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The voice of minority shareholders: Online voting and corporate social responsibility

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  • Feng, Yumei
  • Pan, Yuying
  • Wang, Lu
  • Sensoy, Ahmet

Abstract

In 2014, the Shenzhen Stock Exchange introduced “Rules for the Implementation of Online Voting” to standardize the implementation of online voting for its listed companies. Using this event as an exogenous shock, we design a difference-in-differences model to show that minority shareholders’ participation in online voting improves firms’ corporate social responsibility performance. We reveal that this improvement is achieved through minority shareholders’ positive influence on firms’ internal control and transparency and is more pronounced for private firms and firms with lower levels of profitability and less external monitoring. Accordingly, since the standardization of online voting, minority shareholders have played an important role in corporate governance and have a positive influence on firms’ sustainable development.

Suggested Citation

  • Feng, Yumei & Pan, Yuying & Wang, Lu & Sensoy, Ahmet, 2021. "The voice of minority shareholders: Online voting and corporate social responsibility," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:riibaf:v:57:y:2021:i:c:s0275531921000295
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ribaf.2021.101408
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Minority shareholders; Online voting; Corporate social responsibility; Corporate internal control; Information transparency;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M14 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Corporate Culture; Diversity; Social Responsibility
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • 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

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