IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/bracre/v56y2024i6s0890838924000994.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

From apathy to activism: Shareholder dissent on director's pay proposals and board effectiveness

Author

Listed:
  • Ke, Chan
  • Zhang, Xuezhi
  • Zhou, Zixun

Abstract

Using a hand-collected dataset of shareholder voting on 10,805 director compensation proposals at general shareholder meetings of Chinese listed firms from 2010 to 2019, we provide novel empirical evidence on board reactions to shareholder dissent. We find that boards of directors facing shareholder dissent significantly improve their monitoring and advising effectiveness. Specifically, they reduce the likelihood of financial restatements, improve CEO performance-turnover sensitivity, and improve corporate investment efficiency. Our findings are robust to propensity score matching, instrumental variable estimation and the exogenous shock of mandatory online voting. Moreover, independent directors facing dissent are more likely to vote against board proposals and to reduce their absences from board meetings. The mechanism analysis shows that shareholder dissent operates through the reputation concern and market signal channels. The effect of dissent is more prominent for non-SOEs, for firms with more high-profile directors, and for firms with less powerful CEOs. Besides, the improved board effectiveness induced by shareholder dissent leads to better firm performance. Overall, our findings highlight the role of shareholder voting in emerging markets with concentrated ownership and weak investor protection.

Suggested Citation

  • Ke, Chan & Zhang, Xuezhi & Zhou, Zixun, 2024. "From apathy to activism: Shareholder dissent on director's pay proposals and board effectiveness," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(6).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:bracre:v:56:y:2024:i:6:s0890838924000994
    DOI: 10.1016/j.bar.2024.101360
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0890838924000994
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.bar.2024.101360?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

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yonca Ertimur & Fabrizio Ferri & David Oesch, 2018. "Understanding Uncontested Director Elections," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 64(7), pages 3400-3420, July.
    2. Wang, Qiong & Qiu, Muqing, 2023. "Strength in numbers: Minority shareholders' participation and executives' pay-performance sensitivity," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    3. Bebchuk, Lucian Arye & Fried, Jesse & Walker, David I, 2002. "Managerial Power and Rent Extraction in the Design of Executive Compensation," CEPR Discussion Papers 3558, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    4. Zhu, Jigao & Ye, Kangtao & Tucker, Jennifer Wu & Chan, Kam (Johnny) C., 2016. "Board hierarchy, independent directors, and firm value: Evidence from China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 262-279.
    5. Walid Alissa, 2015. "Boards' Response to Shareholders' Dissatisfaction: The Case of Shareholders' Say on Pay in the UK," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(4), pages 727-752, December.
    6. Feng Guo & Chenxi Lin & Adi Masli & Michael S. Wilkins, 2021. "Auditor Responses to Shareholder Activism," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 38(1), pages 63-95, March.
    7. Fischer, Paul E. & Gramlich, Jeffrey D. & Miller, Brian P. & White, Hal D., 2009. "Investor perceptions of board performance: Evidence from uncontested director elections," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(2-3), pages 172-189, December.
    8. Weisbach, Michael S., 1988. "Outside directors and CEO turnover," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 20(1-2), pages 431-460, January.
    9. Pablo Ruiz‐Verdú & Ravi Singh, 2021. "Public Thrift, Private Perks: Signaling Board Independence with Executive Pay," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 76(2), pages 845-891, April.
    10. Lee, Charles M.C. & Zhong, Qinlin, 2022. "Shall we talk? The role of interactive investor platforms in corporate communication," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(2).
    11. Gorshunov, Mikhail A. & Armenakis, Achilles A. & Harris, Stanley G. & Walker, H. Jack, 2021. "Quad-qualified audit committee director: Implications for monitoring and reducing financial corruption," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    12. Jensen, Michael C. & Ruback, Richard S., 1983. "The market for corporate control : The scientific evidence," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 11(1-4), pages 5-50, April.
    13. Michael S. Drake & Jacob R. Thornock & Brady J. Twedt, 2017. "The internet as an information intermediary," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 543-576, June.
    14. He, Wen & Luo, Jin-hui, 2018. "Agency problems in firms with an even number of directors: Evidence from China," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 139-150.
    15. Rafael La Porta & Florencio Lopez‐De‐Silanes & Andrei Shleifer, 1999. "Corporate Ownership Around the World," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 54(2), pages 471-517, April.
    16. Yinju Nie & Ming Jia, 2021. "The power of crowds: can minority shareholder activism promote management earnings forecast accuracy," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 61(5), pages 6333-6385, December.
    17. Peter Iliev & Svetla Vitanova, 2019. "The Effect of the Say-on-Pay Vote in the United States," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(10), pages 4505-4521, October.
    18. Del Guercio, Diane & Seery, Laura & Woidtke, Tracie, 2008. "Do boards pay attention when institutional investor activists "just vote no"?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(1), pages 84-103, October.
    19. Alina G. Andrei & J. (Hans) van Oosterhout & Steve Sauerwald, 2023. "Symbolic Shareholder Democracy: Toward a Behavioral Understanding of the Role of Shareholder Voting in CEO Dismissals," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 34(5), pages 1736-1758, September.
    20. Lin, Jing & Li, Fang & Zheng, Steven Xiaofan & Zhou, Mingshan, 2023. "Minority shareholder voting and dividend policy," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    21. Sudhakar V. Balachandran & Peter Joos & Joseph Weber, 2012. "Do Voting Rights Matter? Evidence From the Adoption of Equity†Based Compensation Plans," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(4), pages 1204-1236, December.
    22. Michael Firth & Chen Lin & Sonia Man-lai Wong & Xiaofeng Zhao, 2019. "Hello, is anybody there? Corporate accessibility for outside shareholders as a signal of agency problems," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 1317-1358, December.
    23. Diane K Denis & Torsten Jochem & Anjana Rajamani & Wei Jiang, 2020. "Shareholder Governance and CEO Compensation: The Peer Effects of Say on Pay," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 33(7), pages 3130-3173.
    24. Aggarwal, Reena & Dahiya, Sandeep & Prabhala, Nagpurnanand R., 2019. "The power of shareholder votes: Evidence from uncontested director elections," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 133(1), pages 134-153.
    25. Ole-Kristian Hope & Haihao Lu & Sasan Saiy, 2019. "Director compensation and related party transactions," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 1392-1426, December.
    26. Fried, Jesse M. & Kamar, Ehud & Yafeh, Yishay, 2020. "The effect of minority veto rights on controller pay tunneling," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 138(3), pages 777-788.
    27. 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.
    28. Fedaseyeu, Viktar & Linck, James S. & Wagner, Hannes F., 2018. "Do qualifications matter? New evidence on board functions and director compensation," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 816-839.
    29. Fich, Eliezer M. & Shivdasani, Anil, 2007. "Financial fraud, director reputation, and shareholder wealth," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(2), pages 306-336, November.
    30. Cao, Jerry & Wang, Hanyang & Zhou, Sili, 2022. "Soft activism and corporate dividend policy: Evidence from institutional investors site visits," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    31. Brunarski, Kelly R. & Campbell, T. Colin & Harman, Yvette S., 2015. "Evidence on the outcome of Say-On-Pay votes: How managers, directors, and shareholders respond," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 132-149.
    32. George Drymiotes & Haijin Lin & Yonca Ertimur, 2020. "Shareholder Empowerment and Board of Directors Effectiveness," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 37(4), pages 2649-2695, December.
    33. Bang Dang Nguyen, 2012. "Does the Rolodex Matter? Corporate Elite's Small World and the Effectiveness of Boards of Directors," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 58(2), pages 236-252, February.
    34. Doron Levit, 2019. "Soft Shareholder Activism," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 32(7), pages 2775-2808.
    35. Li, Yi & Wang, Pengfei & Zhang, Wei, 2023. "Does online interaction between firms and investors reduce stock price crash risk?," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 55(4).
    36. 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).
    37. Wei Jiang & Hualin Wan & Shan Zhao, 2016. "Reputation Concerns of Independent Directors: Evidence from Individual Director Voting," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 29(3), pages 655-696.
    38. Xinni Cai & Fuxiu Jiang & Jun-Koo Kang & Wei Jiang, 2023. "Remote Board Meetings and Board Monitoring Effectiveness: Evidence from China," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 36(11), pages 4318-4372.
    39. 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.
    40. Shouyu Yao & Yuying Pan & Lu Wang & Ahmet Sensoy & Feiyang Cheng, 2023. "Building Eco-friendly Corporations: The Role of Minority Shareholders," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(4), pages 933-966, February.
    41. Peter Iliev & Karl V. Lins & Darius P. Miller & Lukas Roth, 2015. "Editor's Choice Shareholder Voting and Corporate Governance Around the World," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 28(8), pages 2167-2202.
    42. Na Li & Aida Sijamic Wahid, 2018. "Director Tenure Diversity and Board Monitoring Effectiveness," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 35(3), pages 1363-1394, September.
    43. Kim, Kyonghee & Mauldin, Elaine & Patro, Sukesh, 2014. "Outside directors and board advising and monitoring performance," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(2), pages 110-131.
    44. Claire Liu & Angie Low & Ronald W Masulis & Le Zhang & Wei Jiang, 2020. "Monitoring the Monitor: Distracted Institutional Investors and Board Governance," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 33(10), pages 4489-4531.
    45. Reggy Hooghiemstra & Yu Flora Kuang & Bo Qin, 2017. "Does obfuscating excessive CEO pay work? The influence of remuneration report readability on say-on-pay votes," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(6), pages 695-729, September.
    46. Michael Spence, 1973. "Job Market Signaling," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 87(3), pages 355-374.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Paul Tanyi & David B. Smith & Xiaoyan Cheng, 2021. "Does firm payout policy affect shareholders’ dissatisfaction with directors?," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 57(1), pages 279-320, July.
    2. Gregorio Sánchez‐Marín & María Encarnación Lucas‐Pérez & Samuel Baixauli‐Soler & Brian G.M. Main & Antonio Mínguez‐Vera, 2022. "Excess executive compensation and corporate governance in the United Kingdom and Spain: A comparative analysis," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(7), pages 2817-2837, October.
    3. Dutta, Shantanu & Officer, Micah S. & Wang, Ruixiang & Zhu, Pengcheng, 2025. "Do “say-on-pay” votes affect M&A decisions?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    4. Cao, Ning & McGuinness, Paul B. & Xi, Chao, 2024. "Majority-of-the-minority shareholder votes and investment efficiency," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    5. von Meyerinck, Felix & Romer, Jonas & Schmid, Markus, 2025. "CEO turnover and director reputation," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    6. Barbara Voußem & Utz Schäffer & Denis Schweizer, 2015. "Top management turnover under the influence of activist investors," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 19(3), pages 709-739, August.
    7. Dah, Mustafa A., 2025. "Refreshing boards: Countering CEO entrenchment," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    8. Balachandran, Balasingham & Williams, Barry, 2018. "Effective governance, financial markets, financial institutions & crises," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 1-15.
    9. Michael R. Janse van Vuuren & Nadia Mans-Kemp & Suzette Viviers, 2023. "Who monitors the monitors? An examination of listed companies in an emerging market context," International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 20(3), pages 213-230, September.
    10. Premepeh, kwadwo Boateng & Odartei-Mills, Eugene, 2015. "Corporate governance structure and shareholder wealth maximisation," MPRA Paper 68087, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Henrique Castro Martins & Cristiano Machado Costa, 2020. "Does control concentration affect board busyness? International evidence," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 24(3), pages 821-850, September.
    12. Wang, Qiong & Wang, Huajie & Wang, Kemin, 2024. "Making outside directors inside: Independent directors’ corporate site visits and real earnings management," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(6).
    13. Naaraayanan, S. Lakshmi & Nielsen, Kasper Meisner, 2021. "Does personal liability deter individuals from serving as independent directors?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 140(2), pages 621-643.
    14. Lozano-Reina, Gabriel & Sánchez-Marín, Gregorio & Baixauli-Soler, J. Samuel, 2022. "Say-on-Pay voting dispersion in listed family and non-family firms: A panel data analysis," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 13(1).
    15. Lin, Jing & Li, Fang & Zheng, Steven Xiaofan & Zhou, Mingshan, 2023. "Minority shareholder voting and dividend policy," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    16. Deore, Aishwarrya & Mahlendorf, Matthias D. & Wu, Fan, 2023. "CEOs' structural power, prestige power, and target ratcheting," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    17. Lai, Shaojie & Luo, Zixuan & Wang, Qing Sophie & Pu, Xiaoling, 2024. "Empowered minority shareholders and corporate cash dynamics: Empirical evidence from China's online voting reform," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 354-373.
    18. Davide Rizzotti & Claudia Frisenna & Roberta Mazzone, 2017. "The impact of family owners’ monitoring on CEO turnover decisions and the role of trust," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 21(3), pages 599-621, September.
    19. Martin Bugeja & Yaowen Shan & Yanglan Zu, 2024. "The disciplinary role of unsuccessful takeovers and changes in corporate governance," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 64(1), pages 941-973, March.
    20. Rachelle Belinga & Blanche Segrestin, 2018. "Principals and stewards? An exploration of the role of institutional investors in corporate governance," Post-Print hal-01791931, HAL.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • G38 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • K22 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - Business and Securities Law

    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:bracre:v:56:y:2024:i:6:s0890838924000994. 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: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/the-british-accounting-review .

    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.