IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/iza/izadps/dp1914.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

CEO Turnover, Firm Performance and Enterprise Reform in China: Evidence from New Micro Data

Author

Listed:
  • Kato, Takao

    (Colgate University)

  • Long, Cheryl

    (Colgate University)

Abstract

Using comprehensive financial and accounting data on China's listed firms from 1998 to 2002, augmented by unique data on CEO turnover, ownership structure and board characteristics, we estimate Logit models of CEO turnover. We find consistently for all performance measures including both stock return and various accounting measures that: (i) overall, CEO turnover is significantly and inversely related to firm performance though the magnitude of the relationship is modest; (ii) CEO turnover-performance link is stronger when the percentage of company shares owned by the largest shareholder is larger. Furthermore, insofar as stock performance is concerned, (iii) turnover-performance link is found to be weaker for listed firms still controlled by the state; (iv) the appointment of independent directors enhances turnover-performance link; (v) the listing suspension mechanism, i.e., the ST designation, adopted by China’s securities regulatory agency appears to be effective in improving turnover-performance tie; and (vi) listed firms with CEOs holding additional positions in the controlling shareholders have weaker turnover-performance link. Consistent with the "law and finance" approach to corporate governance and the literature on economic transition, our findings suggest that any fundamental improvement in China's corporate governance will require a broad program that encompasses not only privatization but also laws and their effective implementation to provide better protection for investors.

Suggested Citation

  • Kato, Takao & Long, Cheryl, 2006. "CEO Turnover, Firm Performance and Enterprise Reform in China: Evidence from New Micro Data," IZA Discussion Papers 1914, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp1914
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://docs.iza.org/dp1914.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Simon Johnson, 2000. "Tunneling," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 90(2), pages 22-27, May.
    2. Klapper, Leora F. & Love, Inessa, 2004. "Corporate governance, investor protection, and performance in emerging markets," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 10(5), pages 703-728, November.
    3. Chong-En Bai & Qiao Liu & Joe Lu & Frank Song & Junxi Zhang, 2003. "Corporate Governance and Market Valuation in China," William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series 2003-564, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.
    4. Chang, Chun & McCall, Brian P. & Wang, Yijiang, 2003. "Incentive contracting versus ownership reforms: evidence from China's township and village enterprises," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 414-428, September.
    5. Takao Kato & Cheryl Long, 2004. "Executive Compensation, Firm Performance, and State Ownership in China: Evidence from New Panel Data," William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series 2004-690, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.
    6. Denis, David J. & Denis, Diane K. & Sarin, Atulya, 1997. "Ownership structure and top executive turnover," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(2), pages 193-221, August.
    7. Anderson, Christopher W. & Campbell, Terry II, 2004. "Corporate governance of Japanese banks," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 10(3), pages 327-354, June.
    8. Shleifer, Andrei & Vishny, Robert W, 1997. "A Survey of Corporate Governance," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 52(2), pages 737-783, June.
    9. Bai, Chong-En & Xu, Lixin Colin, 2005. "Incentives for CEOs with multitasks: Evidence from Chinese state-owned enterprises," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 517-539, September.
    10. Suchard, Jo-Ann & Singh, Manohar & Barr, Robert, 2001. "The market effects of CEO turnover in Australian firms," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 9(1), pages 1-27, January.
    11. Volpin, Paolo F., 2002. "Governance with poor investor protection: evidence from top executive turnover in Italy," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(1), pages 61-90, April.
    12. Shirley, Mary M & Xu, Lixin Colin, 2001. "Empirical Effects of Performance Contracts: Evidence from China," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 17(1), pages 168-200, April.
    13. Xianming Zhou, 2000. "CEO pay, firm size, and corporate performance: evidence from Canada," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 33(1), pages 213-251, February.
    14. Lucian Bebchuk & Reinier Kraakman & George Triantis, 1999. "Stock Pyramids, Cross-Ownership, and the Dual Class Equity: The Creation and Agency Costs of Seperating Control from Cash Flow Rights," NBER Working Papers 6951, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    15. Bai, Chong-En & Liu, Qiao & Lu, Joe & Song, Frank M. & Zhang, Junxi, 2004. "Corporate governance and market valuation in China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 599-616, December.
    16. Christopher W. Anderson & Terry L. Campbell, 1999. "Corporate governance at Japanese banks," Proceedings 650, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
    17. Martin L. Weitzman, 1976. "The New Soviet Incentive Model," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 7(1), pages 251-257, Spring.
    18. Tor Eriksson, 2005. "Managerial pay and executive turnover in the Czech and Slovak Republics," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 13(4), pages 659-677, October.
    19. Marco Pagano & Ailsa Röell, 1998. "The Choice of Stock Ownership Structure: Agency Costs, Monitoring, and the Decision to Go Public," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 113(1), pages 187-225.
    20. Campbell, Terry II & Keys, Phyllis Y., 2002. "Corporate governance in South Korea: the chaebol experience," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 8(4), pages 373-391, October.
    21. Weisbach, Michael S., 1988. "Outside directors and CEO turnover," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 20(1-2), pages 431-460, January.
    22. Jeffry M. Netter & William L. Megginson, 2001. "From State to Market: A Survey of Empirical Studies on Privatization," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 39(2), pages 321-389, June.
    23. Barry W. Ickes & Larry Samuelson, 1987. "Job Transfers and Incentives in Complex Organizations: Thwarting the Ratchet Effect," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 18(2), pages 275-286, Summer.
    24. Lucian Arye Bebchuk, 1999. "A Rent-Protection Theory of Corporate Ownership and Control," NBER Working Papers 7203, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    25. Robert Neumann & Torben Voetmann, 2005. "Top executive turnovers: Separating decision and control rights," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(1), pages 25-37.
    26. Kornai, Janos, 1992. "The Socialist System: The Political Economy of Communism," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198287766.
    27. 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.
    28. Goyal, Vidhan K. & Park, Chul W., 2002. "Board leadership structure and CEO turnover," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 8(1), pages 49-66, January.
    29. Faccio, Mara & Lang, Larry H. P., 2002. "The ultimate ownership of Western European corporations," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(3), pages 365-395, September.
    30. Murphy, Kevin J., 1999. "Executive compensation," Handbook of Labor Economics, in: O. Ashenfelter & D. Card (ed.), Handbook of Labor Economics, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 38, pages 2485-2563, Elsevier.
    31. Claessens, Stijn & Djankov, Simeon & Lang, Larry H. P., 2000. "The separation of ownership and control in East Asian Corporations," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(1-2), pages 81-112.
    32. Qiang, Qu, 2003. "Corporate governance and state-owned shares in China listed companies," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 14(5), pages 771-783, October.
    33. La Porta, Rafael & Lopez-de-Silanes, Florencio & Shleifer, Andrei & Vishny, Robert, 2000. "Investor protection and corporate governance," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(1-2), pages 3-27.
    34. John M. Litwack, 1991. "Legality and Market Reform in Soviet-Type Economies," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 5(4), pages 77-89, Fall.
    35. Volpin, Paolo F., 2002. "Erratum to "Governance with poor investor protection: evidence from top executive turnover in Italy": [Journal of Financial Economics 64 (2002) 61-90]," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(1), pages 159-160, July.
    36. Kaplan, Steven N. & Minton, Bernadette A., 1994. "Appointments of outsiders to Japanese boards: Determinants and implications for managers," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 225-258, October.
    37. Kang, Jun-Koo & Shivdasani, Anil, 1995. "Firm performance, corporate governance, and top executive turnover in Japan," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 29-58, May.
    38. Bonin, John P, 1976. "On the Design of Managerial Incentive Structures in a Decentralized Planning Environment," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 66(4), pages 682-687, September.
    39. Sun, Qian & Tong, Wilson H. S., 2003. "China share issue privatization: the extent of its success," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(2), pages 183-222, November.
    40. Kaplan, Steven N, 1994. "Top Executive Rewards and Firm Performance: A Comparison of Japan and the United States," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 102(3), pages 510-546, June.
    41. Lausten, Mette, 2002. "CEO turnover, firm performance and corporate governance: empirical evidence on Danish firms," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 391-414, March.
    42. Lixin Colin Xu & Tian Zhu & Yi‐min Lin, 2005. "Politician control, agency problems and ownership reform," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 13(1), pages 1-24, January.
    43. Kato, Takao & Rockel, Mark, 1992. "Experiences, credentials, and compensation in the Japanese and U.S. managerial labor markets: Evidence from new micro data," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 6(1), pages 30-51, March.
    44. Taye Mengistae & Lixin Colin Xu, 2004. "Agency Theory and Executive Compensation: The Case of Chinese State-Owned Enterprises," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 22(3), pages 615-638, July.
    45. Guy S. Liu & Pei Sun, 2005. "The Class of Shareholdings and its Impacts on Corporate Performance: a case of state shareholding composition in Chinese public corporations," Corporate Governance: An International Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 13(1), pages 46-59, January.
    46. Xiaozu Wang & Lixin Colin Xu & Tian Zhu, 2004. "State‐owned enterprises going public The case of China," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 12(3), pages 467-487, September.
    47. Bai, Chong-En & Li, David D. & Tao, Zhigang & Wang, Yijiang, 2000. "A Multitask Theory of State Enterprise Reform," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(4), pages 716-738, December.
    48. Gibson, Michael S., 2003. "Is Corporate Governance Ineffective in Emerging Markets?," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 38(1), pages 231-250, March.
    49. Alexander Muravyev, 2003. "Turnover of Senior Managers in Russian Privatised Firms," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 45(2), pages 148-172, June.
    50. Xiang Cai & Chao Chen, 2004. "Corporate Control, Restructuring, and Firm Performance in China," Chinese Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(3), pages 67-86, May.
    51. Mathias Dewatripont & Gérard Roland, 1996. "Transition as a process of large‐scale institutional change," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 4(1), pages 1-30, May.
    52. Jay Dahya & John J. McConnell & Nickolaos G. Travlos, 2002. "The Cadbury Committee, Corporate Performance, and Top Management Turnover," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 57(1), pages 461-483, February.
    53. Xianming Zhou, 2000. "CEO pay, firm size, and corporate performance: evidence from Canada," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 33(1), pages 213-251, February.
    54. Mark L. Defond & Mingyi Hung, 2004. "Investor Protection and Corporate Governance: Evidence from Worldwide CEO Turnover," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(2), pages 269-312, May.
    55. Claessens, Stijn & Djankov, Simeon, 1999. "Enterprise performance and management turnover in the Czech Republic," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(4-6), pages 1115-1124, April.
    56. Groves, Theodore & Yongmiao Hong & John McMillan & Barry Naughton, 1995. "China's Evolving Managerial Labor Market," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 103(4), pages 873-892, August.
    57. Liu, Deqiang & Otsuka, Keijiro, 2004. "A Comparison of Management Incentives, Abilities, and Efficiency between SOEs and TVEs: The Case of the Iron and Steel Industry in China," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 52(4), pages 759-780, July.
    58. Brunello, Giorgio & Graziano, Clara & Parigi, Bruno M., 2003. "CEO turnover in insider-dominated boards: The Italian case," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 27(6), pages 1027-1051, June.
    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. Kato, Takao & Long, Cheryl, 2006. "CEO turnover, firm performance, and enterprise reform in China: Evidence from micro data," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 796-817, December.
    2. Kato, Takao & Long, Cheryl, 2006. "Executive Compensation, Firm Performance, and Corporate Governance in China: Evidence from Firms Listed in the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 54(4), pages 945-983, July.
    3. Kato, Takao & Long, Cheryl, 2011. "Tournaments and managerial incentives in China's listed firms: New evidence," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 1-10, March.
    4. Takao Kato & Cheryl Long, 2004. "Executive Compensation, Firm Performance, and State Ownership in China: Evidence from New Panel Data," William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series 2004-690, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.
    5. Powers, Eric A., 2005. "Interpreting logit regressions with interaction terms: an application to the management turnover literature," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 504-522, June.
    6. Xunan Feng & Anders C. Johansson, 2017. "CEO Incentives in Chinese State-Controlled Firms," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 65(2), pages 223-264.
    7. Volpin, Paolo F., 2002. "Governance with poor investor protection: evidence from top executive turnover in Italy," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(1), pages 61-90, April.
    8. Chang, Eric C. & Wong, Sonia M.L., 2009. "Governance with multiple objectives: Evidence from top executive turnover in China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 15(2), pages 230-244, April.
    9. Chi, Wei & Wang, Yijiang, 2009. "Ownership, performance and executive turnover in China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 20(4), pages 465-478, September.
    10. Iwasaki, Ichiro & Ma, Xinxin & Mizobata, Satoshi, 2020. "Corporate ownership and managerial turnover in China and Eastern Europe: A comparative meta-analysis," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    11. Wang, Jiwei, 2010. "A comparison of shareholder identity and governance mechanisms in the monitoring of CEOs of listed companies in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 24-37, March.
    12. Fan, Dennis K.K. & Lau, Chung-Ming & Young, Michael, 2007. "Is China's corporate governance beginning to come of age? The case of CEO turnover," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 15(2), pages 105-120, April.
    13. Alberto Chong & Florencio López-de-Silanes, 2007. "Investor Protection and Corporate Governance : Firm-Level Evidence Across Latin America," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 6769, December.
    14. Ricardo N. Bebczuk & André L. Carvalhal da Silva & Alberto E. Chong & Juan José Cruces & Urbi Garay & Maximiliano González & Luis H. Gutiérrez & Enrique Kawamura & Ricardo P. C. Leal & Fernando Lefort, 2007. "Investor Protection and Corporate Governance: Firm-level Evidence across Latin America," IDB Publications (Books), Inter-American Development Bank, number 59598 edited by Alberto E. Chong & Florencio López-de-Silanes, February.
    15. Ugur Lel & Darius P. Miller, 2008. "International Cross‐Listing, Firm Performance, and Top Management Turnover: A Test of the Bonding Hypothesis," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 63(4), pages 1897-1937, August.
    16. Bernard Yeung & Randall Morck & Daniel Wolfenzon, 2004. "Corporate Governance, Economic Entrenchment and Growth," Working Papers 04-21, New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, Department of Economics.
    17. González, Maximiliano & Guzmán, Alexander & Pablo, Eduardo & Trujillo, María-Andrea, 2019. "Is board turnover driven by performance in family firms?," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 169-186.
    18. Polovina, Nereida & Peasnell, Ken, 2020. "Do minority acquisitions transfer better corporate governance practices? An analysis of UK's cross-border minority investments," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(3).
    19. Dahya, Jay & Dimitrov, Orlin & McConnell, John J., 2008. "Dominant shareholders, corporate boards, and corporate value: A cross-country analysis," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(1), pages 73-100, January.
    20. Bebczuk, Ricardo N. & Da Silva, André L. Carvalhal & Chong, Alberto E. & Cruces, Juan José & Garay, Urbi & González, Maximiliano & Gutiérrez, Luis H. & Kawamura, Enrique & Leal, Ricardo P. C. & Lefort, 2007. "Investor Protection and Corporate Governance: Firm-level Evidence across Latin America," IDB Publications (Books), Inter-American Development Bank, number 354, May.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    and transition economies; executive turnover; firm performance; enterprise reform; China; corporate governance; ownership structure;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M52 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Compensation and Compensation Methods and Their Effects
    • M12 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Personnel Management; Executives; Executive Compensation
    • J33 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Compensation Packages; Payment Methods
    • P34 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - Finance
    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance
    • O53 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Asia including Middle East
    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • G15 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - International Financial Markets

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:iza:izadps:dp1914. 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: Holger Hinte (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/izaaade.html .

    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.