Reputation Incentives of Independent Directors: Impacts on Board Monitoring and Adverse Corporate Actions

Author(s):  
Ronald W. Masulis ◽  
H. Shawn Mobbs
2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhe Li ◽  
Emre Unlu ◽  
Julie Wu

PurposeStudies on corporate boards examine how social ties between the CEO and independent board members affect the effectiveness of board monitoring. Much evidence suggests that social connections between the CEO and independent directors are associated with inadequate monitoring and lower firm value (Hwang and Kim, 2009; Fracassi and Tate, 2012). In this study, the authors note that social connections of the independent directors are of different nature and thus should not be treated as a homogeneous group; that is, the nature of connections among directors can be quite different from that between the CEO and directors, which is the primary focus of previous studies.Design/methodology/approachThe authors classify independent directors into four mutually exclusive groups based on their social connections to the CEO and other independent board members and examine what role each type of connection plays in corporate monitoring using panel data and cross-sectional fixed effect regressions.FindingsThe authors find that Only_CEO%, the proportion of independent directors who are connected only to the CEO, is negatively associated with monitoring intensity. Specifically, firms with higher Only_CEO% have larger CEO compensation, lower likelihood of dismissing the CEO, more co-opted board and worse firm performance. In contrast, No_CEO_Ind%, the proportion of independent directors who have no connection to either the CEO or other independent directors is associated with more effective monitoring. These findings suggest that independent directors with different degrees of social connections exhibit different monitoring qualities.Practical implicationsWhen more independent directors, who are connected exclusively to the CEO, are on the board, they consistently deliver low monitoring quality. However, when more independent directors with no connections to either the CEO or any independent directors are on the board, they enhance monitoring quality. These findings can be used to construct board structures with more effective monitoring ability.Originality/valueThis paper extends the literature on social networks in corporate finance. The authors show that independent directors with exclusive connections to other independent directors do not have a significant effect on board monitoring, but those truly independent directors are associated with better monitoring quality. These findings suggest that different types of social connections of independent directors play a different role in board monitoring and help extend our understanding of the function of social connections of independent directors in corporate governance.


2015 ◽  
Vol 50 (5) ◽  
pp. 929-962 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cong Wang ◽  
Fei Xie ◽  
Min Zhu

AbstractWe examine whether the industry expertise of independent directors affects board monitoring effectiveness. We find that the presence of independent directors with industry experience on a firm’s audit committee significantly curtails firms’ earnings management. In addition, a greater representation of independent directors with industry expertise on a firm’s compensation committee reduces chief executive officer (CEO) excess compensation, and a greater presence of such directors on the full board increases the CEO turnover-performance sensitivity and improves acquirer returns from diversifying acquisitions. Overall, the evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that having relevant industry expertise enhances independent directors’ ability to perform their monitoring function.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 838-853 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mustafa Dah ◽  
Mohammad Jizi ◽  
Sadim Sbeity

Purpose The imposition of the Sarbanes Oxley (SOX) Act and the NYSE/NASDAQ regulations boosted the proportion of independent directors serving on corporate boards. For certain firms, increasing the number of independent directors may impose costs that exceed the benefits. The purpose of this paper is to examine the implications of increased independence following SOX, relative to the pre-SOX board independence benchmark, on managerial authority and entrenchment within the firm. Design/methodology/approach Data are collected from COMPUSTAT, ExecuComp, and RiskMetrics. Data are divided into two periods, pre-SOX (1996-2001) and post-SOX (2002-2006). The focus is on the sub-group of firms who were not complying with the board independence requirement prior to SOX and became compliant afterwards. Various regressions are employed to assess the implications of increased independence following SOX on managerial authority and entrenchment. Findings The appreciation in board independence post-SOX significantly inflates both managerial compensation and the likelihood of CEO duality. Also, there is a positive association between board independence and managerial entrenchment during both the pre- and post-SOX periods. Imposed board composition requirements diminished board monitoring efficiency and boosted the CEO dominance and control over the firm. Originality/value This research adds to the extant literature investigating the implications of SOX on internal monitoring and governance. The results are based on an off-equilibrium phenomenon in which companies were obliged to alter their endogenously determined board structure. Thus, regulations to improve governance could backfire as the CEO might abuse them to extract private benefits.


2006 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 199-203
Author(s):  
Emma García-Meca ◽  
Juan Pedro Sánchez-Ballesta

Corporate governance research suggests that board monitoring will be more effective if boards consist primarily of independent outside directors. However, the results of previous studies testing board effectiveness have been mixed. We offer new insights of these relationships in a country whose particular corporate governance system is characterized by high concentration of ownership, mainly through pyramidal groups, and low legal protection of investors. Specifically, the aim of this paper is to investigate the influence of the independent directors on firm performance in Spain. We find that the addition of independent directors to the boards increases firm value, as the relationship between the proportion of independent directors and performance is positive and significant


2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yiyun Peng ◽  
Mahtab Ghazizadeh ◽  
Linda Ng Boyle ◽  
John D. Lee

Author(s):  
Fivi Anggraini

Earnings management is the moral hazard problem of manager that adses because of the conflict of interest between the manager as agent and the stakeholder and the owner as principal. The behavior of earnings management will immediately influence the reported earning. The aims of this research at examining the relationship of board and audit committe to earnings management. The samples of this research is all of companies member Corporate Governance Perception Index (CGPI) in the years of 2003-2006 which were listed in Jakarta Stock Exchange. The results of this study show that (1) the proportion of independent directors on the board had not significant relationship to earning management, (2) competence of independent directors on the board had not significant relationship to earning management, (3) the size of board had significant relationship to earning management, (4) the proportion of independent directors on the audit committe had not significant relationship to earning management, and (5) competence of members of the audit committe had significant relationship to earning management.


2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Cohen ◽  
Andrea Frazzini ◽  
Christopher J. Malloy

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