IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v12y2020i20p8754-d432670.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Role of Foreign and Domestic Institutional Investors in Corporate Sustainability: Focusing on R&D Investment

Author

Listed:
  • Ilhang Shin

    (College of Business, Gachon University, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13120, Korea)

  • Sorah Park

    (Ewha School of Business, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea)

Abstract

This paper examines the effects of ownership by foreign and domestic institutional investors on corporate sustainability by focusing on the level of research and development (R&D) investment. Long-term investment in R&D is crucial for companies that seek to generate sustainable growth. Ordinary least-squares regression is performed on a sample of Korean listed companies. The main test with both foreign and domestic institutional ownership is based on a study period from 2001 to 2004. The results indicate that firms with higher levels of foreign institutional ownership exhibit greater levels of corporate R&D activities, while the ownership by domestic institutions has no significant influence on firms’ R&D investment. An additional test with foreign institutional ownership data is based on an extended study period from 2001 to 2014, and shows that foreign institutional ownership is positively related to firms’ R&D investment. This result survives the two-stage instrumental variable approach used to address endogeneity factors in foreign institutional ownership. Taken together, these findings suggest that foreign institutions can effectively monitor managerial myopia and promote corporate innovations.

Suggested Citation

  • Ilhang Shin & Sorah Park, 2020. "Role of Foreign and Domestic Institutional Investors in Corporate Sustainability: Focusing on R&D Investment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-13, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:20:p:8754-:d:432670
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/20/8754/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/20/8754/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Steve Letza & Xiuping Sun & James Kirkbride, 2004. "Shareholding Versus Stakeholding: a critical review of corporate governance," Corporate Governance: An International Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 12(3), pages 242-262, July.
    2. Robert J. Gordon, 2004. "Five Puzzles in the Behavior of Productivity, Investment, and Innovation," NBER Working Papers 10660, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Shleifer, Andrei & Vishny, Robert W, 1997. "A Survey of Corporate Governance," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 52(2), pages 737-783, June.
    4. Miguel A. Ferreira & Massimo Massa & Pedro Matos, 2010. "Shareholders at the Gate? Institutional Investors and Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 23(2), pages 601-644, February.
    5. Dechow, Patricia M. & Sloan, Richard G., 1991. "Executive incentives and the horizon problem : An empirical investigation," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 14(1), pages 51-89, March.
    6. Kim, Hyun-Dong & Kim, Taeyeon & Kim, Yura & Park, Kwangwoo, 2019. "Do long-term institutional investors promote corporate social responsibility activities?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 256-269.
    7. René M. Stulz, 2007. "The Limits of Financial Globalization," Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, Morgan Stanley, vol. 19(1), pages 8-15, January.
    8. Won Oh & Young Chang & Aleksey Martynov, 2011. "The Effect of Ownership Structure on Corporate Social Responsibility: Empirical Evidence from Korea," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 104(2), pages 283-297, December.
    9. John Asker & Joan Farre-Mensa & Alexander Ljungqvist, 2015. "Corporate Investment and Stock Market Listing: A Puzzle?," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 28(2), pages 342-390.
    10. Aggarwal, Reena & Erel, Isil & Ferreira, Miguel & Matos, Pedro, 2011. "Does governance travel around the world? Evidence from institutional investors," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(1), pages 154-181, April.
    11. Choi, Jongmoo Jay & Park, Sae Woon & Yoo, Sean Sehyun, 2007. "The Value of Outside Directors: Evidence from Corporate Governance Reform in Korea," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 42(4), pages 941-962, December.
    12. Ilhang Shin & Sorah Park & Seong Pyo Cho & Seungho Choi, 2020. "The effect of labor unions on innovation and market valuation in business group affiliations: new evidence from South Korea," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 19(2), pages 239-270, April.
    13. Cremers, Martijn & Ferreira, Miguel A. & Matos, Pedro & Starks, Laura, 2016. "Indexing and active fund management: International evidence," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(3), pages 539-560.
    14. Yakov Amihud & Baruch Lev, 1981. "Risk Reduction as a Managerial Motive for Conglomerate Mergers," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 12(2), pages 605-617, Autumn.
    15. Shleifer, Andrei & Vishny, Robert W, 1986. "Large Shareholders and Corporate Control," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 94(3), pages 461-488, June.
    16. Bena, Jan & Ferreira, Miguel A & Matos, Pedro & Pires, Pedro, 2017. "Are foreign investors locusts? The long-term effects of foreign institutional ownership," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(1), pages 122-146.
    17. Jose-Manuel Prado-Lorenzo & Isabel-Maria Garcia-Sanchez, 2010. "The Role of the Board of Directors in Disseminating Relevant Information on Greenhouse Gases," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 97(3), pages 391-424, December.
    18. Eskeland, Gunnar S. & Harrison, Ann E., 2003. "Moving to greener pastures? Multinationals and the pollution haven hypothesis," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(1), pages 1-23, February.
    19. Chung, Kee H. & Wright, Peter & Kedia, Ben, 2003. "Corporate governance and market valuation of capital and R&D investments," Review of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 12(2), pages 161-172.
    20. Fama, Eugene F & Jensen, Michael C, 1983. "Separation of Ownership and Control," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 26(2), pages 301-325, June.
    21. King, Tao-Hsien Dolly & Wen, Min-Ming, 2011. "Shareholder governance, bondholder governance, and managerial risk-taking," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 512-531, March.
    22. Ferreira, Miguel A. & Matos, Pedro, 2008. "The colors of investors' money: The role of institutional investors around the world," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(3), pages 499-533, June.
    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. Mingyuan Guo & Chendi Zheng, 2021. "Foreign Ownership and Corporate Social Responsibility: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-22, January.
    2. Junqin Huang & Youliang Liao & Bin Lin & Lawrence Loh, 2022. "Supporter or Supervisor? The Role of Chief Financial Officers in Corporate Innovation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-18, August.

    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. Nguyen, Pascal, 2012. "The impact of foreign investors on the risk-taking of Japanese firms," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 233-248.
    2. García-Sánchez, Isabel-María & Aibar-Guzmán, Cristina & Aibar-Guzmán, Beatriz, 2020. "The effect of institutional ownership and ownership dispersion on eco-innovation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    3. Garner, Jacqueline L. & Kim, Won Yong, 2013. "Are foreign investors really beneficial? Evidence from South Korea," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 62-84.
    4. Young Mok Choi & Kunsu Park, 2019. "Foreign Ownership, Agency Costs, and Long-Term Firm Growth: Evidence from Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-17, March.
    5. Dasgupta, Amil & Fos, Vyacheslav & Sautner, Zacharias, 2021. "Institutional investors and corporate governance," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 112114, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    6. Caselli, Stefano & Gatti, Stefano & Chiarella, Carlo & Gigante, Gimede & Negri, Giulia, 2023. "Do shareholders really matter for firm performance? Evidence from the ownership characteristics of Italian listed companies," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    7. Ameen Qasem & Shaker Dahan AL-Duais & Wan Nordin Wan-Hussin & Hasan Mohamad Bamahros & Abdulsalam Alquhaif & Murad Thomran, 2022. "Institutional Ownership Types and ESG Reporting: The Case of Saudi Listed Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-23, September.
    8. Ormazabal, Gaizka, 2018. "The Role of Stakeholders in Corporate Governance: A View from Accounting Research," CEPR Discussion Papers 12775, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    9. Ye, Zhiqiang & Zhang, Fangfang & Zhang, Shunming, 2021. "Export effect and influence mechanism of foreign ownership," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 258-276.
    10. Driss, Hamdi & Drobetz, Wolfgang & El Ghoul, Sadok & Guedhami, Omrane, 2021. "Institutional investment horizons, corporate governance, and credit ratings: International evidence," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    11. Cui, Di & Ding, Mingfa & Han, Yikai & Suardi, Sandy, 2022. "Foreign shareholders, relative foreign policy uncertainty and corporate cash holdings," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    12. Liang, Quanxi & Gao, Wenlian & Xie, Hongji, 2022. "Do foreign investors deter corporate fraud? Evidence from China," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 92-111.
    13. Aziz Jaafar & Lynn Hodgkinson & Mao-Feng Kao, 2019. "Ownership Structure, Board of Directors and Firm Performance: Evidence from Taiwan," Working Papers 19011, Bangor Business School, Prifysgol Bangor University (Cymru / Wales).
    14. Haozhe Han, 2023. "Does increasing the QFII quota promote Chinese institutional investors to drive ESG?," Asia-Pacific Journal of Accounting & Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(6), pages 1627-1643, November.
    15. Ling Jong & Poh-Ling Ho, 2018. "Inside the family firms: The impact of family and institutional ownership on executive remuneration," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 6(1), pages 1432095-143, January.
    16. Agyenim Boateng & XiaoGang Bi & Sanjukta Brahma, 2017. "The impact of firm ownership, board monitoring on operating performance of Chinese mergers and acquisitions," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 49(4), pages 925-948, November.
    17. Croci, Ettore & Gonenc, Halit & Ozkan, Neslihan, 2012. "CEO compensation, family control, and institutional investors in Continental Europe," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(12), pages 3318-3335.
    18. Kabir, Md Nurul & Miah, Mohammad Dulal & Ali, Searat & Sharma, Parmendra, 2020. "Institutional and foreign ownership vis-à-vis default risk: Evidence from Japanese firms," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 469-493.
    19. Christian Engelen, 2015. "The effects of managerial discretion on moral hazard related behaviour: German evidence on agency costs," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 19(4), pages 927-960, November.
    20. Ke, Bin & Petroni, Kathy & Safieddine, Assem, 1999. "Ownership concentration and sensitivity of executive pay to accounting performance measures: Evidence from publicly and privately-held insurance companies," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 185-209, December.

    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:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:20:p:8754-:d:432670. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.