IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/corfin/v51y2018icp275-315.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Do executives benefit from shareholder disputes? Evidence from multiple large shareholders in Chinese listed firms

Author

Listed:
  • Fang, Yuanli
  • Hu, Maggie
  • Yang, Qingsen

Abstract

Prior research documents that ownership by multiple large shareholders (MLS) could alleviate agency conflicts between controlling shareholders and small shareholders through improved monitoring. We provide evidence of a “dark side” to MLS. Using a sample of Chinese listed firms during 2005–2014, we find a positive association between the presence of MLS and excess executive compensation. Furthermore, excess compensation is greater in firms in which the different types of large shareholders have relatively equal voting power. Overall, these results imply that coordination friction among MLS reduces large shareholders' monitoring efficiency and exacerbates agency problems between shareholders and executives.

Suggested Citation

  • Fang, Yuanli & Hu, Maggie & Yang, Qingsen, 2018. "Do executives benefit from shareholder disputes? Evidence from multiple large shareholders in Chinese listed firms," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 275-315.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:corfin:v:51:y:2018:i:c:p:275-315
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2018.06.008
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0929119917306429
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2018.06.008?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kai Li & Tan Wang & Yan-Leung Cheung & Ping Jiang, 2011. "Privatization and Risk Sharing: Evidence from the Split Share Structure Reform in China," Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 24(7), pages 2499-2525.
    2. Shleifer, Andrei & Vishny, Robert W., 1989. "Management entrenchment : The case of manager-specific investments," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 123-139, November.
    3. Ben-Nasr, Hamdi & Boubaker, Sabri & Rouatbi, Wael, 2015. "Ownership structure, control contestability, and corporate debt maturity," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 265-285.
    4. Anderson, Ronald C. & Mansi, Sattar A. & Reeb, David M., 2003. "Founding family ownership and the agency cost of debt," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(2), pages 263-285, May.
    5. Boubaker, Sabri & Cellier, Alexis & Rouatbi, Wael, 2014. "The sources of shareholder wealth gains from going private transactions: The role of controlling shareholders," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 226-246.
    6. Gantchev, Nickolay, 2013. "The costs of shareholder activism: Evidence from a sequential decision model," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(3), pages 610-631.
    7. Zhang, Min & M, Lijun & Zhang, Bo & Yi, Zhihong, 2016. "Pyramidal structure, political intervention and firms' tax burden: Evidence from China's local SOEs," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 15-25.
    8. Larcker, David F. & Ormazabal, Gaizka & Taylor, Daniel J., 2011. "The market reaction to corporate governance regulation," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(2), pages 431-448, August.
    9. Zhu, Wenyu & Yang, Jiawen, 2016. "State ownership, cross-border acquisition, and risk-taking: Evidence from China’s banking industry," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 133-153.
    10. Chen, Ruiyuan & El Ghoul, Sadok & Guedhami, Omrane & Wang, He, 2017. "Do state and foreign ownership affect investment efficiency? Evidence from privatizations," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 408-421.
    11. Carter, Mary Ellen & Li, Lei & Marcus, Alan J. & Tehranian, Hassan, 2016. "Excess pay and deficient performance," Review of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 1-10.
    12. Wang, Kun & Xiao, Xing, 2011. "Controlling shareholders' tunneling and executive compensation: Evidence from China," Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 89-100, January.
    13. Boubakri, Narjess & Cosset, Jean-Claude & Saffar, Walid, 2008. "Political connections of newly privatized firms," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 14(5), pages 654-673, December.
    14. Fogel, Kathy & Morck, Randall & Yeung, Bernard, 2008. "Big business stability and economic growth: Is what's good for General Motors good for America?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(1), pages 83-108, July.
    15. J. W. Milnor & L. S. Shapley, 1978. "Values of Large Games II: Oceanic Games," Mathematics of Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 3(4), pages 290-307, November.
    16. Larrain, Borja & Urzúa I., Francisco, 2013. "Controlling shareholders and market timing in share issuance," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(3), pages 661-681.
    17. Chung, Huimin & Judge, William Q. & Li, Yi-Hua, 2015. "Voluntary disclosure, excess executive compensation, and firm value," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 64-90.
    18. Guthrie, Katherine & Sokolowsky, Jan, 2010. "Large shareholders and the pressure to manage earnings," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 302-319, June.
    19. Khaw, Karren Lee-Hwei & Liao, Jing & Tripe, David & Wongchoti, Udomsak, 2016. "Gender diversity, state control, and corporate risk-taking: Evidence from China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 141-158.
    20. Maury, Benjamin & Pajuste, Anete, 2005. "Multiple large shareholders and firm value," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 29(7), pages 1813-1834, July.
    21. Conyon, Martin J. & He, Lerong, 2011. "Executive compensation and corporate governance in China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 1158-1175, September.
    22. Liu, Qiao & Lu, Zhou (Joe), 2007. "Corporate governance and earnings management in the Chinese listed companies: A tunneling perspective," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 13(5), pages 881-906, December.
    23. Jiang, Fuxiu & Kim, Kenneth A. & Nofsinger, John R. & Zhu, Bing, 2017. "A pecking order of shareholder structure," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 1-14.
    24. Chakraborty, Indraneel & Gantchev, Nickolay, 2013. "Does shareholder coordination matter? Evidence from private placements," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 108(1), pages 213-230.
    25. John, Kose & Mehran, Hamid & Qian, Yiming, 2010. "Outside monitoring and CEO compensation in the banking industry," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 16(4), pages 383-399, September.
    26. Attig, Najah & Guedhami, Omrane & Mishra, Dev, 2008. "Multiple large shareholders, control contests, and implied cost of equity," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 14(5), pages 721-737, December.
    27. David Yermack, 2010. "Shareholder Voting and Corporate Governance," Annual Review of Financial Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 2(1), pages 103-125, December.
    28. Perryman, Alexa A. & Fernando, Guy D. & Tripathy, Arindam, 2016. "Do gender differences persist? An examination of gender diversity on firm performance, risk, and executive compensation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 579-586.
    29. Heron, Randall A. & Lie, Erik, 2007. "Does backdating explain the stock price pattern around executive stock option grants?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(2), pages 271-295, February.
    30. Luc Laeven & Ross Levine, 2008. "Complex Ownership Structures and Corporate Valuations," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 21(2), pages 579-604, April.
    31. Brick, Ivan E. & Palmon, Oded & Wald, John K., 2006. "CEO compensation, director compensation, and firm performance: Evidence of cronyism?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 403-423, June.
    32. Bergstresser, Daniel & Philippon, Thomas, 2006. "CEO incentives and earnings management," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(3), pages 511-529, June.
    33. Cai, Jie & Walkling, Ralph A., 2011. "Shareholders’ Say on Pay: Does It Create Value?," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 46(2), pages 299-339, April.
    34. Firth, Michael & Fung, Peter M.Y. & Rui, Oliver M., 2006. "Corporate performance and CEO compensation in China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 12(4), pages 693-714, September.
    35. Jensen, Michael C. & Meckling, William H., 1976. "Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 305-360, October.
    36. Choe, Chongwoo & Tian, Gloria Y. & Yin, Xiangkang, 2014. "CEO power and the structure of CEO pay," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 237-248.
    37. Bebchuk, Lucian A. & Cremers, K.J. Martijn & Peyer, Urs C., 2011. "The CEO pay slice," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(1), pages 199-221, October.
    38. Lucian Arye Bebchuk & Jesse M. Fried, 2003. "Executive Compensation as an Agency Problem," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 17(3), pages 71-92, Summer.
    39. Lin, Tsui-Jung & Tsai, Han-Fang & Imamah, Nur & Hung, Jung-Hua, 2016. "Does the identity of multiple large shareholders affect the value of excess cash? Evidence from China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 40(PA), pages 173-190.
    40. Cheng, Minying & Lin, Bingxuan & Wei, Minghai, 2015. "Executive compensation in family firms: The effect of multiple family members," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 238-257.
    41. Li Liao & Bibo Liu & Hao Wang, 2011. "Information Discovery in Share Lockups: Evidence from the Split‐Share Structure Reform in China," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 40(4), pages 1001-1027, December.
    42. Bebchuk, Lucian A. & Fried, Jesse M., 2003. "Executive Compensation as an Agency Problem," Berkeley Olin Program in Law & Economics, Working Paper Series qt81q3136r, Berkeley Olin Program in Law & Economics.
    43. Morgan, Angela & Poulsen, Annette & Wolf, Jack, 2006. "The evolution of shareholder voting for executive compensation schemes," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 12(4), pages 715-737, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Zhang, Shengling & Wu, Zihao & He, Yinan & Hao, Yu, 2022. "How does the green credit policy affect the technological innovation of enterprises? Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    2. Ji-Hyun Lee & Su-Yol Lee, 2022. "Effect of the Absence of Unethical Controlling Shareholders on Firm Value and the Moderating Role of Corporate Governance: Evidence from South Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-15, March.
    3. Hui Xia & Shixian Ling & Zhangxin (Frank) Liu, 2023. "Heterogeneous Blockholders and Enterprise Innovation: Evidence From the Mixed-Ownership Reform in China," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, November.
    4. Zhong, Ruohan & Li, Yanxi & Wang, Yun, 2021. "Multiple large shareholders, control contests, and forced CEO turnover," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).
    5. Sabri Boubaker & Riadh Manita & Wael Rouatbi, 2021. "Large shareholders, control contestability and firm productive efficiency," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 296(1), pages 591-614, January.
    6. Wei Wang & Shi Liang & Ruichao Yu & Yumin Su, 2022. "Theoretical Evidence for Green Innovation Driven by Multiple Major Shareholders: Empirical Evidence from Chinese Listed Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-18, April.
    7. Cheng, Feiyang & Chiao, Chaoshin & Fang, Zhenming & Wang, Chunfeng & Yao, Shouyu, 2020. "Raising short-term debt for long-term investment and stock price crash risk: Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 33(C).
    8. Feng Niu & Liuzhen Zhang & Wunhong Su, 2023. "Association between state ownership participation and the performance of private firms: Evidence from China," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(4), pages 979-1006, October.
    9. Bukalska Elżbieta & Zabediuk Myroslava & Mostovenko Nataliia, 2023. "Conflict of interests among shareholders – does it refer to dividend decisions?," Folia Oeconomica Stetinensia, Sciendo, vol. 23(1), pages 16-41, June.
    10. Cui, Xin & Sensoy, Ahmet & Nguyen, Duc Khuong & Yao, Shouyu & Wu, Yiyao, 2022. "Positive information shocks, investor behavior and stock price crash risk," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 493-518.
    11. Jiang, Fuxiu & Shen, Yanyan & Cai, Xinni, 2022. "Can multiple blockholders restrain corporate financialization?," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    12. Bian, Wenlong & Ren, Yan & Zhang, Hao, 2022. "Do multiple large shareholders matter in financial firms? Evidence from China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    13. Rongli Yuan & Yadong Han & Zhanliao Chen, 2023. "Multiple Large Shareholders and Financial Reporting Quality: Evidence from China," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 59(1), pages 197-229, March.
    14. Ouyang, Caiyue & Xiong, Jiacai & Huang, Kun, 2020. "Do multiple large shareholders affect tax avoidance? Evidence from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 207-224.
    15. Mu-Shun Wang, 2022. "Shareholder Disputes and Commonality in Liquidity: Evidence from the Equity Markets in China," Asia-Pacific Financial Markets, Springer;Japanese Association of Financial Economics and Engineering, vol. 29(2), pages 291-325, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Rongli Yuan & Yadong Han & Zhanliao Chen, 2023. "Multiple Large Shareholders and Financial Reporting Quality: Evidence from China," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 59(1), pages 197-229, March.
    2. Jiang, Fuxiu & Ma, Yunbiao & Wang, Xue, 2020. "Multiple blockholders and earnings management," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    3. Cheng, Minying & Lin, Bingxuan & Wei, Minghai, 2015. "Executive compensation in family firms: The effect of multiple family members," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 238-257.
    4. Dan Zhang & Shiguang Ma & Xiaofei Pan, 2021. "Institutional investors, controlling shareholders and CEO pay‐performance relationship: evidence from China," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 61(1), pages 467-498, March.
    5. Jiang, Fuxiu & Cai, Wenjing & Wang, Xue & Zhu, Bing, 2018. "Multiple large shareholders and corporate investment: Evidence from China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 66-83.
    6. Ricardo Correa & Ugur Lel, 2013. "Say on pay laws, executive compensation, CEO pay slice, and firm value around the world," International Finance Discussion Papers 1084, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    7. Sabri Boubaker & Riadh Manita & Wael Rouatbi, 2021. "Large shareholders, control contestability and firm productive efficiency," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 296(1), pages 591-614, January.
    8. Wang, Qiong & Qiu, Muqing, 2023. "Strength in numbers: Minority shareholders' participation and executives' pay-performance sensitivity," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    9. Sun, Sophia Li & Habib, Ahsan & Huang, Hedy Jiaying, 2019. "Tournament incentives and stock price crash risk: Evidence from China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 93-117.
    10. Correa, Ricardo & Lel, Ugur, 2016. "Say on pay laws, executive compensation, pay slice, and firm valuation around the world," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 122(3), pages 500-520.
    11. Amon Chizema & Wei Jiang & Jing-Ming Kuo & Xiaoqi Song, 2020. "Mutual funds, tunneling and firm performance: evidence from China," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 55(1), pages 355-387, July.
    12. Ben-Nasr, Hamdi & Boubaker, Sabri & Rouatbi, Wael, 2015. "Ownership structure, control contestability, and corporate debt maturity," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 265-285.
    13. Jiang, Fuxiu & Kim, Kenneth A. & Nofsinger, John R. & Zhu, Bing, 2017. "A pecking order of shareholder structure," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 1-14.
    14. Muhammad Fayyaz Sheikh & Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah & Saeed Akbar, 2018. "Firm performance, corporate governance and executive compensation in Pakistan," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(18), pages 2012-2027, April.
    15. Jiang, Lin & Kling, Gerhard & Bo, Hong & Driver, Ciaran, 2017. "Why do firms adopt stock options and who benefits? A natural experiment in China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 46(PA), pages 124-140.
    16. Liang, Hao & Renneboog, Luc & Sun, Sunny Li, 2015. "The political determinants of executive compensation: Evidence from an emerging economy," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 69-91.
    17. Pamela Kent & Kim Kercher & James Routledge, 2018. "Remuneration committees, shareholder dissent on CEO pay and the CEO pay–performance link," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 58(2), pages 445-475, June.
    18. Sun, Sophia Li & Habib, Ahsan, 2020. "Determinants and consequences of tournament incentives: A survey of the literature in accounting and finance," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    19. Muhammad Fayyaz Sheikh & Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah, 2016. "Executive Compensation, Firm Performance And Corporate Governance In An Emerging Economy," Proceedings of Business and Management Conferences 4406477, International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences.
    20. Suveera Gill & Manika Kohli, 2018. "Perceptual Determinants of Executive Compensation: Survey-Based Evidence from India," Indian Journal of Corporate Governance, , vol. 11(2), pages 159-184, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Multiple large shareholders; Shareholder identity; Excess compensation; Chinese firms;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G3 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and 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

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:corfin:v:51:y:2018:i:c:p:275-315. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jcorpfin .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.