We study the relation between firms? banking relations, ownership structures, and q ratios in Japan. At low levels of equity ownership by main banks, firms? q ratios fall as bank equity ownership rises. At higher levels of bank equity ownership, this relationship is mitigated and, in some...

Firms with busy boards, those in which a majority of outside directors hold three or more directorships, are associated with weak corporate governance. These firms exhibit lower market-to-book ratios, weaker profitability, and lower sensitivity of CEO turnover to firm performance. Independent...

This paper examines the capital structure implications of defined benefit corporate pension plans. The magnitude of the liabilities arising from these pension plans is substantial. We show that leverage ratios for firms with pension plans are about 35% higher when pension assets and liabilities...

We examine the characteristics of firms that adopt stock-option plans for outside directors using a sample of 2,088 firm-year observations of Fortune 1000 firms from 1997-1999. Using fixed-effects models that account for self-selectivity bias, we find that firms with outside director option...

We study a sample of diversified firms that alter their organizational structure by divesting a business segment. These firms experience a reduction in the diversification discount after the divestiture. We show that the efficiency of segment investment increases substantially following the...

This paper documents the restructuring of 92 Japanese corporations that experienced a substantial decline in operating performance during 1986 to 1990. We find that these Japanese firms implement a number of downsizing measures such as asset sales, plant closures, and employee layoffs. Firms...

This paper examines the stock-price effects of top management turnover announcements for 432 Japanese corporations during 1985 to 1990. We find that these announcements are associated with significantly positive returns. The returns are greater when turnover is forced than when turnover...

We investigate the role of outside directors in the corporate-control process by exploiting variation in ownership structure within the insurance industry. In mutuals, ownership rights are not transferable. This inalienability restricts the effectiveness of control mechanisms like external...

We examine the role of corporate governance mechanisms during top executive turnover in Japanese corporations. Consistent with evidence from U.S. data, the likelihood of nonroutine turnover is significantly related to industry-adjusted return on assets, excess stock returns, and negative...

We study 154 domestic mergers in Japan during 1977 to 1993. In contrast to U.S. evidence, mergers are viewed favorably by investors of acquiring firms. We document a two-day acquirer abnormal return of 1.2 percent and a mean cumulative abnormal return of 5.4 percent for the duration of the...