The literature of financial economics documents a causal relationship between the level of information asymmetry in the firm and its dividend policy. The agency theory and the pecking order theory show that the problem of cash over-retention inside the firm exacerbates in the presence of high...

We examine whether passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) in 2002 did in fact have the intended effect of reducing agency conflicts or did it alter managerial incentives in ways that could be detrimental to firm value. Our findings for the full sample suggest a decrease in firm value and the...

We study the relationship between employee satisfaction and stock returns across 30 countries. Employee satisfaction is associated with superior long-run returns in flexible labor markets, such as the US and UK, but not rigid labor markets, such as Germany. Similar results hold for current...

We interview 24 very experienced auditors about how they audit complex accounting estimates such as fair values and impairments and what problems they experience in the process. We find that auditors overwhelmingly choose to audit the details of management's estimate rather than use other...

This study provides novel evidence on the magnitude of switching costs in auditing. We use a discrete choice approach to infer switching costs from clients' auditor choices. The demand estimation reveals that switching costs matter and that they differ by the direction with switching from...

"Lopez-de-Silanes examines the theoretical and empirical literature pertaining to securities laws and their enforcement by regulators and courts to establish what is known and what is yet unclear. Recent empirical research in the field has established that law matters. Mandatory disclosure...

The author examines the theoretical and empirical literature pertaining to securities laws and their enforcement by regulators and courts to establish what is known and what is yet unclear. Recent empirical research in the field has established that law matters. Mandatory disclosure...

The author examines the theoretical and empirical literature pertaining to securities laws and their enforcement by regulators and courts to establish what is known and what is yet unclear. Recent empirical research in the field has established that law matters. Mandatory disclosure...