Corporate Governance Ratings Research Articles

Investment opportunities, corporate governance quality, and firm performance in the UAE

PurposeThis paper examines the influence of investment opportunities on firm performance and evaluates corporate governance practices in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to determine whether corporate governance quality moderates that influence.Design/methodology/approachA fixed-effects regression was employed to examine the influence of investment opportunities on firm performance and the role of corporate governance quality as a moderator for all listed firms on the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange (ADX) and the Dubai Financial Market (DFM). We examined 501 firm-year observations for the period when the corporate governance code in the UAE was coming into force, from 2008 to 2012.FindingsThe regression results indicate that investment opportunities have a negative influence on firm performance. The corporate governance index used here shows that the level of corporate governance practiced in the UAE is weak. We also find that strong corporate governance ameliorates the negative influence of investment opportunities, which supports our hypotheses. The sub-indices of corporate governance that matter the most for moderating investment opportunities are board functioning and ethics.Practical implicationsThe results of this paper reflect the need to examine corporate governance in the context of the external environment represented by investment opportunities in our study. The findings could raise awareness of the importance of strong corporate governance practices, not only to directly improve firm performance but also through its influence on external variables. Legislators, regulators and other interested parties could use these results to examine practices in the UAE following the implementation of the corporate governance code.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature by evaluating the role that corporate governance quality and its components could play in firm performance and indirectly moderating other external factors (such as investment opportunities).

Do Higher-Rated or Enhancing ESG of Firms Enhance Their Long–Term Sustainability? Evidence from Market Returns in Korea

In this study, we investigate the effects of the level and changes in environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) rating, an index developed to represent a firm’s long-term sustainability, on the stock market returns of Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) listed firms over the period 2011–2018. We find that the changes in ESG ratings have statistically significant short-term effects on their abnormal returns. However, their impacts on short-term abnormal returns decrease some days after the disclosure and become negative in the third year. The results imply that investors in the Korean stock market do not view corporate social responsibility activities as a means of supporting their long-term sustainability, judging from the firm value for a long period after their rating. Rather, based on the effects of the changes on coefficient signs over the period—positive in the year and the year after, no effects in the following year, and negative in the third year and later—we can infer that the short-term oriented market sentiments of investors might worsen their long-term stock performances, thus deteriorating their sustainability and growth opportunities.

Fuzzy Set Theory Applied to Accounting Sciences

Fuzzy set theory and fuzzy logic have been successfully developed in engineering and mathematics. However, these concepts have found great acceptance in social sciences in recent years since they provide an answer to those problems in the real world that cannot be modeled using classical mathematics. In this paper, we propose a new methodology for accounting science based on fuzzy triangular numbers. The methodology uses Hamming distance between fuzzy triangular numbers and arithmetic operations to evaluate corporate governance of multinational public stock corporations (PSCs) in the telecommunications sector.

Impact of Emissions Intensive Industries And Financial Distress On Voluntary Carbon Emission Disclosure

This study aims to examine factors affecting voluntary disclosure of carbon emissions. Factors affecting the disclosure of voluntary carbon emissions consist of emissions-intensive industries and financial distress represented by leverage. The sampling method used is pruposive sampling with the following criteria, companies that have received a corporate governance rating index during the observation period and published annual reports during the observation period (2013-2016). Based on the corporate governance index determined 66 sampled research. The analysis technique used to test the hypothesis of this research is multiple linear regression analysis. The results of this study indicate that emissions-intensive industries have a significant positive impact on the disclosure of voluntary carbon emissions. Financial distress has a significant negative impact on voluntary carbon disclosure.

Do Corporate Governance Ratings Change Investor Expectations? Evidence from Announcements by Institutional Shareholder Services*

Abstract This paper examines empirically the announcement effect of commercial corporate governance ratings on share returns. Rating downgrades by Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) are associated with negative returns of –1.14% over a 3-day announcement window. The returns are highly correlated with the proprietary analysis of ISS and are decreasing in agency costs, consistent with ratings providing independent information on underlying corporate governance quality. We thus show that the influence and impact of ISS extends beyond proxy recommendations and subsequent voting outcomes. Our findings contrast with the insignificant price impact of Daines, Gow, and Larcker (2010), whose analysis we replicate and successfully reconcile to ours by pooling upgrades and downgrades together.

THE NECESSITY OF BUSINESS RESTRUCTURING OF STATE-OWNED AND PUBLIC ENTERPRISES IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

The restructuring of state-owned and public enterprises has attracted the attention of numerous researchers in the transition and post-transition period. The goal of restructuring as a business philosophy is to change and establish a new business philosophy, a new way of thinking. The correct interpretation of this term goes beyond its narrow and misleading translation, which equates to restructuring with a measure of change in structure. This paper examines the situation with the state-owned enterprises in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although Bosnia and Herzegovina is characterized by the presence of two completely separate systems of corporate governance (corporate governance is regulated at an entity level without any common grounds at the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina), the symptoms of the situation are identical in both entities: state enterprises are commercially inefficient in both entities, and the reasons for their inefficiency are identical. The paper attempts to identify the symptoms and causes of such a state with a set of recommendations for the restructuring of state-owned enterprises, with clear definitions that, considering the trend of expansion of state-owned enterprises in highly developed countries, state-owned enterprises are needed here. It turns out that the privatized companies do not take into account the state interest. Following the logic of the OECD Guideline No. 2 (Ownership of State), first, it is considered how the state should manage the state-owned companies, and then by following the logic of the OECD Guideline no. 6 (Responsibilities of Committee) the complete corporation of state-owned enterprises is advocated in the way that state-owned enterprises have all the prerogatives of corruption, and are sufficiently distanced from political parties in power. Such an approach will significantly contribute to the improvement of corporate governance rating in Bosnia and Herzegovina that shows the atrophy of the system.

The Effects of the Corporate Governance Quality of Companies on the Price Performance: A New Generation of Panel Data Analysis on the Companies Listed in the Borsa İstanbul Corporate Governance Index

In this study; The effects of corporate governance quality assessment notes (corporate governance rating ) of firms traded on Borsa Istanbul on the stock prices of firms were investigated with the help of the New Generation Panel Data Analysis methods of 27 firms using the annual data of 2012-2018 period. The presence of cross-sectional dependence among firms included in the analysis; Breusch and Pagan (1980) were tested by LM test, Pesaran (2004) LM test, Pesaran (2004) CD test and Baltagi, Feng and Kao (2012) LMBC test and it was found that there was a horizontal cross-sectional dependence between firms. Stability of series; Pesaran (2007) was examined with CADF panel unit root test and all series were determined as I (0). The coefficients in the models were estimated by using Westerlund (2007) OLSAdj method and when the corporate governance quality of the firms increased by 1 unit, it was determined that the stock prices would increase by TL 1.13. Causality relations between series; Dumitrescu and Hurlin (2012) method was examined and one-way causality relationships were found between firms' corporate governance quality and share prices.

Corporate governance: An analysis of the relationship between quality and cost

The purpose of this study is to analyse linkages between the quality and cost of Canadian firms’ governance practices. With this in mind, the study relates the compensation of chief executive officers (CEOs) and non-executive directors to best governance practice index developed by The Globe and Mail. We collected data for the years 2013, 2014 and 2015, constituting 602 observations from all the Canadian companies included in The Globe and Mail corporate governance ratings for which financial information was available on the Research Insight database. We examined the relationship between the quality and cost of Canadian firms’ governance practices with a regression model. The analyses results tend to indicate some relationship between CEO and non-executive director compensation and the quality of governance practices. However, firm size appears to the determining explanatory factor. The study results also indicate that some activity sectors seem to have better governance practices than others

Optimal portfolios vis-à-vis corporate governance ratings: some UK evidence

Optimal portfolios vis-à-vis corporate governance ratings: some UK evidence

National corporate governance, GMI ratings and earnings management

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess the association between country-level corporate governance and earnings management (EM). It aims to investigate whether the Governance Metrics International (GMI; acquired by Morgan Stanley Capital International in 2014) rating for national corporate governance on a country level is a significant explanatory variable for the country-level EM score or otherwise.Design/methodology/approachIn a sample of 280 country-year observations during the period from 2000 to 2009, the paper measures national corporate governance quality using GMI ratings scores and whether the corporate governance model is Anglo Saxon or otherwise.FindingsThe findings of this study show that corporate governance is a significant indicator of lower EM levels in a country.Practical implicationsCorporate governance rating firms play a vital role in public markets. GMI provides country-level corporate governance ratings to assess the quality of corporate governance in several countries. The findings of this study show preliminary evidence that GMI ratings of corporate governance provide good guidance to investors on the quality of corporate governance in a country.Originality/valueThis paper is the first empirical attempt to examine the association between country-level corporate governance, GMI ratings for country-level corporate governance and EM.

Análise Multicritério Nebulosa de Empresas

Consideramos o problema tradicional de avaliação de empresas. Propomos uma metodologia que permite o uso não somente dos tradicionais indicadores financeiros calculados por analistas de empresas, mas também medidas de riscos (liquidez e mercado) baseadas em preços e volumes obtidos do mercado, assim como critérios qualitativos baseados em conceitos como governança corporativa, indicadores de sustentabilidade e classificação de crédito, dentre outros. Diante da natureza diversificada dos critérios adotados, propomos o uso da análise de decisão multicritério com a matemática nebulosa para modelar e incorporar as incertezas presentes no problema. Consideramos dados reais do mercado acionário brasileiro para fins de ilustração numérica. Os resultados obtidos provaram ser robustos e ofereceram informações detalhadas sobre o desempenho esperado sob cenários adversos, com potencial para melhorar o processo de análise de empresas enfrentado por gestores de carteiras e analistas fundamentalistas

The role of corporate governance strength in crisis and non-crisis times

ABSTRACTThis study evaluates corporate governance practices of listed firms in the United Arab Emirates and investigates whether corporate governance mitigates/exacerbates the impact of leverage and risk on firm performance during crisis and non-crisis times. The study constructs a corporate governance index not only to examine the dispute of the role of corporate governance during the crisis but also its influence on other factors that fuelled the crisis. A firm-level panel data is used that spans the period 2008–2012 of all listed firms on Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and Dubai Financial Market (DFM). The study finds a positive influence of corporate governance strength on the accounting performance, but a negative influence on the firms’ economic performance. In normal times, corporate governance mitigates the negative influence of leverage and risk on the accounting and economic firm performance. However, this synergy effect varies across performance indicators during crisis.

The Effect of Voluntary Governance Rating Disclosures on SEOs and Acquisitions

Voluntary disclosures play an increasingly larger role in the corporate world, yet their implications remain controversial. On the one hand, voluntary disclosures create value by decreasing information asymmetry between managers and investors. On the other hand, they may be used opportunistically by the managers in capital market transactions and corporate development activities. We contribute to this debate by examining the effect of firms' voluntary disclosures of corporate governance ratings on the timing and performance of seasoned equity offerings (SEOs) and acquisitions. We conduct our analyses within the context of Turkey, one of the countries in which corporate governance scores are obtained on a voluntary basis. We find that firms which voluntarily disclose their governance ratings are less likely to undertake both SEOs and acquisitions which are commonly associated with managerial opportunism. Furthermore, these firms experience higher abnormal stock returns from the announcement of SEOs and acquisitions suggesting that voluntary disclosures of governance ratings provide credible signals to investors.

Positive contribution of the good corporate governance rating to stability and performance: evidence from Indonesia

This paper aims to examine the impact of Good Corporate Governance (GCG) practice on bank stability and performance. Governance is measured using the GCG rating that covers eleven aspects. The authors apply instrumental regression to link governance to performance and stability. The study covers a sample of 150 banks. The result shows that bank stability can mediate bank governance and bank performance. On the determinant of bank performance, it can be concluded that the GCG rating is positive and directly influences bank performance. Bank stability is also positive for bank performance indicating the indirect contribution of the GCG rating to bank performance. NPL, LDR, CAR and bank’s size (LASSET) are all negative and significant. The aim of this paper is to provide strong empirical evidence on the importance of governance and stability for performance. The limitations of this paper are the size of the sample and that it only covers public banks which are theoretically required to apply better governance in all aspects of their business by the Capital Market Authority.

National Corporate Governance, GMI Ratings and Earnings Management: A Country Level Study

Purpose: The main purpose of this paper is to assess the association between country-level corporate governance and earnings management. It aims to investigate whether the Governance Metrics International (GMI; acquired by Morgan Stanley Capital International in 2014) rating for national corporate governance on a country level is a significant explanatory variable for the country-level earnings management score or otherwise. Design/Methodology/Approach: In a sample of 280 country-year observations during the period from 2000–2009, the paper measures national corporate governance quality using GMI ratings scores and whether the corporate governance model is Anglo-Saxon or otherwise. Findings: The findings of this study show that corporate governance is a significant indicator of lower earnings management levels in a country. Practical Implications: Corporate governance rating firms play a vital role in public markets. GMI provides country-level corporate governance ratings to assess the quality of corporate governance in several countries. The findings of this study show preliminary evidence that GMI ratings of corporate governance provide good guidance to investors on the quality of corporate governance in a country. Originality/Value: This paper is the first empirical attempt to examine the association between country-level corporate governance, GMI ratings for country-level corporate governance and earnings management.

BORSA İSTANBUL KURUMSAL YÖNETİM ENDEKSİNDEKİ ŞİRKETLERİN WEB TABANLI YATIRIMCI İLİŞKİLERİ YÖNETİMİ ETKİNLİKLERİNİN BORSA İSTANBUL 100 ENDEKSİNDEKİ ŞİRKETLER ARASINDAKİ KONUMU

İletişim teknolojilerinin ve doğru, eksiksiz ve zamanında bilgiye ulaşmanın öneminin hızla arttığı günümüzde işletmeler açısından, yatırımcılarla kurulan iletişim çerçevesinde web tabanlı yatırımcı ilişkileri yönetimi oldukça önemli bir noktaya gelmiştir. Web tabanlı yatırımcı ilişkileri yönetiminin doğru bir şekilde yapılması, direkt olarak kurumsal itibar oluşturma ve geliştirmede, dolaylı olarak ise piyasa değeri yükseltmede işletmelere ciddi kazanımlar gerçekleştirmektedir. Borsa İstanbul’da işlem gören şirketlerden Kurumsal Yönetim ve BİST 100 endeksine dahil olan şirketlerin, web tabanlı yatırımcı ilişkileri konusunda diğer şirketlere göre daha başarılı oldukları öngörülmektedir. Bu bağlamda, araştırmanın kapsamını, Kurumsal Yönetim Endeksi şirketlerinin web tabanlı yatırımcı ilişkileri yönetimi uygulamaları, kurumsal yönetim derecelendirme puanları ve bunların Borsa İstanbul BİST 100 endeksindeki şirketlerle karşılaştırmaları oluşturmaktadır. Araştırma kapsamındaki veriler iki aşamada toplanmıştır. Veriler; şirketlerin web tabanlı yatırımcı ilişkileri yönetimi için Türkiye Yatırımcı İlişkileri Derneği’nin hazırladığı Skor Kart çalışmasından, Kurumsal Yönetim Derecelendirme Notları için ise derecelendirme şirketlerinin değerlendirdiği notlardan elde edilmiştir.

Does cultural value affect board efficacy? Insights on international corporate governance

PurposeThis study aims to investigate how culture can either reinforce or attenuate the board efficacy (a key element of corporate governance).Design/methodology/approachThe study uses the data from the World Economic Forum (2006-2014) of 69 countries. The data were restricted to 69 countries because Hofstede et al. (2010) provided cultural value data from 111 countries. However, the data from 42 countries were incomplete for Hofstede et al.’s four dimensions.FindingsThe study is the first to show that more religious diversity has a significant negative impact on stronger board efficacy in evaluating corporate governance practices. The results also indicate that more uncertainty avoidance in a country has a significant negative impact and corporate ethics and auditing standards have a positive impact on board efficacy.Originality/valueThe study extends Hofstede et al.’s (2010) cultural value by incorporating religious diversity and corporate ethics as cultural variables in explaining board efficacy in corporate governance literature. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund should focus on cultural factors while developing a single set of Corporate Governance Code worldwide.

The role of weighting in corporate governance ratings

This methodological paper highlights the differences and the resulting implications from the application of the three most commonly applied weighting index methods to measuring corporate governance quality at an aggregate level: the Dichotomous; the partial compliance (PC) unweighted; and the Experts’ methods. In particular, first, we demonstrate how each method is applied and provide the details needed for readers to replicate each method. Second, we employ these methods on a sample of companies and compare the corresponding scores by testing their differences statistically. Third, as an indicative example of the potential implications arising from the use of these measures, we test whether the relation between market value and corporate governance levels differs, depending on the method applied. We find that the three methods produce significantly different overall and relative (i.e., ranking order) scores and, consequently, the relation between market value and corporate governance levels differs, depending on the method applied. Thus, we contribute to the corporate governance literature by showing that weighting in corporate governance indices matters and we recommend simultaneous application of at least two methods (i.e., the PC unweighted and the Experts’ methods) for deriving robust findings.

Current Practices and Improvement of Saudi Corporate Governance Framework

The preceding article described the notions of disclosure and transparency and their purpose and importance in practice. An understanding of the requirements and elements of the practice of disclosure leads to a discussion of its benefits and advantages, as well as the consequences of a lack of transparency during financial scandals. The Saudi approach to disclosure and transparency is also examined based on the evidence given in board annual reports. This paper highlights the way the Saudi legal system evaluates corporate governance and its legal basis.

National societal values and corporate governance

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the association between national societal values and corporate governance in emerging markets.Design/methodology/approachThe sample is comprised of 511 firm-year observations representing firms from 22 emerging markets. The authors regress sample firms’ corporate governance ratings, reported by Credit Lyonnais Securities Asia (CLSA), on national societal value scores (Hofstede, 1980 variables for primary analysis and Schwartz, 1994 variables for sensitivity tests) and firm-level and country-level control variables.FindingsThe authors find that national societal values are associated with corporate governance in emerging markets. Corporate governance is strong in firms from individualistic societies, and weak in firms from uncertainty avoiding and masculine cultures.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors extend the stream of literature that has established the link between formal institutions and corporate governance. The authors also extend the literature that examines how societal values influence corporate practices in emerging markets.Practical implicationsThe results suggest that informal institutions, in addition to formal ones, shape corporate governance in emerging markets. Corporate stakeholders need to be aware of the different societal values of each market and develop specific strategic plans that best suit both formal and informal institutions.Originality/valueThe findings suggest that national societal values need to be considered in cross-country research on corporate governance. The results should also be of interest to policy makers advocating for or against global governance standards.