The Impact of Economic Policy Uncertainty on Executives’ Self-Interest Behaviors: Evidence from China

Abstract

This paper empirically studies the impact of economic policy uncertainty on executives’ self-interest behaviors, distinguishes explicit self-interest behaviors from implicit ones, and studies the moderating effect of internal control. The results illustrate that rising policy uncertainty will inhibit explicit self-interest behaviors of executives, yet the implicit ones will be encouraged. Internal control can regulate the above effects. Further research proves that the above-mentioned impact is more significant in state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Stable institutional investors and sound market competition can play a certain role in governance. Our paper contributes to the literature on the impact of economic policy uncertainty on corporate governance.