It Takes Two: The Incidence and Effectiveness of Co‐CEOs

This study examines the phenomenon of co‐CEOs within publicly traded firms. Although shared executive leadership is not widespread, it occurs within some very prominent firms. We find that co‐CEOs generally complement each other in terms of educational background or executive responsibilities. Our results show that firms most likely to appoint co‐CEOs have lower leverage, a more limited firm focus, less independent board structure, fewer advising directors, lower institutional ownership, and greater levels of merger activity. The governance structure of co‐CEO firms suggests that co‐CEOships can serve as an alternative governance mechanism, with co‐CEO mutual monitoring substituting for board or external monitoring and co‐CEO complementary skills substituting for board advising. An event study indicates that the market reacts positively to appointments of co‐CEOs while a propensity score analysis shows that the presence of co‐CEOs increases firm valuation.     

Corporate payout policy in Australia and a test of the life‐cycle theory

We provide evidence on the frequency and size of payouts by Australian firms, and test whether the life‐cycle theory explains Australian corporate payout policies. Regular dividends remain the most popular mechanism for distributing cash to shareholders, despite a slight decline in the proportion of dividend payers since the relaxation of buyback regulations in 1998. Off‐market share buybacks return the largest amount of cash to shareholders. Dividend paying firms are larger, more profitable and have less growth options that nondividend paying firms. Consistent with the life‐cycle theory, we observe a highly significant relation between the decision to pay regular dividends and the proportion of shareholders’ equity that is earned rather than contributed.     

Pricing of off‐balance sheet debt: how do bond market participants use the footnote disclosures on operating leases and postretirement benefit plans?

In this study, we examine whether the public debt market prices information on off‐balance sheet debt arising from operating leases and postretirement plans. We find that bond‐rating agencies price off‐balance sheet debt arising from operating leases and the coefficient on off‐balance sheet debt measure of operating leases is similar to that of capital leases on the balance sheet. Regarding postretirement benefit plans, we find that bond‐rating agencies do price postretirement benefit obligations that are reported in balance sheet but do not price such obligations disclosed in footnotes. We find similar results when we examine corporate bond yields on new debt issues.     

大股东控制、市场化程度与公司现金持有水平

运用2003～2008年我国所有非金融类A股上市公司的样本数据,从大股东控制视角出发,重点关注第一大股东持股比例、实际控制人性质和公司所在地区市场化程度对于公司现金持有水平的共同作用。结果表明,第一大股东持股比例与公司现金持有量水平正相关,实际控制人为国有的比非国有的上市公司的现金持有量高;公司外部治理环境的改善,有助于减轻由第一大股东持股比例以及实际控制人性质对公司现金持有量造成的负面影响。     

大型银行构建高效能营销管理体系研究

面对日益激烈的竞争环境,中国的大型银行应从多个方面积极构建高效能的营销管理体系.在营销理念上应由被动营销向主动营销转变;要强化营销管理的过程控制,促成营销管理的效能化;在营销体系定位上,应构筑有效的客户需求挖掘、分析和应对机制;在营销管理架构上,应科学、合理地协调好上下级行的权责利关系;在营销与服务的协调上,应重视二者...     

中国中小银行可持续发展策略:规模领先还是特色制胜

中国经济改革的深入使中小银行获得了良好的发展机遇,本文分析了中国主要中小银行的规模现状和特色业务.研究发现,不论在资产规模、机构和员工数量,还是在收入和盈利增长以及风险管理方面,中小银行的规模优势并不明显,单纯靠扩张规模很难获得竞争优势,但其业务特色比较突出.因此,中小银行一味追求扩张规模会陷入恶性循环,不利于风险管理...     

THE SUBSTANCE OF ACCOUNTING FOR PUBLIC‐PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS

This article evaluates Public‐Private Partnerships (PPP) accounting practice and the related financial accounting and reporting requirements. Governments across the world are seeking to access private finance to improve public infrastructure. Accounting for PPPs has encountered many difficulties, one of which is the practice by which PPPs are not accounted for as fixed assets on the balance sheet of either the public sector client or the private sector operator. Accounting for PPPs has grown in importance at a time of transition from national Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (GAAP) to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Under UK GAAP, both client and operator accounting adopt the reasoning – familiar from leasing standards – of the allocation of risks and rewards between the parties to determine the party which should recognize the fixed asset on its balance sheet. The gap in IFRS with regard to operator accounting has been filled by the interpretation IFRIC 12 on service concession agreements: this moves the reasoning from risks and rewards to control, familiar from consolidation standards. The UK Treasury and the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB) have required/proposed the adoption of the mirror‐image treatment of IFRIC 12. In most, but not all, cases, control will be assessed to rest with the client, which will recognize property, plant and equipment, and not with the operator, which will recognize either a financial asset or an intangible asset on the basis of an assessment of which party bears the majority of risks and rewards. Under both UK GAAP and IFRS, accounting policy choices are strongly influenced by, for the client, governmental control frameworks, and for the operator, by the implications for the profile of distributable profits and for taxation. An important public policy issue is that the national accounts, which for European Union member states must comply with European System of Accounts 1995, will remain on a risks and rewards basis. It is these numbers that will be used in assessments of macro‐fiscal policy and fiscal risks, notwithstanding that the Eurostat version of risks and rewards is even more open to manipulation than were the national financial reporting standards.     

NOT REPORTING A PROFIT: CONSTRUCTING A NON‐PROFIT ORGANISATION

Public sector reformers advocate contracting‐out as a means of improving cost‐effectiveness. In the health sector, market‐based contracts with for‐profit organisations can reduce equity of access and divert public funds to private gain. Such issues have prompted policy makers to seek alternative contracting strategies. This paper examines a primary health care policy whereby government contracts with private non‐profit organisations to increase efficiency and meet World Health Organisation ideals. The study found that the policy's implementation has not achieved these aims when for‐profit providers masquerade as non‐profit organisations. The implication is that governments may find it more effective to manage for structural diversity than mandate homogenisation.     

整体上市能减轻大股东对小股东利益的侵占吗?

整体上市作为未来几年内国有企业改革的主要方向,在理论界和实务界引起关注①。但目前关于整体上市对中小投资者利益影响的实证研究非常缺乏。文章对我国整体上市企业是否可以减轻大股东对小股东侵占问题进行了实证研究。研究表明:整体上市能在一定程度上减轻大股东对小股东的利益侵占;整体上市的企业,随着流通比率的提高,大股东对小股东的利益侵占程度减少,而分拆上市的企业却没有这个现象;当控股股东是国家时,大股东对小股东的侵占程度更高,但整体上市时,国有股权对上市公司的掠夺会减轻。文章为我国整体上市治理和资本市场改善提供参考。     

The implementation and structuring of divestitures: the unit's perspective

Existing literature on value creation of divestitures focuses on their antecedents, typically relating them to the parent company's financial performance. Whether and how divestitures can create value for the divested unit remains unclear. This paper presents an exploratory study based on multiple cases, to examine which factors of the implementation and structuring of a divestiture may increase the performance of a divested unit. The emergent granular framework consists of previously unreported aspects of the divesting process and provides new insights into divestitures and their outcomes. Results indicate that antecedents alone may be insufficient for understanding the outcomes of divestitures. Different combinations of understanding of the rationale for the divestiture and perceived capabilities in the divesting process affect perceptions of divestiture feasibility. Sense of opportunity emerges as the key element of the divesting process for the success of divested units. Factors that participate with sense of opportunity in determining the success of divested units are further considered in the theoretical framework. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.