IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/reveco/v102y2025ics1059056025004411.html

Corporate governance level, financial robustness, and goodwill bubbles

Author

Listed:
  • Che, Weina
  • Jia, Haoyi

Abstract

In recent years, a significant increase in merger and acquisition activities has led to a rapid expansion of goodwill, raising concerns about the potential for goodwill bubbles and their impact on corporate financial health and capital market stability. This study examines the impact of corporate governance on goodwill bubble risk using financial data from listed firms spanning from 2010 to 2023. The findings reveal that enhanced corporate governance significantly reduces the likelihood of goodwill bubbles, although the impact varies across different industries, managerial structures, and liquidity levels. Corporate governance mitigates bubble risk by improving firms' financial soundness. However, this restraining effect is diminished in firms facing higher financing constraints. This study enriches the existing literature and provides practical insights for optimizing governance structures and preventing goodwill bubble risks, contributing to high-quality corporate development and capital market stability.

Suggested Citation

  • Che, Weina & Jia, Haoyi, 2025. "Corporate governance level, financial robustness, and goodwill bubbles," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:reveco:v:102:y:2025:i:c:s1059056025004411
    DOI: 10.1016/j.iref.2025.104278
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1059056025004411
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.iref.2025.104278?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. Fu, Shaozheng & Yang, Jinkun & Liu, Jiajia & Hu, Guoqiang, 2024. "Non-controlling shareholders' network and excess goodwill: Evidence from listed companies in China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 96(PB).
    2. Hao, Jing, 2023. "Retail investor attention and corporate innovation in the big data era," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    3. Wang, Muyun & Zhang, Ying, 2024. "Excess goodwill and enterprise litigation risk," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 67(PB).
    4. Feng, Jia & Tang, JiJun & Qi, Zhenyu & Liu, Jialin, 2024. "Supply Chain Finance and Innovation Investment: Based on financing constraints," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    5. Gao, Yihong & Pan, Xingyu & Ye, Qiaoyan, 2023. "Corporate governance effects of state asset protection: A perspective on real earnings management," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PD).
    6. Gaies, Brahim & Jahmane, Abderrahmane, 2022. "Corporate social responsibility, financial globalization and bank soundness in Europe – Novel evidence from a GMM panel VAR approach," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 47(PB).
    7. Gregoriou, Andros & Nguyen, Binh Duy & Nguyen, Tung Duy & Le, Huong & Hudson, Robert, 2021. "Economic policy uncertainty and cross-border mergers and acquisitions," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    8. Liu, Guangqiang & Liu, Boyang, 2023. "How digital technology improves the high-quality development of enterprises and capital markets: A liquidity perspective," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    9. Beladi, Hamid & Deng, Jie & Hu, May, 2021. "Cash flow uncertainty, financial constraints and R&D investment," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    10. Bitetto, Alessandro & Cerchiello, Paola & Mertzanis, Charilaos, 2023. "Measuring financial soundness around the world: A machine learning approach," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    11. Xiaojun Wu & Huijia Chang, 2023. "Impact of digital inclusive finance on household tourism consumption: evidence from China," European Journal of Innovation Management, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 27(6), pages 2101-2121, February.
    12. Xu, Lingjuan & Zhang, Bindan & Huynh, Luu Duc Toan & Dai, Peng-Fei, 2024. "Related party M&A, goodwill impairment and stock price crash risk: Evidence from Chinese capital market," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 95(PC).
    13. Hsu, Yu-Lin & Yang, Ya-Chih, 2022. "Corporate governance and financial reporting quality during the COVID-19 pandemic," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 47(PB).
    14. Chien, Chih-Chung & Chen, Shikuan & Chang, Ming-Jen, 2023. "Financial constraints on credit ratings and cash-flow sensitivity," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    15. Chen, Louisa & Liu, Estelle Xue & Liu, Zijun, 2024. "FX resilience around the world: Fighting volatile cross-border capital flows," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 96(PB).
    16. Afef Khalil & Neila Boulila Taktak, 2020. "The impact of the Shariah Board’s characteristics on the financial soundness of Islamic banks," Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 11(10), pages 1807-1825, July.
    17. Bu, Ya & Du, Xin & Wang, Yuting & Liu, Shuyu & Tang, Min & Li, Hui, 2024. "Digital inclusive finance: A lever for SME financing?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    18. Alessandro Cirillo & Donata Mussolino & Sara Saggese & Fabrizia Sarto, 2018. "Looking at the IPO from the “top floor”: a literature review," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 22(3), pages 661-688, September.
    19. Yi, Er, 2023. "Corporate governance, information disclosure and investment - Cash flow sensitivity," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 55(PB).
    20. Wu, Chunying & Xiong, Xiong & Gao, Ya & Zhang, Jin, 2022. "Does social media coverage deter firms from withholding bad news? Evidence from stock price crash risk," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    21. Wu, Jinshun & Wu, Luyao, 2023. "Impacts of digital inclusive finance on household entrepreneurship," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    22. Jens Hagendorff & Maria J. Nieto, 2015. "The Safety and Soundness Effects of Bank M&A in the EU: Does Prudential Regulation Have any Impact?," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 21(3), pages 462-490, June.
    23. van Rijn, Jordan, 2024. "The effects of membership expansion on credit union risk and returns," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    24. Wang, Qiong & Qiu, Muqing, 2023. "Minority shareholders' activism and stock price crash risk: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    25. Zhang, Xing & Li, Yiwen & Ji, Mingcan & Wang, Jiabian, 2024. "Does ESG help reduce the goodwill impairment?—From perspectives of information increment and information manipulation," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    26. Deokki Ko, 2022. "Financial Stress in the Foreign Exchange Market and its Real Effect on Firm Investments: Evidence from South Korea," Global Economic Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(2), pages 142-158, April.
    27. Qi Wu & Jiaqi Feng & Shouheng Sun, 2023. "Research on the Impact of Digital Inclusive Finance on People’s Well-Being," Lecture Notes in Operations Research, in: Xiaopu Shang & Xiaowen Fu & Yixuan Ma & Daqing Gong & Juliang Zhang (ed.), Liss 2022, pages 211-226, Springer.
    28. Li, Yuan & Chu, Erming & Nie, Shiqi & Peng, Xiaoyan & Yi, Yuyao, 2024. "Fintech, financing constraints and corporate green innovation," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 96(PA).
    29. Zheng, Yu & Zheng, Mingnan & Zhang, Juan, 2024. "Executive educational background, corporate governance and corporate default risk," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 67(PB).
    30. Sun, Liming & Shen, Juanjuan & Zhai, Jun & Lu, Feixiang & Zhang, Xue & Liu, Aichun & Guan, Haoyuan, 2024. "Business environment, financing constraints and enterprise innovation investment," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    31. Liu, Yujie & Wang, Yiwei, 2025. "Does the failure of corporate mergers and acquisitions affect innovation efficiency," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    32. Brogi, Marina & Lagasio, Valentina, 2022. "Better safe than sorry. Bank corporate governance, risk-taking, and performance," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 44(C).
    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. Chen, Jun & Wang, Bowen & Lei, Xue, 2025. "Does enhanced judicial protection reduce illegal overtime work? Evidence from China's circuit court reform," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 86(PA).

    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. Dong, Xueqin & Dong, Dongdong & Huang, Lilong, 2025. "Enhancing corporate total factor productivity: The dual drivers of inclusive finance and technological progress," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    2. Cao, Yingzi & Sui, Dangchen, 2025. "Digital inclusive finance empowering high-quality development of public services," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 85(PA).
    3. Yang, Gang & Yuan, Gongming & Kou, Junhao & Jiau, Shyhyan, 2025. "Impact of inclusive finance on private enterprise Lending: Evidence from China private enterprise survey," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    4. Wang, Pengcheng & Yang, Xuelin, 2024. "Social trust and household financial decision-making: An empirical study based on the usage of household financial technology," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    5. Wang, Pengmian & Liang, Shuguang, 2025. "Internal audit independence, legal person governance structure, and financial reporting quality," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    6. Qiao, Shuo & Xiong, Haoran & Wu, Xiaohan & Zhang, Jing, 2026. "Financial accessibility, digital skills, and family entrepreneurship: Evidence from the China family panel studies (CFPS)," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    7. Yan, Luqing & Lou, Yanchun & Wang, Xiaoqing, 2025. "Business model innovation, intellectual property protection, and firm growth," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    8. Li, Bin & Pan, Ya, 2025. "Digital inclusive finance and rural entrepreneurial survival: The moderating role of digital and financial literacy," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 1119-1136.
    9. Zhou, Jun & Zhang, Xueyi & Korkmaz, Aslihan Gizem & Li, Youwei & Yue, Pengpeng, 2025. "Entrepreneurship in the digital era," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    10. Feng, Yanchao & Yan, Tong & Hu, Shilei & Zhang, Zhenhua, 2025. "The impact of digital inclusive finance on household carbon emissions: Empirical evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    11. Sun, Liming & Lu, Feixiang & Guan, Haoyuan & Lu, Xiang & Zhai, Jun & Liu, Junchao, 2025. "Tax incentives, business environment, and entrepreneurial and innovation outcome," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    12. Fu, Xintong & Guo, Chunjuan, 2025. "Digital inclusive finance and the construction of agricultural modernization," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    13. Chen Luo & Wenwen Yu & Lindong Li & Aizhi Li & Jinbo Du, 2026. "How does digital finance affect electricity consumption? an empirical analysis of the Yangtze River Economic Belt of China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 28(3), pages 6677-6694, March.
    14. Feng, Jianghua & Wang, Yu, 2024. "Does digital inclusive finance promote agricultural development?A test based on threshold and spillover effects," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 69(PA).
    15. Yang, Ming & Peng, HuaTao & Yue, Shunli, 2025. "How returning home for entrepreneurship affects rural common prosperity," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    16. Jie Weng & Wang Li & Jie Zhou, 2025. "Can Digital Inclusive Finance Safeguard the Middle Class? A Study Based on Chinese Household Data," SAGE Open, , vol. 15(2), pages 21582440251, June.
    17. Zhang, Cheng & Jian, Yaode & Zhou, Zhongsheng & Zhou, Bo, 2024. "Can the digital economy close the gender wage gap? Evidence from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 96(PB).
    18. Zhao, Yuehan & Zhao, Zheng, 2025. "Analysis of family wealth and participation in commercial insurance behavior within the influence of Confucian culture," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    19. Zhilue Xiang & Qiaoyue Yin & Xizhi Xue & Wanting Zhang & Xia Wang, 2026. "What affects rural households’ entrepreneurial performance: Formal or informal finance availability?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 21(2), pages 1-20, February.
    20. Cai, Dongsong & Kou, Junhao & He, Yao, 2025. "The impact of digital finance on households’ financial literacy," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 687-704.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • 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
    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting
    • G31 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Capital Budgeting; Fixed Investment and Inventory Studies
    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis

    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:reveco:v:102:y:2025:i:c:s1059056025004411. 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/inca/620165 .

    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.