Evasive shareholder meetings and corporate fraud

Abstract

We examine how evasive shareholder meetings are related to the likelihood of committing corporate fraud. In this study, we use changes in corporate policy to hold an AGM on certain popular dates as a proxy for evasive management practices. We find that the positive implications of strategic AGM scheduling for committing corporate fraud are greater for firms that hold their AGM away from headquarters, firms managed by professional CEOs, and firms whose AGM agendas include audit election or dismissal. The positive correlations are, however, less likely when evasive practices are spread throughout the same industry.