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What Matters for Corporate Cash Holdings Board Governance, Financial Constraints, or Interactions?

Author

Listed:
  • Abid Hussain
  • Beata Gavurova
  • Masood Ahmed
  • Muhammad Asif Khan
  • József Popp

Abstract

Corporate cash holdings have received increased attention from researchers and practitioners as cash management is a crucial task for executives. Holding too much cash can result in low returns and mismanagement by managers. Conversely, holding low cash reserves can lead to missed investment opportunities. The present study examines the relationship between board governance, financial constraints, and corporate cash holdings. The robust fixed-effects method is used in this study to analyze 860 A-listed firms in China from 2005 to 2020. An index is designed to measure board effectiveness, while financial constraints are measured using Z-score, the Kaplan and Zingales index, and the SA index. The major findings document that the financially less constrained firms hold more cash when there is an effective board governance. Furthermore, financially less constrained firms have more robust board governance to minimize the agency concerns of managers and shareholders. This research provides an inference for stockholders’ activism connected to the cash holdings of the financially constrained and less constrained companies. The findings offer useful policy implications for stakeholders to reform contemporary cash holding policies. Specifically, understanding the role of an effective governance system for financially less constrained firms would help minimize the potential agency conflict. JEL Classification: G34, O16, G32, F34

Suggested Citation

  • Abid Hussain & Beata Gavurova & Masood Ahmed & Muhammad Asif Khan & József Popp, 2023. "What Matters for Corporate Cash Holdings Board Governance, Financial Constraints, or Interactions?," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:sagope:v:13:y:2023:i:4:p:21582440231210618
    DOI: 10.1177/21582440231210618
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    board governance; corporate cash holdings; financial constraints; least constrained; China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; 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
    • F34 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - International Lending and Debt Problems

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