Board gender composition,board independence and sustainable supply chain responsibility

The consideration of social and environmental factors in companies’ supply chain is a prevalent research topic because stakeholders are now inquisitive about the social and environmental impacts of companies’ suppliers. Using a sample of S&P 500 firms, we find that board gender composition and board independence are positively associated with sustainable supply chain responsibility (SSCR). We also identify three channels (CEO duality, sustainability committee and sensitive industries) through which board gender composition and board independence affect SSCR, where board gender composition consistently explains SSCR, but the effect of board independence is less pronounced in firms with CEO duality and firms with a sustainability committee. Finally, we explore the reason for the less-pronounced findings for board independence in our subsample analyses and find that, compared with independent female directors who continue to display significant associations with SSCR, independent male directors do not engender SSCR across the three subsample tests.     

Do minority acquisitions transfer better corporate governance practices? An analysis of UK's cross-border minority investments

This study examines the influence of minority shareholders on the transfer of corporate governance practices into companies in other countries where they invest. By analysing UK firms that acquired a minority ownership in foreign firms between 1993 and 2014, we find evidence of better corporate governance in the board structure of target foreign firms following UK firms taking a minority shareholding, the extent and nature of the changes varying depending on the quality of investor protection in the country the foreign target firm is located. Our findings contribute to the on-going debates on the spillover effect of better corporate governance practices via cross-border mergers and acquisitions as well as relationship between internal (board of directors) and external (country's quality of investor protection) corporate governance mechanisms.     

Board risk committees: Insurer financial strength ratings and performance

We hypothesize and find that the existence of a board risk committee is positively related to A.M. Best’s Financial Strength Ratings, a measure widely used in the insurance industry to assess financial health. Using a sample of insurance firms from 2007 to 2013, we measure the impact of board risk committees on financial strength ratings and performance after controlling for various factors such as corporate governance characteristics. We find that firms with board risk committees report higher financial strength ratings, but only in the post-financial crisis period. Also, the formation of a board risk committee is positively associated with an increase in financial strength ratings from the year prior to committee formation to the year after committee formation. Further, we find that the presence of a board risk committee is not related to short-run firm performance benefits and that it takes five years for the presence of a board risk committee to be associated with future performance. Overall, our results provide evidence suggesting board risk committees are effective and beneficial from the standpoint of rating agencies and long-term financial performance.     

董事会网络位置、市场化进程与企业双元创新

基于资源基础理论，以2010-2018年沪深A股上市企业为样本，从结构性嵌入角度研究董事会网络位置对企业双元创新的影响，并检验市场化进程对二者间关系的调节作用。研究发现：①董事会网络中心度对探索式创新的影响呈倒U型，对开发式创新的影响呈正U型；②市场化进程能够增强董事会网络中心度对探索式创新的倒U型影响以及对开发式创新的正U型影响；③将企业战略类型纳入研究框架，发现董事会网络中心度对探索式创新的倒U型影响以及市场化进程的调节作用在防御型企业与进攻型企业中均显著，而董事会网络中心度对开发式创新的正U型影响以及市场化进程的调节作用主要表现在进攻型企业中。     

新三板科技服务企业融资效率与财务风险研究

在调查分析我国科技服务企业发展现状的基础上，以248家在新三板挂牌的科技服务企业2015－2017年面板数据为样本，运用三阶段DEA模型和Malmquist指数，从细分行业、归属地区、所属分层、转让方式等多维视角比较融资效率，基于F分数模型分析企业财务风险，并对56家已从新三板退市的科技服务企业及2 336家在区域股权交易中心挂牌的科技服务企业进行研究。结果表明：制约科技服务企业融资有效性的主要因素不再是规模效率，而是纯技术效率;多维视阈下科技服务企业融资效率和财务风险存在诸多差异。进一步研究发现：融资效率与财务风险存在联动关系，但并非所有新三板企业退市都与融资效率或财务状况有关。鉴于此，为深化新三板市场改革、促进科技服务企业可持续成长，提出严控财务风险、深化服务融合、探索创新分层等建议。     

“The enchantment of property”: Arthur Young,enclosure, and the cottage economy in England, 1770–1840

English agricultural practice changed dramatically in the late 18th and early 19th centuries as enclosure, the dominance of commercial short‐term leases for tenant farmers, and the proletarianization of the agricultural labour force completed what has been called an agricultural revolution. A less often noted aspect of this change was what was called “a war on cottages” and cottage gardens. The Board of Agriculture and Arthur Young were important cheerleaders for this process. Yet many of the most prominent members of the Board of Agriculture made impassioned appeals for the provision of land for English cottagers as a way to reduce poverty and stressed that cottagers produced remarkable returns from their small farms. Arthur Young became the most vocal proponent of land for cottagers. This article suggests that their appeals for land for cottagers were limited by both farmers' desire for easily controlled labour and misplaced concerns about the supposed inevitability of the poverty inherent in very small farms.     

Board characteristics and credit‐union performance

We examine the role of board characteristics on the performance of Australian credit unions during the period 2004–2012. Credit unions are unique as they are member‐owned institutions, and their directors are democratically elected by their members – an unusual governance structure that poses challenges for board effectiveness. We find that board remuneration, board expertise and attendance at meetings are associated with increased credit‐union performance and are consistent with the goal of maximising member benefits. While the unique features of credit unions limit the presence of external monitoring mechanisms, we provide evidence that these board characteristics are relevant for credit unions.     

董事会互动过程(IOP)有效性研究

随着国内企业的迅速发展,董事会制度得到普遍发展。增强董事会的有效性研究成为公司治理研究的重要问题。董事会团队内部成员的互动过程对董事会有效性具有一定的影响,加强董事会有效性研究对于提升董事间的满足感、增强互动合作精神、提高其在公司的影响力等方面具有重要作用。     

董事网络、独立董事治理与高管激励

独立董事的治理行为受到所处社会网络的影响。基于"董事在董事会同时任职的直接或间接联结关系"而形成的董事网络,本文利用社会网络分析方法检验了独立董事的网络特征对其发挥在促进高管激励有效性影响中的作用机理。结果发现:公司独立董事网络中心度越高,高管薪酬-业绩敏感性越强;与非国有上市公司相比,国有上市公司中独立董事网络中心度与高管薪酬-业绩敏感性的正相关关系更弱;进一步研究发现,用独立董事网络中心度解释的高管薪酬部分对未来业绩有促进作用。结论丰富了"网络和治理"研究的证据。     

董事会的功能范畴与功能定位——一个动态匹配框架及来自中国的经验证据

董事会具有两类不同性质的功能——本质功能和原生功能。董事会的本质功能反映了董事会是公司治理机制的组织结构保障,但现实中的董事会还有决策制定的原生功能,以及保护主要风险承担者利益的原生功能。同时,它们之间的动态匹配体现了不同的董事会功能定位。为证明这一观点,笔者对中国民营上市公司的面板数据进行了检验。实证研究发现,与财务困境公司相比而言,绩优公司董事会的功能定位更符合动态匹配的理论原则。