Skip to main content
Log in

The Effects of Corporate Governance on the Informativeness of Earnings

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Economics of Governance Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study draws upon prior research on corporate governance and examines whether the informativeness of earnings, proxied by the earnings response coefficient varies with the percentage of outside independent directors serving on the board, the absence of CEO duality, and the presence of independent audit (AUDC), compensation (COMC), and nominating (NOMC) committees. The results suggest a positive association between the proportion of outside independent directors serving on firm’s boards and earnings informativeness. However, the results do not suggest an association between non-CEO duality, or independent AUDC, COMC, and NOMC and earnings informativeness.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barnhart S, Marr M, Rosenstein S (1994) Firm performance and board composition: some new evidence. Manage Decis Econ 15(4):329–340

    Google Scholar 

  • Beasley M (1996) An empirical analysis of the relation between Board of Director Composition and Financial Statement fraud. Account Rev 71(4):443–465

    Google Scholar 

  • Beasley M, Carcello J, Hermanson D (1999) Fraudulent financial reporting: 1987–1997 an analysis of US public companies. The committee of sponsoring organizations of the Treadway Commission, Jersey City

  • Berle A Jr, Means G (1932) The modern corporation and private property. Macmillan, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Blue Ribbon Committee (1999) Report and recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Committee on improving the Effectiveness of Corporate Audit Committees, NYSE and NASD, New York, February 1999

  • Boyd B (1994) Board control and ceo compensation. Strateg Manage J 15(5):335–344

    Google Scholar 

  • Byrd J, Hickman K (1992) Do outside directors monitor managers? Evidence from tender offer bids. J Financ Econ 32(2):195–221

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carcello JV, Neal TL (2000) Audit Committee composition and auditor reporting. Account Rev 75(4):453–467

    Google Scholar 

  • Collins DW, Kothari SP (1989) An analysis of the intertemporal and cross-sectional determinants of earnings response coefficients. J Account Econ 11(2–3):143–181

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coopers and Lybrand (1992) Internal control – Integrated Framework. Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission, Jersey City

    Google Scholar 

  • Cyert R, Kang S-H, Kumar P, Shah A (1997) Corporate governance and the level of CEO compensation. Working Paper. Yale University

  • Daily C, Dalton D (1992) The relationship between governance structure and corporate performance in entrepreneurial firms. J Bus Ventur 7(5):375–386

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dhaliwal DS, Lee KJ, Fargher NL (1991) The association between unexpected earnings and abnormal security returns in the presence of financial leverage. Contemp Account Res 8(1):20–41

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Easton PD, Zmijewski ME (1989) Cross-sectional variation in the stock-market response to accounting earnings announcements. J Account Econ 11(2–3):117–141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fama E (1980) Agency problems and the theory of the firm. J Pol Econ 88(2):288–307

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fama E, Jensen M (1983) Separation of ownership and control. J Law Econ 26(2):301–325

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Financial Accounting Standards board (1978) Statement of financial accounting concepts No. 1, Objectives of financial reporting by business enterprises (Norwalk, CT: FASB)

  • Financial Accounting Standards board (1980) Statement of financial accounting concepts No. 2, Qualitative characteristics of accounting information. (Norwalk, CT: FASB)

  • Forker J (1992) Corporate governance and disclosure quality. Account Bus Res 22(86):111–124

    Google Scholar 

  • Fosberg R (1989) Outside directors and managerial monitoring. Akron Bus Econ Rev 20(2):24–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Grace M, Ireland A, Dunstan K (1995) Board composition, non-executive directors’ characteristics and corporate financial performance. Asia-Pac J Account 121–137

  • Hermalin B, Weisbach M (1991) The effects of board composition and direct incentives on firm performance. Financ Manage 20(4):101–112

    Google Scholar 

  • Jensen M (1993) The modern industrial revolution, exit, and the failure of internal control systems. J Financ 48(3):831–880

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jensen M, Meckling W (1976) Theory of the firm: managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure. J Financ Econ 3(4):305–360

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keasey K, Thompson S, Wright M (1997) Corporate governance: economic and financial issues. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 1–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Kormendi RC, Lipe R (1987) Earnings innovations, earnings persistence, and stock returns. J Bus 60(3):323–346

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Latham M (1999) The corporate monitoring firm. Corp Govern Int Rev 7(1):1–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lev B, Thiagarajan SR (1993) Fundamental information analysis. J Account Res 31(2):190–215

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lipton M, Lorsch J (1992) A modest proposal for improved corporate governance. Bus Law 48(1): 59–77

    Google Scholar 

  • Lublin J, MacDonald E (1998) Scandals signal laxity of audit panels. The Wall Street J (July 17), sect. B:1. Dow Jones & Co., Inc

  • Mace M (1971) Directors: myth and reality. Harvard Business School Press, Boston

    Google Scholar 

  • McMullen D (1996) Audit committee performance: an investigation of the consequences associated with Audit Committees. Audit J Pract Theory 15(1):87–103

    Google Scholar 

  • Patton A, Baker JC (1987) Why won’t directors rock the boat?. Harv Bus Rev 65(6):10–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenstein S, Wyatt J (1990) Outside directors, board independence and shareholder wealth. J Financ Econ 26(2):175–191

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schellenger M, Wood D, Tashakori A (1989) Board of director composition, shareholder wealth, and dividend policy. J Manage 15(3):457–467

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scott W (1997) Financial accounting theory. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River

    Google Scholar 

  • Securities and Exchange Commission (1988) SEC responses to the Treadway Commission report: a study prepared for the use of the subcommittee on oversight and investigations of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, U.S. House of Representation. Washington: U.S.

  • Securities and Exchange Commission (2003) NASD and NYSE rulemaking: relating to corporate governance, Release No. 34-48745, November 4, 2003. Available at: http://www.sec.gov/rules/sro/34-48745.htm

  • Securities and Exchange Commission (2003) Approval of AMEX proposed rule change, Release No. 34-48863, December 1, 2003. Available at: http://www.amex.com/?href=/atamex/news/am_CorGov.htm

  • Shivdasani A, Yermack D (1998) CEO involvement in the selection of new board members: an empirical analysis. J Financ 54(5):1829–1853

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • United States Congress (2002) Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, 107th congress of the United States of America, H.R. 3763, Washington D.C., Government Printing Office

  • Vafeas N (2000) Board Structure and the Informativeness of Earnings. J Account Public Policy 19(2):139–160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vinten G, Lee C (1993) Audit committees and corporate control. Manage Audit J 8(3):11–24

    Google Scholar 

  • Warfield T, Wild J, Wild K (1995) Managerial ownership, accounting choices, and informativeness of earnings. J Account Econ 20(1):61–91

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yermack D (1996) Higher market valuation of companies with a small board of directors. J Financ Econ 40(2):185–211

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The research contained in this paper was supported by a summer research grant from the Frank G. Zarb School of Business. I am thankful for and greatly appreciate the comments and guidance received from Dr. Bikki Jaggi at Rutgers University, Dr. Samir M. El-Gazzar at Pace University, and Dr. Michael J. Barnes at Hofstra University.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Steven T. Petra.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Petra, S.T. The Effects of Corporate Governance on the Informativeness of Earnings. Economics of Governance 8, 129–152 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10101-006-0018-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10101-006-0018-8

Keywords

Navigation