Agency theory indicates that a moral hazard occurs when an agent (manager) with superior information has an incentive to behave inappropriately from the perspective of the principal (investor) with inferior information. Because of the superior information that top executives have, they will...

Using a novel dataset of outside directors' opinions from 2005 to 2009, we explore the determinants of outside directors' saying ‘no' and what happens after they say ‘no' at board meetings in listed Chinese firms. We find that the firms with more severe agency problems between controlling...

Modern perceptions of good corporate governance assume that the general meeting has a meaningful role in the governance of listed companies and that shareholders make responsible use of their voting rights. Assessments after the financial crisis, however, indicate that institutional investors by...

The shareholder democracy phenomenon is becoming increasingly successful all over the world. This article proposes a description of shareholder activism on the Canadian market since its beginning, at least 15 years ago. First of all, the conceptual framework is based on the conflict of interest...

This paper analyzes recent developments with respect to institutional investors and cross-border voting. Based on a cross-country comparison of more than 20 countries we show that the recently enhanced regulation imposes an implicit duty to vote on institutional investors. This implicit duty...

A municipality is an autonomous sphere of government, and the Constitution of South Africa (1996) provides that all spheres of government must exercise their powers and perform their functions in a manner that does not encroach on the geographical, functional or institutional integrity of...

Public Accounts Committees (PACs) has significant role to play in enhancing oversight and accountability for the use of public funds. This paper discusses the role of PACs in promoting effective, efficient and economic (EEEs) use of public resources for the benefit of the public. It also...

We examine the effects of Ontario Bill-198 (CSOX-2003), the strictest corporate law in Canada. Despite some drawbacks, we find the Act has added significant value contrary to many practitioners' beliefs. Using a large sample of Canadian tender offers between 1996 and 2009, we find that both...

We consider how the state should regulate the consumption of pecuniary private benefits of control by controlling shareholders. These benefits have efficient aspects: they compensate the controlling shareholder for monitoring managers and for investing effort to create and implement projects....