Corporate financial soundness and its impact on firm performance: implications for corporate debt restructuring in Slovenia

This article studies the extent of corporate leverage and range of excessive debt of Slovenian firms during the recent financial crisis. Half of all firms (of those with some non-zero debt and at least one employee) are found to face an unsustainable debt-to-EBITDA leverage ratio beyond 4, accounting for almost 80% of total outstanding debt. Moreover, a good quarter of all firms experience debt-to-EBITDA ratios exceeding 10 and hold almost half of total aggregate net debt. We then examine how this financial distress affects firm performance in terms of productivity, employment, exports, investment and survival. We find that, while less important during the good times (pre-recession period), lack of firms’ financial soundness during the period of financial distress becomes a critical factor constraining firm performance. The extent of financial leverage and ability to service the outstanding debt are shown to inhibit firms’ productivity growth as well as the dynamics of exports, employment and investment. Micro and small firms are found to suffer relatively more than larger firms from high leverage in terms of export and employment performance during the recession period.     

Determinants and value relevance of UK CEO pay slice

This paper studies the CEO pay slice (CPS) of UK listed firms during the period 2003 to 2009. We investigate the determinants of CPS. We study the links between CPS and measures of firm performance. We find that firms with higher levels of corporate governance ratings and those with more independent boards tend to have higher CPS. In addition, we find that CEOs are more likely to receive lower compensation when they chair the board and when they work in firms with large board size. We also find that higher CPS is positively associated with firm performance after controlling for the firm-specific characteristics and corporate governance variables. We get compatible results when we examine the association between equity-based CPS and firm performance. Our results remain robust to alternative accounting measures of firm performance. Our results suggest that high UK CPS levels do indeed reflect top managerial talent rather than managerial power.     

股权结构、企业绩效与投资者利益保护

公司治理的核心是对投资者利益的保护 ,公司治理、股权结构与企业绩效之间存在非常密切的内在联系。本文对深交所 1 996— 1 999年除金融性行业以外的上市公司股权结构与企业绩效之间的关系所进行的经验研究表明 ,在公司治理对外部投资人利益缺乏保护的情况下 ,流通股比例与企业业绩之间负相关 ;在非保护性行业第一大股东持股比例与企业业绩正相关 ;国有股比例、① 法人股比例与企业业绩之间的相关关系不显著。本文的研究结果表明 ,国有股减持和民营化必须建立在保护投资者利益的基础上 ,否则将不利于公司治理的优化和企业绩效的提高。     

机构投资者"分心"与公司杠杆操纵

本文以机构投资者在其投资组合中注意力分配差异而产生的不同“分心”程度作为识别监督外在变化的手段,验证了其对企业杠杆操纵的重要影响。研究发现,上市公司会趁机构投资者“分心”而监督弱化时实施更多杠杆操纵行为,经稳健性检验后该结论依然成立。影响机制分析发现,机构投资者“分心”通过弱化其监督治理效应、降低公司股价信息含量进一步加剧企业杠杆操纵现象,使得企业得以隐藏真实杠杆水平,误导债权人以更低的资本成本借出资金,但也为企业的未来埋下隐患,致使企业潜在债务违约风险与财务风险增大。此外,在机构投资者“分心”加剧企业杠杆操纵的关系中,“去杠杆”政策实施和去杠杆压力发挥了正向调节作用。本文丰富了机构投资者“分心”经济后果研究,也为监管部门强化对企业监管提供了重要启示。     

Corporation Diversification and Firm Performance: Evidence from Vietnamese Listed Firms

We examine the effect of corporate diversification on the performance of firms listed on the Vietnamese stock exchanges, using 2744 firm year observations over the period from 2007 to 2012. We find that corporate diversification has a negative impact on firm performance. Our results are robust to various econometric estimation techniques including fixed effect, instrumental fixed effect, Heckman selection model and system generalised method of moments. In the Vietnamese context, the lack of an efficient corporate governance system may encourage firms to follow corporate diversification strategies, thus impairing their performance.     

公司治理与企业家精神

传统公司治理理论强调对于企业控制权的控制,而淡化了企业作为企业家精神租金创造的意义。本文通过对公司治理与企业家精神的内在逻辑分析,提出公司治理实质上包含着朝向企业家精神的保健机制与激励机制,其共同作用影响企业家精神的发挥从而决定了公司治理的绩效。在理论分析的基础上,本文利用上市家族、国有企业的数据对理论假设进行了实证检验。结果证明,就家族企业而言,激励机制对企业家精神具有显著的正向促进作用,保健机制则表现为不作为或失灵;就国有企业而言,激励机制对企业家精神无显著影响,保健机制则对企业家精神具有较为显著的“倒U型”作用。     

Do good governance provisions shelter investors from contagion?Evidence from the Russian crisis1

This paper studies how the Russian crisis of 1998 affected listed firms in transition economies. The data cover 394 companies that were listed before the Russian crisis, and include financial, industry, ownership and stock market information. Results show that in the short term (within one month of the crisis) good governance did not shelter investors from contagion. On the contrary, stock returns during the crisis period were lower for the largest and most liquid stocks and markets in the region irrespective of their direct exposure to Russia. The paper also documents that in the longer term (one year after the crisis) recovery was faster in firms without direct trade exposure to Russia, as well as in firms with better firm‐level governance as proxied by the presence of a foreign blockholder. The paper presents evidence that both firm‐ and country‐level characteristics are important in overcoming the effects of a crisis. Firm‐specific characteristics, however, play a bigger role for companies operating in countries with weaker corporate governance.     

Compliance and multidimensional firm performance: Evaluating the efficacy of rule-based code of corporate governance

This study seeks to evaluate the efficacy of the Pakistani Code of Corporate Governance by finding out its impact on firm's performance and efficiency. This exploration is done in the context that Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan's choice of corporate governance regulations is heavily influenced by Anglo-Saxon approach, whereas de-facto realities of Pakistani corporate environment are quite in contrast.Using a panel data of 119 firms for the period of 8 years i.e. 2003 to 2010, and using a multidimensional performance framework i.e. financial performance and technical efficiency, we find that the extent of compliance has increased since the issuance of code in 2002. After controlling for firm size, growth, dividend payout, age and leverage, we find significant positive impact of compliance on firm's performance (ROA, ROE and ROCE). We also find a weak positive relationship between compliance and technical efficiency. We suggest that compliance is not linearly related with financial performance and we find that high compliant firms are less profitable than average or low compliant firms. This implies that one-size-fit all approach along with mandatory compliance is a questionable approach for Pakistani firms.This study is first in Pakistan in providing empirical evidence on efficacy of the rule-based Code of Corporate Governance and also adds to growing but underdeveloped literature on compliance and firm performance in emerging/developing economies. Further, this study offers insight to policy makers on the efficacy of current corporate governance regulations and offers a research framework for assessing the extent of compliance, effectiveness and economic impact of code of corporate governance.     

财务杠杆对公司成长性影响的实证研究

本文认为财务杠杆对公司成长性具有积极、消极双重影响.鉴于现有文献中财务杠杆对公司成长性的消极作用,本文选取1998-2001年深沪两市2798个混合样本作为研究对象,研究上市公司在不同经营业绩条件下财务杠杆对成长性的影响.研究结果表明,与国内外已有的研究结果不同,不同经营业绩下公司财务杠杆对成长性的影响作用存在差异.对于业绩优良的公司,财务杠杆具有积极作用,举债经营可以促进公司的成长,而且,随着公司业绩的增强,财务杠杆所起的积极作用更为显著;对于业绩较差的公司,财务杠杆具有消极作用,财务杠杆对成长性有一定的抑制作用.     

Shareholding structure, depoliticization and firm performance

In this study we use a dataset that provides information on Chinese Communist Party grassroots organizations’ political control over decision‐making in China's listed firms. Specifically, we examine how different types of shareholders affect (1) the party's level of decision‐making power and (2) the implications of party control for firm performance. We obtain two major results. First, we find that the proportion of shares held by domestic individual shareholders is negatively related to the party's level of decision‐making power. Second, we find that the existence of large institutional investors is associated with a reduced negative performance effect of party control. Our results suggest that both the exit and the voice channels may offer mechanisms for depoliticizing China's listed firms and improving their performance. This study both addresses an important corporate governance issue relevant to China's listed firms and offers interesting information in terms of comparative studies of corporate governance and reform strategies in transitional economies.     

Directors network centrality and earnings quality

This study examines whether firms with network central boards of directors behave differently from other firms in terms of financial reporting quality. We find that earnings quality among firms is low when board networks are channels of incorrect information transmission (including earnings management information) and for firms whose directors are awarded equity-based compensation have connections through boardroom networks, but earnings quality is better for firms with good performance in spite of their networks. These results are robust to controlling for firm information environment, growth, size, age, leverage, performance, volatility in firm operations, and corporate governance.     

Firm performance,corporate governance and executive compensation in Pakistan

This study examines the effects of firm performance and corporate governance on chief executive officer (CEO) compensation in an emerging market, Pakistan. Using a more robust Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimation approach for a sample of non-financial firms listed at Karachi Stock Exchange over the period 2005–2012, we find that both current- and previous-year accounting performances has positive influence on CEO compensation. However, stock market performance does not appear to have a positive impact on executive compensation. We further find that ownership concentration is positively related with CEO compensation, indicating some kind of collusion between management and largest shareholder to get personal benefits. Inconsistent with agency theory, CEO duality appears to have a negative influence, while board size and board independence have no convincing relationship with CEO compensation, indicating board ineffectiveness in reducing CEO entrenchment. The results of dynamic GMM model suggest that CEO pay is highly persistent and takes time to adjust to long-run equilibrium.     

Do corporate governance mechanisms affect cash dividends? An empirical investigation of UK firms

The study examines whether corporate governance mechanisms and the compliance with good governance practice are related to cash dividends. In particular, the study assesses the effect of institutional ownership and board structure on the decision to pay cash dividends. A study on UK firms is interesting because firms are expected to voluntarily structure governance mechanisms based on their own needs. We find that institutional owners positively affect cash dividend payments, suggesting that UK institutions are effective in forcing firms to disgorge cash. There is limited evidence that independent directors affect the cash dividends. The results also show that firm specifics affect the cash dividends, namely, business risk, firm size, and leverage ratio. The results are consistent across several robustness checks.     

第一大股东对公司治理、企业业绩的影响分析

本文以 1 997年以前在中国上市的 50 8个上市公司 1 997— 2 0 0 0年 4年间的2 0 3 2个观察值为样本 ,研究了第一大股东的所有权性质、第一大股东的变更对公司治理效力和企业业绩的影响。本文的研究发现 ,上市公司第一大股东的所有权性质不同 ,其公司业绩、股权结构和治理效力也不同。第一大股东为非国家股股东的公司有着更高的企业价值和更强的盈利能力 ,在经营上更具灵活性 ,公司治理的效力更高 ,其高级管理层也面临着更多的来自企业内部和市场的监督和激励。另外 ,本文的研究还发现 ,对于不同性质的公司 ,第一大股东的变更带来的影响也有所不同 ,但基本上都是正面的。第一大股东的变更有利于公司治理效力的提高 ,有利于公司规模的扩大和管理的更加专业化。本文的研究为国有股减持和股权多元化提供了经验证据 ,论证了控制权转移市场对深化改革和完善公司治理的重要性     

The 2007–2009 financial crisis: changing market dynamics and the impact of credit supply and aggregate demand sensitivity

This article singles out the determinants of changes in US firms’ systematic risk and idiosyncratic return induced by the 2007–2009 financial crisis. After establishing that systematic risk changes during the crisis, the results show that higher operational and financial leverage coincide with an increase in systematic risk, while high cash availability is associated with a decrease in systematic risk. The crisis-induced idiosyncratic return worsens with increasing financial leverage, higher sensitivity to aggregate demand shocks and banking sector problems, and lower operational leverage. Additional results show that the aforementioned variables have economically large effects on firm performance during the crisis.     

地方政府性债务治理与上市企业投融资*——基于我国247座城市的初步证据

本文利用中国社科院披露的我国247座城市地方政府性债务对金融稳定影响的评价指数,分析了地方政府性债务治理对上市企业债务融资与资本性投资效率的影响及其传导机理。研究发现,与地方政府性债务治理较好地区相比,处于地方政府性债务治理较差地区的地方政府控股国企,其杠杆率均显著较高,但企业资本性投资效率却显著较低,企业产能过剩的财务特征十分明显。这表明,地方政府性债务治理会显著影响微观企业的投融资,并且地方政府性债务治理越差,透过政府对经济活动的控制或干预,通过预算外举债,政府“杠杆”有转化为企业“杠杆”的风险。本文明确了“去杠杆”究竟应去谁的“杠杆”问题,对理解地方政府性债务治理转变为“内涵型”经济增长的微观基础具有重要的理论和现实意义。     

Global financial crisis,corporate governance,and firm survival:: The Russian experience

Using a unique dataset obtained from large-scale panel enterprise surveys conducted in 2005 and 2009, we clarify the survival status of Russian industrial firms before and after the global financial crisis and empirically examine the determinants of firm survival. The estimation of the Cox proportional hazard model provided evidence that the independence of company’s governance bodies, their human resource abundance, and influence over corporate management are statistically significant factors affecting the survival probability of the surveyed firms. In particular, the board of directors and the audit committee are likely to play a vital role in reducing the potential exit risk. We also found that there is a significant difference in the viewpoints of economic logic for firm survival held by independent firms and group companies.     

家族创始人职业经历与企业财务保守行为研究

基于创始人自身特征的异质性,文章研究了家族创始人职业经历与企业财务保守行为的关系。研究发现,与家族创始人具有企业部门职业经历的企业相比,创始人具有公共部门职业经历的企业财务杠杆更低,短期借款占比更小,现金持有更多,且连续三年采用低杠杆的可能性更高。进一步地,企业所处行业的产品市场不确定性越高,家族创始人公共部门职业经历与企业财务保守行为的正相关关系越强。此外,家族创始人具有公共部门职业经历的企业会计及市场业绩均更好。研究表明,家族创始人具有公共部门职业经历的企业财务决策更为保守,原因在于这类家族创始人的风险厌恶程度较高,使企业更易形成相对保守的文化氛围。文章从创始人职业经历异质性的角度发展了家族企业财务保守成因的研究,以及管理者个人特征与企业财务决策关系的研究,同时有助于投资者识别企业财务风险。     

公司治理与管理层机会主义会计选择——基于新会计准则的实证分析

2007年1月1日开始实施的新会计准则为上市公司提供了更多的会计选择空间,诱发了管理层的机会主义动机。本文以新会计准则下金融资产分类为例,结合2007～2008年中国A股上市公司数据,实证检验了公司治理安排对管理层机会主义会计选择的影响。研究发现,国家控股和两职合一的公司更倾向于机会主义会计选择,独立董事比例和管理层持股比例与机会主义会计选择显著负相关。并且,独立董事和股权激励制度对管理层机会主义会计行为的约束作用在国有企业中更加显著。本研究丰富了会计选择的研究文献,有助于监管部门了解新会计准则的实施效果及影响机制。     

Riding out of a financial crisis: The joint effect of trust and corporate ownership

We study how generalized trust shapes the ability of firms with different ownership forms to obtain trade financing and perform during a financial crisis. Exploiting geographic variations in trust across Italian regions and the occurrence of the 2008-09 financial crisis in a difference-in-differences setting, we show that generalized trust makes family firms less able to obtain trade financing during the crisis. This finding maps into performance results: trust alleviates the negative effect of a crisis for non-family firms, while it aggravates the negative effect for family firms. This latter result depends crucially on a firm's corporate governance: trust does not harm family firms whose board is open to non-family directors. Collectively, our findings illustrate how culture interacts with corporate attributes in shaping a firm's prospects.