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Can a not-for-profit minority institutional shareholder make a big difference in corporate governance? A quasi-natural experiment

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  • Ge, Wenxia
  • Ouyang, Caiyue
  • Shi, Zhenyang
  • Chen, Zhanliao

Abstract

In this study, we examine the effectiveness of the China Securities Investor Services Center (CSISC), a new minority shareholder protection mechanism promoted by the China Securities Regulatory Commission, in constraining earnings management. Employing a difference-in-differences analysis for a sample of Chinese listed companies during 2015–2017, we find that CSISC shareholding reduces earnings management. We also find that this effect exists in firms with weaker internal or external corporate governance mechanisms and in firms without political connections. The additional analyses show that the difference in earnings management between the treatment firms (i.e., CSISC-holding firms) and control firms is diminishing after the CSISC shareholding pilot program was promoted nationwide, and that CSISC shareholding also constrains controlling shareholders' tunneling. Our findings have important policy implications for emerging markets that attempt to improve minority shareholder protection.

Suggested Citation

  • Ge, Wenxia & Ouyang, Caiyue & Shi, Zhenyang & Chen, Zhanliao, 2022. "Can a not-for-profit minority institutional shareholder make a big difference in corporate governance? A quasi-natural experiment," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:corfin:v:72:y:2022:i:c:s0929119921002479
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2021.102125
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    Cited by:

    1. Zhang, Zixi & Cheng, Xiaoke & Cheng, Hanxiu & Sun, Qian, 2024. "Supervision of not-for-profit minority institutional shareholder and the cost of equity: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    2. Lu, Jing & Qiu, Yuhang, 2024. "Does minority shareholder activism reduce stock idiosyncratic risk?," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(PA).
    3. Hu, Yi & Jin, Shuchang & Gu, Qiankun & Tang, Ziling, 2022. "Can a not-for-profit minority institutional shareholder impede stock price crash risk: Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 47(PA).
    4. Chen, Shen & Chen, Yuran & Zhang, Di & Wang, Jinmei, 2023. "Can minority investor activism promote corporate risk-taking? Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    5. Wang, Zichen & Zhang, Chang, 2023. "Do shareholder litigations have spillover effects on peer companies from the perspective of financing constraints?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PB).
    6. Xu, Jing & Pan, Zheyao & Tian, Gary (Gang), 2023. "Does the threat of enforcement of financial regulations affect the cost of equity in weak institutional environments?," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 55(6).
    7. Huang, Fumian & Ge, Liming & Wu, Sirui, 2023. "Minority shareholder protection, corporate governance, and investment efficiency," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PC).
    8. Cui, Xin & Wen, Lulu & Huang, Kai & Li, Jiayi, 2024. "Free riding or participation in governance: Minority shareholders’ online voting and corporate responsiveness," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(PB).
    9. Lu, Qiaoshan & Xiang, Cheng & Li, Bingxiang & Feng, Lixuan, 2023. "Non-controlling shareholders' governance participation and corporate misconduct: Evidence from voting in general meetings," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    10. Zhu, Ruoyu & Xin, Xiaohui & Tan, Kehu, 2024. "Reverse mixed ownership reform: Does state-owned capital injection inhibit corporate leverage manipulation?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    11. Li, Lu & Zheng, Gaoping & Zhong, Angel, 2024. "Reforming private securities litigation in China: Does private enforcement by minority shareholders matter to corporate fraud?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    China Securities Investor Services Center; Corporate governance; Earnings management; Minority shareholder protection; Public enforcement;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • G38 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting

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