Performance of professional service firms from emerging markets: Role of innovative services and firm capabilities

Professional service firms (PSF) from emerging markets face a financial dilemma: PSFs tend to utilize high-wage labor, yet their emerging market status makes foreign clients cautious regarding quality and less willing to pay high prices. To allay these concerns, PSFs may be able to develop attractive, highly innovative services, but as the resource-based view (RBV) notes, this requires emerging market firms to possess critical capabilities to support such a competitive advantage. Relying on services theory, we propose that entrepreneurial orientation (EO) of management and expert human capital (HC) are critical capabilities, enabling a PSF to develop and market innovative services profitably. In testing our model on 201 Indian PSFs, we find a mediating role for innovativeness whereby EO and HC drive service innovation which, in turn, accounts for financial performance. Further, we find EO positively moderates the innovative service–performance relationship as proactive, risk-tolerant managers improve foreign marketing. Insights for theory and practice are provided that enable PSFs to overcome the constraints and challenges of their emerging market origin.     

Pre-seed government venture capital funds

This paper analyses a Pre-seed Fund (PSF) government venture capital (VC) program for the purpose of improving our understanding about effective public policy towards entrepreneurial finance. The PSF program is a public-private partnership started in 2002 for the purpose of fostering more investment in nascent high-tech entrepreneurial firms in Australia. Data from Venture Economics indicate PSFs are the primary provider of seed stage VC in Australia, but PSFs are not more likely to invest in high-tech firms than other types of VC funds. PSFs have smaller portfolios (number of investees) per manager than other types of VC funds, and are more likely to invest in firms resident in the same state, but do not stage and syndicate more frequently than other types of VC funds. Overall, therefore, the structure of the program has given rise to mixed performance in terms of finance and governance provided to nascent high-tech entrepreneurial firms. As well, there is also suggestive evidence that the PSF program diminishes the incentives for Innovation Investment Funds (a previously existing Australian government VC fund program) to invest in seed stage ventures, and hence competing government initiatives appear to be crowding out one another. Further evidence suggests that among the four PSFs in existence, one PSF has outperformed the other PSFs in regards to the investee firm patents and financial statement performance, even though this fund has invested less money and charged lower management fees than its counterparts. Hence, a further implication is that the impact of government-sponsored VC funds depends not only on the design of the program but also on the selection of the VC managers carrying out the investments.

Managerial routines in professional service firms: transforming knowledge into competitive advantages

This paper is about managerial routines in professional service firms (PSFs) and takes a resource-based perspective. It describes how managerial routines can be used to transform capabilities into competitive advantages. The empirical data explore three PSFs facing dilemmas concerning the management of their human resources and their professionals, and show how new managerial routines have been established. It further shows that PSFs' innovations are routine and are mainly reactive. Most routines are directed towards exploration, which is caused by the need to focus on projects for clients who in the daily routines supersede the need for developing HRM routines. Due to the importance of the projects and the markets the PSFs operate in, we will also look at the relations between PSFs and their markets. The concept of managerial routines is seen in relation to exploration and exploitation, which are subsequently used in an empirical analysis. In doing this, the analysis reveals a conflict between external demands from the clients and the internal utilization of the capabilities within the firms.     

The Effect of Outside Board Members on Energy Efficiency in Korea

Drawing largely upon the stakeholder theory and the resource dependence literature, this article examines the relationship between corporate governance structure and sustainability measured by energy efficiency. The model uses data from South Korean (Korean hereafter) firms that have relied heavily on energy-intensive industry for economic growth and have experienced major changes in their corporate governance structure since the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Estimation results show that a corporate governance structure that includes the appointment of heterogeneous outside directors, given other conditions, leads to an increase in energy efficiency and thus sustainability.     

Governance mechanisms, investment opportunity set and SMEs cash holdings

This study analyses the effect of firm characteristics and governance mechanisms on cash holdings for a sample of UK SMEs. The results show that UK SMEs with greater cash flow volatility and institutional investors hold more cash; whereas levered and dividend paying SMEs with non-executive ownership hold less cash. We also find that ownership structure is significant only in explaining the cash holdings for firms with high growth investment opportunities, and leverage is only significant in explaining the cash held by firms with low growth investment opportunities. Our findings suggest that internal governance mechanisms are more effective for SMEs with high growth investment opportunities, while external governance mechanisms, such as capital market monitoring, are more effective for firms with low growth investment opportunities.     

债权治理评价、企业特征与成长性——基于中国中小上市公司的实证研究

债权治理处于公司治理体系的内核,债权治理评价是公司治理系列评价的重要受体。本文在对国内外文献进行评述的基础上,从债权治理视角构建中国中小上市公司债权治理评价指数,并籍此从偿债能力、债务融资、资产期限、债务期限四个基本纬度以及不同企业特征因素等视角对205家中小上市公司样本进行治理状况实证研究。同时,结合中小上市公司成长性评价体系,对两种评价指数进行综合相关性和回归研究。结果显示债权治理状况总体偏低,不同所有制下有较大差异,债权治理水平与公司成长性呈现倒U型关系。高偿债、低债务融资不利于公司成长,债务期限和资产期限结构的不平衡使其对成长性影响不显著。公司规模、质量和实际所得税率是影响债权治理水平和企业成长性的重要特征因素。     

独立董事与会计信息披露质量研究

独立董事制度是完善公司治理结构的一项重要举措,独立董事制度在公司治理结构的各个部分能够充分发挥作用的情况下,能为会计信息质量提供可靠的保证。到目前为止,我国大多数上市公司都建立了独立董事制度,人们重视的方面也已经从发展的规模转移到运作和治理有效性的角度上。在大多数上市公司都建立了独立董事制度的情况下,应该充分发挥董事会尤其是非执行董事的监督参与决策的职能,从而更好地提高会计信息披露质量。只有完善充分发挥作用的公司治理结构,才能为企业经营决策及外部投资者提供高质量的会计信息。     

The Governance Model for Entrepreneurial Enterprises: A Study Based on Dynamic Ownership Governance Platform

When human capital becomes the most important strategic capital, an entrepreneurial enterprise has to reform and innovate its corporate governance around human capital and its dynamism so as to acquire the capacity of sustainable endogenous growth. This article is intended to discuss the meaning and adaptability of Huawei's characteristic systems and mechanisms and then proceeds to introduce the general design of entrepreneurial enterprises’dynamic ownership governance platform and the possible effect of corporate governance. Subject to existing Chinese laws and regulations and with full consideration of the dynamics of human capital, this article recommends an entrepreneurial enterprise to set up a dynamic ownership governance platform, innovate and optimize its corporate governance structure and relevant mechanisms and promote the gradual socialization of its founder/founding team's rights to earnings, control and management; then put in place scientific and proper counterbalance mechanisms in accordance with the principle of separation of powers and incentive compatibility, reform its selection of managing staff and introduce market mechanisms to promote fair competition and dynamic incentive compatibility between its founder/founding team and other key stakeholders. This article is meant to facilitate an entrepreneurial enterprise to turn to socialization corporate governance, and acquire the motivation and gradually form the capacity for endogenous growth.     

家族企业治理结构与经营绩效关系的实证研究——基于浙江非上市中小家族企业的调查数据

根据对浙江地区家族企业的抽样调查研究,本文得到以下实证结论:在我国家族企业治理结构和经营绩效关系方面:家族企业融入外部资本和管理资源都存在一个追求短期销售绩效的倾向;非上市中小家族企业并不存在“一股独大”问题,而是具有“一股独大”优势;家族企业股权分割清晰能显著提高企业绩效;家族企业外部顾问制度的“公正性效率”的提高显著大于“适用性效率”的降低,家族企业的治理效率得到改善。     

我国城镇化推进过程中地方政府投融资平台风险和治理分析

近年来,我国城镇化发展速度不断加快,城市发展水平不断提高,随之而来的是地方政府在城市基础建设方面产生了大量的资金需求。投融资平台作为地方政府进行投融资运作的新型实体,在此过程中得到了迅速发展,平台数量和债务水平持续增长。然而,地方政府投融资平台在管理和运作过程中存在着公司治理结构不规范、债务结构不清、负债率过高等问题,这给我国地方经济发展、金融市场乃至宏观经济都带来了不可忽视的风险。治理地方政府投融资平台问题可以从提高债务能力、市场化经营、宏观调控和财税体制改革多方面入手。     

中国民营银行公司治理的现状与对策--基于民生银行的案例分析

民营银行公司治理关系着民营银行股东价值最大化目标的实现,以及民营银行乃至整个金融业与国民经济的健康发展。本文以中国民生银行为例,对我国民营银行治理现状进行了分析,分析结果表明,现阶段中国民营银行股权高度集中,流动性较差,而且在外部治理中过度依赖政府监管,公司治理结构还很不完善。本文认为,完善与改进我国民营银行的公司治理结构应该分别从民营银行公司治理的内外两个层次入手,有的放矢地采取相应的政策措施。     

Corporate Governance in Nigeria

In recent years, international economic pressures have induced Nigeria to adopt a program of economic liberalization and deregulation. Advocates of the reforms tout their potential not only for generating greater economic growth, but also for contributing to more responsible corporate governance. Sceptics abound. This paper provides an account of the nature of corporate governance in Nigeria and investigates the prospects for recent reforms contributing to more responsible governance and development.     

Variation in Corporate Governance and Firm Valuation – an International Study

In this paper, we investigate the types of firms that are likely to deviate from common practice in corporate governance of their home countries and examine how the deviation is correlated with firm value. Our results show that firms with higher institutional holdings, lower insider holdings, and higher sales growth are more likely to deviate from common practice in civil law countries, whereas, in common law countries, especially in the USA, firms with lower institutional holdings, higher insider holdings, and lower sales growth are likely to deviate from common practice. We document a strong positive correlation between governance deviation and firm value in civil law countries. This relationship is robust to different testing and sample selection methods. The results, however, are mixed for US firms and not significant in other common law countries. Using the deviation from common practice as a proxy of firm‐level impact on corporate governance, our results provide evidence that firm‐level effect matters in governance quality and the effect varies across countries.     

How professional service firms compete in the market: an exploratory study

Abstract

This study investigates how professional service firms (PSFs) compete in the market. Drawing on strategic marketing literature, a managerial rather than customer perspective is adopted. The study investigates the competitive positions sought by professional service providers and the specific marketing activities actually undertaken to achieve these positions. Thirty-seven depth interviews with senior management from a range of PSFs indicate that firms seek to differentiate themselves by developing long-term relationships, providing better service quality and greater value, and developing brands with strong reputations. Organisations typically seek such interrelated competitive positions simultaneously. A list of marketing activities used by the PSFs to achieve these competitive positions offers practical insights into the specific activities needed to achieve the various competitive positions sought.     

中国国有上市公司治理结构的探析

公司治理结构作为现代上市公司企业制度的核心,在促进中国上市公司发展方面发挥着重要的作用。当前,中国国有上市公司治理结构存在一定的问题,严重阻碍了上市公司的发展。中国国有上市公司要优化股权结构,规范公司的运作,增强董事会的独立性、有效性和强化董事会外部监督作用,建立有效的激励和监督约束机制。     

我国家族企业治理结构演进研究

作为家族企业发展的核心问题,我国家族企业治理结构演进路径是以中国传统文化为基础,适当吸收外部企业文化为方向。从"家文化"和"家族泛化"角度分析家族企业制度变迁的文化根基,从资本结构、人力资本、信任结构等方面阐述影响我国家族企业治理结构的主要因素,从企业形态、关系治理和公司治理等维度分析我国家族企业治理结构的演进路径。     

金属类上市公司股权结构与经营绩效关系的研究

公司治理结构的改进是中国整个经济体制改革以及资本市场发展的一个非常重要的内容,股权结构是公司治理结构和经营绩效的基础,股权结构的不同在公司治理结构上表现出差异,从而对公司经营绩效产生影响。当前,我国金属上市公司经营绩效不佳,除了公司治理结构不合理和不完善外,上市公司股权结构不合理是一个关键因素。要提高我国上市公司的经营绩效,既要完善公司治理结构,也要优化上市公司的股权结构,使之趋于合理。     

民营企业成长的路径依赖

我们必须用产权方法和路径分析方法分析中国民营企业成长性差的制度原因 ,找出民营企业制度创新的路径。众多的民营企业锁定在低的甚至无成长只能说明存在重大的制度障碍。有效的企业制度应当最有利于企业的成长。分享型的产权制度和治理结构能使所有者和经营者关注企业成长。     

资本结构、投资者保护与国有企业的公司治理

资本结构与企业的公司治理总是密切地联系在一起,大量经济学文献从税收、激励、信息传递以及控制权方面来研究资本结构与公司治理结构之间的关系,但是现在经济学家们认为从投资者保护的角度才能真正建立起有效的公司治理机制。对于国有企业的公司治理,只有在民营化的条件下,通过加强对投资者权利的保护,才能真正地建立起有效的公司治理机制。     

辽宁上市公司融资能力与价值提升

随着资本市场的发展,辽宁上市公司在数量及融资规模上却呈现弱势。这是由于辽宁上市公司资产管理效率低,持续盈利能力和成长性不足;公司治理水平与效率低,缺乏价值创造的内生动力;投资者关系管理表面化,保护投资者利益的积极性和主动性不够。要提高辽宁上市公司融资能力和公司价值,就应改善公司持续盈利能力,提高资产管理效率;完善公司治理结构,提高公司治理水平和效率;加强投资者关系管理,注重投资者利益保护。