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Governance, Risk Management, and Risk-Taking in Banks

Author

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  • Stulz, Rene M.

    (OH State University and ECGI, Brussels)

Abstract

This paper examines how governance and risk management affect risk-taking in banks. It distinguishes between good risks, which are risks that have an ex ante private reward for the bank on a stand-alone basis, and bad risks, which do not have such a reward. A well-governed bank takes the amount of risk that maximizes shareholder wealth subject to constraints imposed by laws and regulators. In general, this involves eliminating or mitigating all bad risks to the extent that it is cost effective to do so. The role of risk management in such a bank is not to reduce the bank's total risk per se. It is to identify and measure the risks the bank is taking, aggregate these risks in a measure of the bank's total risk, enable the bank to eliminate, mitigate and avoid bad risks, and ensure that its risk level is consistent with its risk appetite. Organizing the risk management function so that it plays that role is challenging because there are limitations in measuring risk and because, while more detailed rules can prevent destructive risk-taking, they also limit the flexibility of an institution in taking advantage of opportunities that increase firm value. Limitations of risk measurement and the decentralized nature of risk-taking imply that setting appropriate incentives for risk-takers and promoting an appropriate risk culture are essential to the success of risk management in performing its function.

Suggested Citation

  • Stulz, Rene M., 2014. "Governance, Risk Management, and Risk-Taking in Banks," Working Paper Series 2014-10, Ohio State University, Charles A. Dice Center for Research in Financial Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecl:ohidic:2014-10
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    Cited by:

    1. Andries, Alin Marius & Brown, Martin, 2014. "Credit Booms and Busts in Emerging Markets: The Role of Bank Governance and Risk Managment," Working Papers on Finance 1414, University of St. Gallen, School of Finance.
    2. Ahmadyan, Azam & Ghasemi Ali Abadi, Mehdi, 2021. "Relationship between Corporate Governance and Risk Management," Journal of Money and Economy, Monetary and Banking Research Institute, Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran, vol. 16(4), pages 447-476, December.
    3. Mikhail Kulapov & Yuriy Odegov & Vera Sidorova & Nikolay Sidorov & Elena Zotova, 2019. "Corporate Culture of Organization - Typical and Russian model with the Context of Its Risks and Implications," Montenegrin Journal of Economics, Economic Laboratory for Transition Research (ELIT), vol. 15(1), pages 215-226.
    4. Mariana Bunea & Vasile Dinu, 2019. "The BASEL III impact on the Romanian Banks’s Solvency," Montenegrin Journal of Economics, Economic Laboratory for Transition Research (ELIT), vol. 15(1), pages 189-199.
    5. Celso Brunetti & Agostino Capponi & Christoph Frei, 2017. "Managing Counterparty Risk in OTC Markets," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2017-083, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    6. Tomer Kedarya & Amir Elalouf & Rafael Sherbu Cohen, 2023. "Calculating Strategic Risk in Financial Institutions," Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, Springer;Global Institute of Flexible Systems Management, vol. 24(3), pages 361-372, September.
    7. Dana NICULESCU, 2015. "Key Features in Knowledge-Driven Companies," Management Dynamics in the Knowledge Economy, College of Management, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, vol. 3(1), pages 45-60, March.
    8. Małgorzata Olszak & Mateusz Pipień & Iwona Kowalska & Sylwia Roszkowska, 2017. "What Drives Heterogeneity of Cyclicality of Loan-Loss Provisions in the EU?," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 51(1), pages 55-96, February.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill

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