Value Creation and Value Capture in Corporate Governance: Using the Value-Based Approach to Analyze an Ownership Reform of China's Listed Firms

Abstract:     
We have followed the value-based approach to investigate a major corporate governance reform affecting publically listed firms in China. The regulations required that, in each firm, the owners of non-tradable shares (block shareholders) negotiate with the owners of tradable shares (minority shareholders) to determine the compensation paid to the latter for allowing non-tradable shares to trade on the stock market. If such an agreement is not obtained, the firm is forbidden to use equity refinancing in the future. The present study emphasizes the joint effect of value creation and value capture in determining the level of compensation, and finds that firms that expect to generate higher returns from future investments but face greater constraints in seeking non-equity-based financing tend to issue higher levels of compensation. This joint effect is further moderated by factors related to investment returns and corporate governance. The empirical evidence lends strong support to theoretical predictions. This study has important implications for corporate governance in emerging markets, and the application of the value-based approach to corporate governance research in general.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 31

Keywords: Value-Based Approach, Corporate Governance, Liquidity Reform, Bargaining, China

JEL Classification: L10, G30

working papers series