We show that a large number of firms adopt poison pills during periods of market turmoil. In particular, during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, many firms adopted poison pills in response to declines in valuations, and stock prices increased upon their announcements. This increase is driven...

This paper discusses the current state of and issues related to corporate governance in America after the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. It suggests additional steps necessary to realize improvement in the ways in corporations govern themselves and regulators must operate to make the...

The German Corporate Governance Code works according to the comply-or-explain principle. One of its recommendations was to publish the remuneration of the members of the executive board on an individual basis. We examine the characteristics of the firms that comply with the code requirement. Our...

We empirically study the use of value-based management systems in listed German firms and examine implications for firms' stock market performance. Using a novel, hand-collected data set covering 1,083 firm years from 2002 to 2008, we find that value-based management systems become increasingly...

The establishment of a Capital Markets Union (CMU) is a high-priority project of the European Commission. CMU should foster additional non-bank sources of finance, mobilize private savings more efficiently and enhance capital market integration. Although more integration is needed, the...

The traditional methodology examining optimal boards relates a simple board variable (e.g., independence or board demography) to firm performance, however, ig- noring other board characteristics. This paper investigates how the education and business experience of directors affect firm...

The legal environment is one important determinant of corporate governance. However, within legal families, also cultural differences can explain the level of corporate governance to some extent. We analyze this relationship for the case of Switzerland. Swiss firms are mainly located in two...

This paper introduces a cash flow model to budget and monitor distinctive matters usually arising in corporate governance. By enlarging the standard cash flow model widely used in Finance, and avoiding some of its downsides, it sets up a composite of cash flows called governance slack, which...

This paper contends that compliance risk and the compliance function are powerful devices to enhance corporate governance not only in banks but in any other organization as well. Firstly, it reviews the contribution made by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), which pertains to...

This paper sets forth that sinking funds foster corporate governance, either when they intend to build up the principal of bonds and financial hybrids to be repaid at maturity date, or to plan ahead the purchase of fixed assets in the future. To lay foundations, firstly we expand on the logic of...