Chief Executive Officer Power Research Articles

Exploring the Impact of Ownership Structure and CEO Power on CSR and Firm Performance in Pakistan: A Comparative Study of Pre, Post and Covid Era as an Emerging Economy

The primary purpose of this research is to acquire a profound comprehension of the impacts of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on the operations of firms and on society as a whole, with Pakistan serving as the focal point of the research. This study's objective is to determine whether or not there is a moderating effect of CEO power on the relationships that exist between CSR, ownership concentration, and efficient business practices. In-depth research has been conducted on fifty different non-financial enterprises in Pakistan to see how well they performed before, during, and after the Covid-19 Pandemic. On the data that has been gathered, descriptive statistics and regression analysis have been carried out with the assistance of SPSS. The research found that in the middle of the Covid-19 outbreak in Pakistan, the degree of authority held by CEOs had a major impact on the dynamics of the economy. The authority of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) has a significant impact on the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the performance of an organization. Even in a developing country like Pakistan, the present study highlights the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the positive influence it may have on the bottom line of a firm. The purpose of this study is to investigate the beneficial benefits that corporate social responsibility (CSR) has on society, with a particular emphasis on emerging countries such as Pakistan. This research serves as a useful guide by emphasising how important CSR is for linking together the success of businesses and the well-being of the society in which they operate.

Exploring the Impact of Ownership Structure and CEO Power on CSR and Firm Performance in Pakistan: A Comparative Study of Pre, Post and Covid Era as an Emerging Economy

The primary purpose of this research is to acquire a profound comprehension of the impacts of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on the operations of firms and on society as a whole, with Pakistan serving as the focal point of the research. This study's objective is to determine whether or not there is a moderating effect of CEO power on the relationships that exist between CSR, ownership concentration, and efficient business practices. In-depth research has been conducted on fifty different non-financial enterprises in Pakistan to see how well they performed before, during, and after the Covid-19 Pandemic. On the data that has been gathered, descriptive statistics and regression analysis have been carried out with the assistance of SPSS. The research found that in the middle of the Covid-19 outbreak in Pakistan, the degree of authority held by CEOs had a major impact on the dynamics of the economy. The authority of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) has a significant impact on the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the performance of an organization. Even in a developing country like Pakistan, the present study highlights the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the positive influence it may have on the bottom line of a firm. The purpose of this study is to investigate the beneficial benefits that corporate social responsibility (CSR) has on society, with a particular emphasis on emerging countries such as Pakistan. This research serves as a useful guide by emphasising how important CSR is for linking together the success of businesses and the well-being of the society in which they operate.

The impact of CEO power on corporate tax avoidance: the moderating role of institutional ownership

Purpose This study aims to investigate the relationship between chief executive officer (CEO) power and the level of tax avoidance of Tunisian listed companies. It also examines the moderating role of institutional ownership in this association. Design/methodology/approach The sample comprises 306 firm-year observations of companies listed on the Tunis Stock Exchange during the 2013–2020 period. Findings The results indicate that CEO power reduces tax avoidance levels. Moreover, the relationship between CEO power and tax avoidance is more pronounced in the presence of institutional ownership, suggesting that CEOs act less opportunistically when monitored by institutional investors, which results in a reduction in tax avoidance. Practical implications This study suggests that CEO power and institutional shareholders’ influence are important factors in determining firms’ avoidance behavior. This study has significant implications for shareholders and regulatory bodies. Indeed, shareholders apprehend the impact of appointing a powerful CEO on tax avoidance practices. This study may also provide regulators with new insights into the influence of CEO power dimensions and institutional ownership on tax aggressiveness. Originality/value This study fills the gap in the accounting literature by investigating how CEO power may impact tax avoidance behavior and provides empirical evidence on the moderating impact of institutional ownership on this relationship in an emerging economy context characterized by a weakly protected investor setting.

Luxury Goods as a Determinant of the Status of Top Managers – Perspective of the Young Generation with a High Power Distance

The future of business and its further development rests in the hands of the young generation, the people who will soon perform various roles in companies that are part of the business. The article presents the results of the study with the following three objectives: to explain young people's distance to the power exercised by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO); to discover the young generation’s views on the CEO displaying their high status (high position) in the company in terms of power distance; to check whether there is any correlation between the belief in the CEO exceptionality and the acceptance of luxurious determinants of the CEO status.
 The study, aimed at clarifying the above issues, was carried out on a group of 773 participants. According to the survey, 16.7% of survey respondents recognized the CEO as an exceptional person, 41.9% would feel intimidated when dealing with them, and 49.1% would obey the CEO and follow their instructions without questioning. People with such attitudes and views are characterized by a medium and large distance from the CEO power. The survey revealed that, among the younger generation, there are more opposing opinions than accepting the CEO displaying their status using luxury goods. The authors showed that there is no link between recognizing the CEO as a special person who deserves being admired and imitated (high power distance), and the belief that the CEO should demonstrate their high status using luxury goods.

The trilogy between CEO overpower, green credit, and core competence: Evidence from commercial banks in Vietnam

This paper investigates the interconnection between Chief Executive Officer (CEO) power, green credit, and core competence of commercial banks in Vietnam. Our data sample consists of 373 annual observations from 2010 to 2021. We employ a dynamic system Generalized Method of Moments to analyze an unbalanced panel comprised of 373 annual observations from 2010 to 2021. The findings indicate an inverse U-shape relationship between CEO overpower and commercial banks' core competence. Moreover, the study reports that banks with green lending activities reduce core competence by about 0.1598 points more than other banks. In addition, the results indicate that CEO power moderates the relationship between green credit and core competence. Our findings align with stewardship, management entrenchment, first-mover advantage, stakeholder theories, and prior literature. The study has practical implications for policymakers to develop the banking system sustainably in emerging markets.

Military CEOs and firm dividends and cash holdings

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between chief executive officers (CEOs) with military service and firm dividend and cash holding decisions.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use a sample of Standard and Poor's (S&P) 1500 firms in the USA over a sample period from 1999 to 2017 and a panel data approach, as well as instrumental variable (IV)analysis. The models control for firm characteristics as well as industry and year-fixed effects.FindingsThe results show CEOs with military service are associated with higher total payout and less cash. Higher dividends appear to drive the total payout result. When cash holdings are split into pure cash and short-term investments, the reduction in cash holdings is driven by a reduction in pure cash. The findings are more pronounced for powerful CEOs and CEOs with low labor mobility. Military CEOs are also associated with less risk, measured by stock return volatility and return on assets (ROA) volatility.Originality/valueOverall, the results are consistent with military CEOs implementing conservative policies that reduce firm risk, curtailing the demand for precautionary cash and reducing the necessity to forego dividend payouts.

Ex-ante litigation risk and firm-level climate-change exposure

We examine the impact of liberal judge ideology, as an exogenous proxy for ex-ante litigation risk, on firm-level climate-change exposure (CCE). Consistent with the idea that liberal courts provide an external agency-mitigating influence, we find that United States (U.S.) firms headquartered in states covered by judicial circuits that are more likely to be dominated by liberal judges have lower CCE. We also show that the negative association between liberal court and CCE is more pronounced for firms with lower corporate-social-responsibility (CSR) performance, higher short-term [myopic] institutional ownership, powerful chief executive officers (CEOs), or weaker governance. Our findings are robust to considerations of alternative measures of our main variables and several tests for endogeneity concerns.

Corporate governance, chief executive officer power and performance of Islamic banking in east africa

This study aims to investigate the relationship between corporate governance variables, CEO power, and the performance of Islamic banking in East Africa. A Hierarchical panel regression model was to test both direct and indirect effect. Panel data was collected from all 10 full-fledged Islamic banking in East Africa and conventional banks with Islamic banking window for 7 years (2013-2020). Empirical results showed that board independence, board financial expertise and board activity positively affect performance of Islamic banking in East Africa. Powerful CEO negatively moderated the effect of board independence and board financial expertise on performance of Islamic banking in East Africa. Based on the findings, board independence, board financial expertise and board activity play a major role on improving performance of Islamic banking. In addition, the study support agency theory perspective that powerful CEO can reduce independence of board directors, hence limiting board activity and board financial expertise positive contribution on performance of Islamic banking. There has been limited studies on corporate governance and performance of Islamic banking in East Africa. This study contributes on board independence, board financial expertise and board activity of Islamic banking literature. The study provided crucial insight on corporate governance variables of Islamic banking in East Africa and their link performance.

The synergistic effects of chief executive officer (CEO) power and media sentiment on firm innovation investment

ABSTRACT The chief executive officer (CEO) is the executive at the top of the firm's hierarchy and plays a significant role in the firm's investment in innovation and whose decision-making behaviour can be influenced by external contexts such as media coverage. This paper examines the synergistic effects of CEO power and media sentiment on firm investment in innovation. We use ordinary least squares regression to find that both CEO power and media sentiment significantly contribute to firm innovation investment and that there are significant synergies between them. This synergistic effect is stronger for firms with high levels of investment in innovation. This study extends research on CEO power, media sentiment, and firm innovation investment in emerging market contexts.

Powerful CEOs and investment efficiency

This study investigates whether chief executive officers (CEOs) with excessive power make efficient investment decisions. We employ a comprehensive measure of CEO power and find that highly powerful CEOs tend to reduce investment efficiency by increasing overinvestment. This inefficiency is more pronounced with strong information asymmetry, agency problems, and product market competition. We also find that a firm's operation complexity and the presence of effective internal and external governance can help mitigate investment inefficiency; however, when most independent directors are co-opted or powerful CEOs are recruited from outside the firm, the investment inefficiency deteriorates. Moreover, inefficiency and overinvestment tend to increase with CEO tenure, the level of CEO power, and financial constraints faced by the firm. These findings shed light on the complex dynamics between CEO power, investment decisions, and various factors influencing their effectiveness.

The impact of board ethnic diversity and Chief Executive Officer role on corporate social responsibility

AbstractWe examine the influence of board ethnic diversity on firms' corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities within modern day corporations. Using firm‐year observations in Australia from the period 2004–2017, we document that board ethnic diversity leads to better CSR performance and CSR disclosure. Our results suggest that for every additional ethnic cluster represented on the board, on average, a firm's CSR performance rating from ASSET4 is higher by 2.6% and the odds ratio of producing a CSR report increases by 38.8%. The results are robust to controlling for endogeneity (using both instrumental variable approach and difference‐in‐differences analysis) and alternate proxies to measure CSR performance and ethnic diversity. We also document the moderating impact of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) power on the relationship between board ethnic diversity and firms' CSR activities. Specifically, a less powerful CEO and a CEO of ethnic minority (i.e., non‐Anglo) are more likely to facilitate this relationship. This study adds to our understanding of how board ethnic diversity, an often‐overlooked factor in prior research, can have significant impacts on firm outcomes.

ESG disclosure, CEO power and incentives and corporate risk‐taking

AbstractThis paper investigates the impact of environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure on corporate risk‐taking and how this impact is further affected by chief executive officer (CEO) power and incentives within US companies. We find that ESG disclosure decreases corporate risk‐taking based on both accounting‐based and market‐based returns. Further, we find that ESG disclosure is more effective in mitigating market‐based risk‐taking than accounting‐based risk‐taking in a firm with a powerful CEO. In contrast, CEO's ESG‐incentivized engagement bonuses weaken ESG disclosure impacts in reducing both types of risk‐taking. Our analysis helps understanding of different trade‐offs of ESG disclosure in aligning all stakeholders' benefits under different managerial‐related factors.

Nomination committees in Australia, outcomes for influence of a powerful CEO and diversity

PurposeThe authors investigate the adoption of nomination committees in Australia and identify the managerial power perspective as one explanation for firms not establishing nomination committees. A positive outcome of establishing a nomination committee from the perspective of board diversity is also examined.Design/methodology/approachThe authors adopt an archival approach by collecting data for firms listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) during the period 2010 to 2018. The authors establish the prevalence of nomination committees for small medium and large Australian firms. Regression analyses are used to determine whether the power of the chief executive officer (CEO) influences the adoption of a nomination committee. The association between having nomination committee and board diversity is also analyzed using regression analyses.FindingsLess than half of firms adopt a nomination committee. Larger firms are more likely to adopt a nomination committee than medium and smaller sized firms. Firms with less powerful CEOs are more likely to adopt a nomination committee. Adoption of a nomination committee is also associated with greater board tenure dispersion and board gender diversity in medium and smaller sized firms.Originality/valueEvidence on nomination committees provides original research that extends previous research focusing on the audit, risk and remuneration committees and samples restricted to large firms. The nomination committee has an important role to play in the appointment of directors yet limited evidence exists of the adoption rate, explanation for non-adoption and benefits of adoption. The authors add to this evidence.

CEO power, audit committee effectiveness and earnings quality

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to establish the relationship between chief executive officer (CEO) power, audit committee effectiveness and earnings quality in regulated firms in Uganda.Design/methodology/approachThe authors employed cross-sectional and correlational research designs, based on a sample of 136 regulated firms in Uganda. Data were collected using a questionnaire survey from Chief Finance Officers and Chief Audit Executives. Data were analyzed using a Statistical Package for Social Sciences and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling.FindingsResults indicate that CEO power causes negative variances in earnings quality. The results also reveal that audit committee effectiveness positively relates relatively similarly with earnings quality. In addition, CEO power and audit committee effectiveness are negative and significantly related. The results further indicate that CEO power and earnings quality are mediated by audit committee effectiveness.Research limitations/implicationsCEO power creates an opaque accounting environment which may leave the stakeholders unable to evaluate the true economic reality of the firm. Audit committee effectiveness is an important enabler for reporting high-quality earnings even in the presence of a powerful CEO.Originality/valueThis study contributes toward a methodological stance of using perceptions to understand earnings quality in regulated firms in Uganda. This is probably the first study that has specifically explored earnings quality using only the fundamental qualitative characteristics of accounting information (as proxies) as enshrined in the Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting 2018 particularly in Uganda since Her adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards in 1998. Second, the indirect effect of audit committee effectiveness and CEO power is tested.

What if my boss is a narcissist? The effects of chief executive officer narcissism on female proportion in top management teams

AbstractFor the period 2015–2019 and based on a Spanish sample of 145 listed companies, this paper provides insights into how narcissistic chief executive officers (CEOs) influence the proportion of women in top management teams (TMTs). As a further analysis and in line with social psychology and upper echelons theories, we study whether the power and gender of a CEO and the female proportion in the firm's board moderate the relationship. Our results reveal that narcissistic CEOs are less likely to support women in TMTs, confirming that CEO personality traits influence team structure. Further results suggest that this aversion increases as the CEO's power grows and is a woman, and when female proportion in board decreases. The results have an impact on the gender equality goal, demonstrating that the behavior of women toward promoting gender equality in TMTs depends both on the specific position of women in the firm's hierarchy and on their personal psychological attributes. We find that women directors support social identity values and that narcissistic female CEOs act like queen bees.

The Role of The Company Life Cycle on Chief Executive Officer Power and Earnings Management

Purpose : This study aims to re-examine whether chief executive officer (CEO) power affects earnings management and whether company life cycles can moderate the effect of CEO power on earnings management.
 Method : This study used publicly listed companies in the Indonesia Stock Exchange period 2017-2021, are 74 companies, or 370 data, were picked using a purposive sampling method that eliminates companies with outliers. This research uses panel data regression with a random effect model to examine CEO power on earnings management with the company’s life cycle as moderating variables.
 Findings : This study finds that CEO power does not affect earnings management, and the decline stage can moderate the effect of CEO power on earnings management. However, the introduction, growth, and mature stage cannot moderate the effect of CEO power on earnings management.
 Novelty : This study contributes to the literature on earnings management by highlighting CEO power in Indonesian companies with different life cycles. This study provides a unique perspective on earnings management, especially in emerging markets like Indonesia.
 Keywords : CEO’s Power, Earnings Management, Company Life Cycle

Do local CEOs with a strong sense of power foster excessive investment? Evidence from China

ABSTRACT This study investigated whether local Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) with a strong sense of power foster excessive investment compared with non-local CEOs to explore how the psychological impacts of power shape individual behaviour. This study observed a sample comprising 5460 firms from Chinese listed firms yearly between 2008 and 2020. This study found a strong association between local CEOs and excessive investment. The results of this study remain consistent after a series of robustness tests. Further analyses revealed that both CEO overconfidence and power are important factors shaping excessive investment. In conclusion, these findings revealed that local CEOs foster excessive investment owing to the psychological effects of sense of power. This study provides insights into the influence of the CEO’s local status on corporate decision-making, which can be beneficial for policymakers, investors, and other stakeholders.

Board Capital, CEO Power and Investment Efficiency of Firms listed in Nairobi Securities Exchange in Kenya

The paper's main aim was to determine the moderating effect of chief executive officer (CEO) power on the relationship between board capital and investment efficiency of listed firms in the Nairobi Securities Exchange. The study adopted a longitudinal, and 10 years of panel data was obtained using documentary analysis from audited financial statements of 33 listed firms consistently trading in the Nairobi Securities Exchange between 2012 and 2021. The hierarchical Fixed model was used to test the moderating effect. Results revealed that board financial expertise and interlock positively affected the investment efficiency of listed firms. The effect of board interlock on investment efficiency is more profound for firms with powerful CEO. However, CEO power did not moderate the relationship between the board's financial expertise on the investment efficiency of listed firms. The study was limited to firms listed in the Nairobi securities exchange. However, future research should be replicated beyond East Africa. Again, this study utilizes CEO power as a moderator, and other studies should consider other variables.

Separating Auditor-Provided Tax Planning and Tax Compliance Services: Audit Quality Implications

SUMMARY This study uses a unique dataset that separates tax nonaudit services (NAS) into tax planning and compliance NAS to examine how audit quality is affected by these two types of tax NAS. Our main results, which account for decisions to purchase and disclose the breakdown of tax NAS, show that audit quality is unaffected by tax planning NAS but is positively associated with tax compliance NAS. These findings suggest that the knowledge spillovers between tax NAS and audit quality documented in prior studies are attributable to tax compliance NAS. Additional tests reveal that the effect of tax compliance NAS is amplified by auditor industry expertise. Also, tax planning NAS in the presence of powerful chief executive officers (CEOs) and audit firm culture that relies on client advocacy has a negative effect on audit quality. These latter findings are consistent with engagement-level tax planning NAS degrading audit quality in certain settings. JEL Classifications: M40; H25.

CEO narcissism and corporate performance in China

This study explores the relationship between chief executive officer (CEO) narcissism and corporate performance in China. Based on the Chinese institutional and cultural background, we introduce organizational innovation as a mediating variable and CEO power as a moderating variable. We find that CEO narcissism is positively related to corporate performance based on 275 companies listed on the growth enterprise market (GEM) from 2012 to 2020. Furthermore, organizational innovation plays a partially mediating role in the relationship between CEO narcissism and corporate performance, and the moderating role of CEO power is partially supported.