative, especially in the financial sector. Therefore, in understanding the board's responsibility in ensuring good governance through ERM implementation, two fundamental questions need to be answered; what determines the makeup of the board? And what determines boards' action? Consequently, this study proposed a conceptual framework for investigating the moderating role of ownership structure on the relationship between board attributes and risk management of insurance firms in Nigeria using the model approach. Hence, the control, resource acquisition, and service roles of the board as explained by agency, stewardship, and resource dependence theories explain this relationship. Board attributes are measured by board composition, board structure, board characteristics, and board process, ownership structure is measured by ownership concentration, board ownership, and foreign ownership, and ERM is measured using the disclosure index. Findings from the review of literature reveal that governance attributes in board attributes-risk management relationships have been measured on single or fragmented criteria, leading to contradictory or conflicting findings. Hence, the significance of the study lies in the conceptualization and choice of board attributes as explained by board roles and an integrative theoretical perspective to propose the choice of board attributes in the board attributes-risk management relationship and how ownership structure can influence the relationship, adding to the existing literature onboard attributes, ownership structure, and risk management.

NGO Regulation: Themes and Debates with Reference to Nepal

Since the 1980s, due to the failure of previous development strategies, nongovernmental organizations have emerged as major actors in development, particularly in developing countries like Nepal. However, in recent years, most countries have perceived that NGOs are not operating genuinely to fulfill their expected goals. In this context, this paper set out to answer two questions: why NGOs tend to represent donors' preferences and why developing countries like Nepal become unable to adopt strict NGO regulations. It is based on the analysis of archival documents and review of previous study findings and draws insights from resource dependence theory. It concludes that when NGOs depend on external donors for financial resources, they are compelled to represent donor's interests. Similarly, aid-dependent developing countries like Nepal often hesitate to adopt strict NGO regulations because of the fear of external pressure from their donor agencies. Thus, resource dependency makes both NGOs and the governments unable to resist the pressure of donor agencies. Its conclusions can be useful to adopt an appropriate framework to regulate NGOs in Nepal.

Board Diversity and Firm Performance: Panel Data Evidence from 12 Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria

Motivated by the continuous but inconclusive and ambiguous evidence on the relationship between board diversity and financial performance, this study aimed at providing new evidence that will enhance the state of knowledge by establishing if board diversity affects the financial performance of listed Banking institutions in Nigeria. The key dependent variables of interest were Return on Assets (ROA) and Return on Equity (ROE) and the independent variables of interest were board gender diversity and board independence. The study sampled 12 listed banks from the Nigerian stock exchange and relied on secondary data from the Bloomberg database and the annual reports of the banking institutions. Panel data methodology was used to analyse the data for the period under review (2015-2019). The results of the study indicated that board gender diversity has a significant positive impact on both ROA and ROE of the banking institutions. Conversely, the findings of the study indicated that board independence has a significant negative impact on both ROA and ROE of banking institutions. The findings of this study are related to Agency and Resource dependence theories and will contribute to meaningful policy reforms that can improve corporate governance, especially in the banking industry. The results of the study strongly recommend the need to increase the number of female directors on the boards of banking institutions. The study further recommends ways in which the contributions of both female and independent directors can be promoted in other to benefit from their presence on the board.