We investigate how predatory government policies (expropriation, lack of property rights protection, corruption, crime) interact with managerial incentives in shaping firm governance structure. Our model shows that owners have lower incentives to encourage valuemaximization by managers if the...

This study investigates the capital structure and investment activities of listed companies on the Hanoi Securities Exchange and the Ho Chi Minh Securities Exchange in Vietnam. Estimation analysis using panel data covering the four-year period 2006-2009 revealed the following results. (1)...

In a large sample of European firms we analyze the value discount associated with disproportional ownership structures first documented by Claessens et al (2002). Consistent with a theoretical model of incentives and entrenchment effects, we find higher value discount in family firms, in firms...

We examine the diversification patterns of almost all publicly listed non-financial companies in China during the 2001 to 2005 period. More than 70 percent of the firms in our sample are diversified. We document that patterns of diversification strongly depend on firms' political connections....

We analyse controlling owners incentive to provide non-controlling owners with better protection against self-dealing through offering new shares with tag-along rights, - the private contracting alternative to equal price provision in takeover legislation. Our model identifies two counteracting...

In this paper, we analyze the influence of ownership structure on the research and development (R&D) investment of start-up firms. Previous studies on the relationship between ownership and R&D have concentrated on the large, established firms listed on the stock market and have focused on the...

I examine the relation between Tobin's Q and the structure of foreign equity ownership for a sample of 945 industrial firms listed in the 1st Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. I find evidence of significant curvilinear relation between Q and the fraction of common stocks owned by foreigners...

During a period where Japanese banks operated under a less restrictive regulatory environment, 1986-88, we find positive relationships between bank risk and ownership concentration. This empirical evidence reveals shareholder activism by the largest shareholders. During the periods immediately...

This paper investigates the changing cost performances of foreign and domestic banks in Thailand in relation to increased foreign bank penetration by estimating their cost functions using panel data from 27 banks during 1990-2002. Our empirical analysis suggests that production technologies of...

This paper investigates the impact of foreign bank entry on Thai domestic banks by using panel data on 17 domestic commercial banks from 1990 to 2002. The paper examines different factors affecting bank performance, including changes in the foreign ownership of banks, financial regulations, and...