Corporate governance in a weak legal environment: a systematic review focusing on Zimbabwe

Abstract

PurposeLiterature shows that corporate governance matters more in countries with weak legal environments. The purpose of this study is to synthesise and map research that has been done so far on corporate governance in Zimbabwe, a country that has been characterised by weak legal systems and lack of respect for property rights.Design/methodology/approachA systematic review and bibliometric analysis of 20 articles indexed in the Scopus and Web of Science databases was carried out to establish the trends and evolution of corporate governance in Zimbabwe.FindingsThe articles reviewed looked at the association between corporate governance attributes and firm performance, disclosure of information and economic growth. The proportion of independent directors was found to significantly affect firm performance and information disclosure in most of the studies. The majority of the studies used descriptive statistics and simple regression in their methodologies. The stakeholder theory is the most used in the studies reviewed.Originality/valueThe study highlights the need to strengthen the state infrastructure that enhances corporate governance at the firm level. When state-owned companies adhere to good corporate governance practices, this can cascade to the private sector.