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SOX Section 404 and Corporate Innovation

Author

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  • Gao, Huasheng
  • Zhang, Jin

Abstract

This paper exploits a quasi-natural experiment to investigate the relation between the Sarbanes–Oxley Act (SOX) of 2002 and corporate innovation: firms with a public float under $75 million can delay compliance with Section 404 of the act. We find a significant decrease in the number of patents and patent citations for firms that are subject to Section 404 compliance relative to firms that are not. This relation is more pronounced when firms are financially constrained and when firms face high litigation risk. Overall, our evidence suggests that SOX imparts real costs to the economy by decreasing corporate innovativeness.

Suggested Citation

  • Gao, Huasheng & Zhang, Jin, 2019. "SOX Section 404 and Corporate Innovation," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 54(2), pages 759-787, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jfinqa:v:54:y:2019:i:02:p:759-787_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Chen, Hanwen & Yang, Daoguang & Zhang, Joseph H. & Zhou, Haiyan, 2020. "Internal controls, risk management, and cash holdings," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    2. Zhang, Xiaoqian & Yu, Mingqiang & Chen, Gaoquan, 2020. "Does mixed-ownership reform improve SOEs' innovation? Evidence from state ownership," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    3. Zhang, Xiaoqian & Lv, Shixian & Lin, Wenlian, 2020. "Related guarantee and implicit tunneling," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    4. Chen, Tao & Gao, Huasheng & Wang, Yuxi, 2021. "Tariff uncertainty and firm innovation: Evidence from the U.S.–China Permanent Normal Trade Relation," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 12-27.
    5. He, Yuqian & Tang, Song & Wang, Lanfang & Wang, Susheng & Yu, Tao, 2024. "Private equity market development, state ownership, and firm innovation: Evidence from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 958-985.
    6. Yanyang Yan & Juan Wang & Sijia Qiao, 2022. "Effects of Industrial Policy on Firms’ Innovation Outputs: Evidence From China," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(3), pages 21582440221, September.
    7. Huang, Jingchang & Cao, June & Hasan, Tahseen & Zhao, Jing, 2021. "Low-carbon city initiatives and firm risk: A quasi-natural experiment in China," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    8. Cianci, Anna M. & Convery, Amanda M. & Evans, Mark E. & Hughen, Linda & Werner, Edward M., 2021. "The impact of costly regulation on R&D investment levels and productivity," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    9. Michael Dambra & Matthew Gustafson, 2021. "Do the Burdens to Being Public Affect the Investment and Innovation of Newly Public Firms?," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(1), pages 594-616, January.
    10. David Hillier & Patrick McColgan & Athanasios Tsekeris, 2022. "How did the Sarbanes–Oxley Act affect managerial incentives? Evidence from corporate acquisitions," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 58(4), pages 1395-1450, May.
    11. Bedford, Anna & Ma, Le & Ma, Nelson & Vojvoda, Kristina, 2022. "Australian innovation: Patent database construction and first evidence," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    12. Xu, Si & He, Xiaoyi & Cao, Chunfang, 2023. "Struggle for survival in credit crunch: The effect of interest rate deregulation in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    13. Gordon, Elizabeth A. & Hsu, Hsiao-Tang & Huang, Huichi, 2020. "Peer R&D disclosure and corporate innovation: Evidence from American depositary receipt firms," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    14. Dai, Yanke & Du, Ting & Gao, Huasheng & Gu, Yan & Wang, Yongqin, 2024. "Patent pledgeability, trade secrecy, and corporate patenting," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    15. Liu, Yurou, 2023. "Judicial independence and crash risk: Evidence from a natural experiment in China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).

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