Large Shareholdings and Corporate Control: An Analysis of Stake Purchases by French Holding Companies

The paper analyses the value creation benefits of the holding form of organisation in France by empirically examining the effects of non-controlling stake purchases on target shareholder wealth, operational performance and bidder shareholder returns for a sample of 122 stake purchases in French listed companies. The evidence puts into question the ability of holding companies to create value for the firms they purchase stakes in or their own shareholders, adding to the current debate on the relative role played by large shareholders and the external market for corporate control as ultimate disciplining devices.     

Global restructuring—a place for ecology?

This introductory article summarizes the discussions and results of the Fifth Annual Greening of Industry Conference, Global Restructuring—A Place for Ecology?, held in Heidelberg, Germany, November 25–27, 1997. The Greening of Industry Network is concerned with the transition of industry towards sustainable production as an essential part of achieving a sustainable society. The Network conferences, held at different locations around the world, promote this goal by bringing together participants from different regions and with different backgrounds (academia, industry, governments and NGOs). The conferences are venues for information exchange, learning and dialogue about different aspects of the greening of industry and possible pathways to a sustainable society. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

The impact of the Internet upon bank marketing

Information and communication are critical to developing customer relationships. Thus, new information and communication technologies (NICTs) became a key knowledge tool for the organisation within a relationship marketing strategy. Retail banking is a good example of a sector in which the virtualisation of relationships is increasing. However, there is no consensus as to whether banking relationships are strengthened or weakened by the use of technology. This article discusses the virtualisation of the interaction processes between banks and their customers and analyses the influence of the Internet on these relationships. A questionnaire was distributed by mail to 340 Internet banking services’ users. A principal components analysis and a multiple regression analysis were conducted in order to discuss the relationship between the identified dimensions of Internet banking and relationship marketing. The research finds three factors related to the use of Internet banking which strengthen the relationships between banks and their customers: the intensity of Internet use, the diversity of access locations and the diversity of Internet applications. From a managerial point of view, these findings have implications for the development of new relationship approaches based on technology.     

Working and Learning with Electronic Performance Support Systems: An Effectiveness Study

In this study the effectiveness of electronic performance support systems (EPSS) is reported. Some of the expected advantages of EPSS, such as an increase in productivity and improved learning are evaluated with insurance agents using laptop computers. Theoretical statements, research design and hypotheses are presented. The conclusion is that EPSS was cheaper than classroom training and had some benefits for learners, but did not produce the expected benefit of an increase in productivity.     

Are electronic government innovations helpful to deter corruption? Evidence from across the world

Electronic government innovations have been a critical development in public administration in recent years. Many countries have implemented e-government policies to enhance efficiency and transparency and combat corruption. This paper examines the impact of e-government on corruption using longitudinal data for more than 170 countries from 2002 to 2020. The empirical results suggest that e-government serves as a deterrent to corrupt activities. We analyse which e-government domains affect corruption, which types of corruption are more affected by e-government and the circumstances under which e-government is more effective in reducing corruption. The empirical results suggest that online service completion and e-participation are important features of e-government as an anticorruption tool. Evidence suggests that e-participation reduces corrupt legislature activities, public sector theft, executive bribery, and corrupt exchanges. The potential of e-government to deter corruption is higher in countries where corruption is moderate or high and economic development is lower. Higher levels of GDP per capita, foreign direct investment, and political rights are also associated with lower levels of corruption.     

Investment–cash flow sensitivity and investor protection

We examine the role of country-level legal investor protection (i.e., shareholder and creditor protection) on firm investment–cash flow sensitivity (ICFS). Using underexplored research data on investor protection across 21 countries and working with a conservative empirical design, we extend prior literature on the relation between investor protection and ICFS and provide new evidence on how these country-level attributes interact to explain a firm's ICFS. We find that either the strong legal protection of minority shareholders or the strong legal protection of creditors reduces the sensitivity of investment to internal cash flow. However, in countries with strong levels of both minority shareholder and creditor protection, ICFS increases. Our results remain robust after controlling for several alternative explanations. The results support the argument that overregulation arises when policymakers increase investor protection at levels that lead firms to avoid external sources of finance, hampering firm investment. Our findings suggest that countries face a regulatory trade-off such that increasing investor protection (either shareholder or creditors protection) enhances financial markets efficiency, but excessive regulation can indeed lead to financial markets inefficiencies.