Pub Date : 2024-10-10DOI: 10.1016/j.cjar.2024.100392
Yu Xin , Ying Xin , Xinyi Huang , Liping Xu
Ownership type, legal system evolution and their interaction significantly affect the incentives and behaviors of independent directors. We use the 2019 Securities Law revision as an exogenous shock to examine how state-owned enterprises (SOEs) versus non-SOEs and their independent directors respond to variations in regulatory compliance risk. Following the revision, SOEs are more likely to purchase directors’ and officers’ liability insurance to provide job security for independent directors. Non-SOEs are more likely to compensate for independent directors’ fulfillment risk by increasing salaries and their independent directors are more likely to resign to avoid litigation risk. The coping strategies for SOEs, non-SOEs and independent directors are dynamic under different compliance risk stages and are affected by firm-level and director-level characteristics.
{"title":"Coping strategy of independent directors for job-fulfillment risk under different ownership types and enforced legal environments","authors":"Yu Xin , Ying Xin , Xinyi Huang , Liping Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.cjar.2024.100392","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cjar.2024.100392","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ownership type, legal system evolution and their interaction significantly affect the incentives and behaviors of independent directors. We use the 2019 <em>Securities Law</em> revision as an exogenous shock to examine how state-owned enterprises (SOEs) versus non-SOEs and their independent directors respond to variations in regulatory compliance risk. Following the revision, SOEs are more likely to purchase directors’ and officers’ liability insurance to provide job security for independent directors. Non-SOEs are more likely to compensate for independent directors’ fulfillment risk by increasing salaries and their independent directors are more likely to resign to avoid litigation risk. The coping strategies for SOEs, non-SOEs and independent directors are dynamic under different compliance risk stages and are affected by firm-level and director-level characteristics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":45688,"journal":{"name":"China Journal of Accounting Research","volume":"17 4","pages":"Article 100392"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142532909","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-28DOI: 10.1016/j.cjar.2024.100391
Yunsen Chen, Chen Lu, Zhe Li
The rapid pace of digitalization has given rise to concerns about its influence on job roles. Our findings reveal a substitution effect on accounting employees. This effect is more evident in private firms, firms with higher levels of digital transformation in their accounting departments, firms in the information technology industry, firms with overconfident managers and firms with a higher-level network infrastructure. Digitalization also has a positive effect on technically skilled and highly educated employees, leading to a decline in the proportion of entry-level employees. We also document that digitalization contributes to more efficient labor investment. Our study therefore offers insights into how digital transformation can change the labor market for accounting employees.
{"title":"How does digital transformation affect corporate accounting employees?","authors":"Yunsen Chen, Chen Lu, Zhe Li","doi":"10.1016/j.cjar.2024.100391","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cjar.2024.100391","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rapid pace of digitalization has given rise to concerns about its influence on job roles. Our findings reveal a substitution effect on accounting employees. This effect is more evident in private firms, firms with higher levels of digital transformation in their accounting departments, firms in the information technology industry, firms with overconfident managers and firms with a higher-level network infrastructure. Digitalization also has a positive effect on technically skilled and highly educated employees, leading to a decline in the proportion of entry-level employees. We also document that digitalization contributes to more efficient labor investment. Our study therefore offers insights into how digital transformation can change the labor market for accounting employees.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":45688,"journal":{"name":"China Journal of Accounting Research","volume":"17 4","pages":"Article 100391"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142532910","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
We analyze China Securities Index Co., Ltd. (CSI) environmental, social and governance (ESG) scoring data, which incorporate Chinese characteristics, to assess the impact of ESG performance on corporate debt financing costs. Our findings indicate that better CSI ESG scores are correlated with lower debt financing costs. Additionally, improvements in local environmental execution enhance the effect of CSI ESG scores on debt financing costs. However, this effect diminishes with increased internal control quality and marketization. Governance has the greatest impact on reducing debt financing costs, followed by social and environmental factors. Superior CSI ESG scores reduce corporate debt financing costs by enhancing debt repayment capacity and reducing information asymmetry. Economic consequence analysis confirms that lower financing costs, driven by improved ESG performance, significantly enhance total factor productivity and firm value. CSI ESG scores also significantly impact bank loans but not corporate bond financing.
{"title":"ESG performance and cost of debt","authors":"Yongdong Shi , Shijie Zheng , Pengsong Xiao , Hongxian Zhen , Tong Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.cjar.2024.100390","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cjar.2024.100390","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We analyze China Securities Index Co., Ltd. (CSI) environmental, social and governance (ESG) scoring data, which incorporate Chinese characteristics, to assess the impact of ESG performance on corporate debt financing costs. Our findings indicate that better CSI ESG scores are correlated with lower debt financing costs. Additionally, improvements in local environmental execution enhance the effect of CSI ESG scores on debt financing costs. However, this effect diminishes with increased internal control quality and marketization. Governance has the greatest impact on reducing debt financing costs, followed by social and environmental factors. Superior CSI ESG scores reduce corporate debt financing costs by enhancing debt repayment capacity and reducing information asymmetry. Economic consequence analysis confirms that lower financing costs, driven by improved ESG performance, significantly enhance total factor productivity and firm value. CSI ESG scores also significantly impact bank loans but not corporate bond financing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":45688,"journal":{"name":"China Journal of Accounting Research","volume":"17 4","pages":"Article 100390"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142532814","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-18DOI: 10.1016/j.cjar.2024.100393
Ziwei Song
Using China’s Cybersecurity Law (CSL) as an exogenous shock, I examine how personal data security affects stock crash risk. I find that the stock crash risk of treatment firms (which collect personal data) significantly decreases after the CSL, and such decrease is larger when firms face greater personal data breach risk and have less transparent information environments before the CSL. Furthermore, treatment firms increase their investment in personal data protection after the CSL. Finally, enhanced personal data security increases firm value and promotes firms’ social responsibility to stakeholders. Overall, I provide evidence of the importance of data security for the digital economy from the perspective of capital market stability, which may present implications for data security policy worldwide.
{"title":"Personal data security and stock crash risk: Evidence from China’s Cybersecurity Law","authors":"Ziwei Song","doi":"10.1016/j.cjar.2024.100393","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cjar.2024.100393","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Using China’s Cybersecurity Law (CSL) as an exogenous shock, I examine how personal data security affects stock crash risk. I find that the stock crash risk of treatment firms (which collect personal data) significantly decreases after the CSL, and such decrease is larger when firms face greater personal data breach risk and have less transparent information environments before the CSL. Furthermore, treatment firms increase their investment in personal data protection after the CSL. Finally, enhanced personal data security increases firm value and promotes firms’ social responsibility to stakeholders. Overall, I provide evidence of the importance of data security for the digital economy from the perspective of capital market stability, which may present implications for data security policy worldwide.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":45688,"journal":{"name":"China Journal of Accounting Research","volume":"17 4","pages":"Article 100393"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142532905","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-16DOI: 10.1016/j.cjar.2024.100389
Liangyong Wan , Xin Sui , Jing Rao , Lai Deng
The latest business practice in the Chinese venture capital (VC) market involves the active participation of non-financial firms, as limited partners, in VC funds. Exploiting a unique hand-collected dataset from China, we find that economic policy uncertainty is positively related to the propensity of firms to participate in VC funds. Cross-sectional tests show that the positive effect of policy uncertainty on the likelihood of participating in VC funds is enhanced by industrial growth opportunities. Furthermore, economic consequence tests show that participating in VC funds is conducive to improving investment efficiency, increasing innovation performance and promoting product diversification. This study advances our understanding of firms’ investment decisions and the VC industry development amid economic policy uncertainty.
{"title":"Economic policy uncertainty and firms’ investments in venture capital funds: Evidence from China","authors":"Liangyong Wan , Xin Sui , Jing Rao , Lai Deng","doi":"10.1016/j.cjar.2024.100389","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cjar.2024.100389","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The latest business practice in the Chinese venture capital (VC) market involves the active participation of non-financial firms, as limited partners, in VC funds. Exploiting a unique hand-collected dataset from China, we find that economic policy uncertainty is positively related to the propensity of firms to participate in VC funds. Cross-sectional tests show that the positive effect of policy uncertainty on the likelihood of participating in VC funds is enhanced by industrial growth opportunities. Furthermore, economic consequence tests show that participating in VC funds is conducive to improving investment efficiency, increasing innovation performance and promoting product diversification. This study advances our understanding of firms’ investment decisions and the VC industry development amid economic policy uncertainty.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":45688,"journal":{"name":"China Journal of Accounting Research","volume":"17 4","pages":"Article 100389"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142532815","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-17DOI: 10.1016/j.cjar.2024.100387
Lili Hui , Huobao Xie
By employing machine learning techniques and the Word2Vec model, we quantify the micro-level implementation of Industrial Internet technology in Chinese manufacturing firms from 2010 to 2022. This provides empirical evidence for understanding how the Industrial Internet technology enhances corporate risk-taking capability. Our study shows that adopting this technology increases risk-taking capacity, mainly through resource reallocation. The information layer empowers improvements in organizational structure, the platform layer optimizes labor resources, and the edge/software layers facilitate the integration of supply chain resources. The effect is more pronounced in firms that are technology- and labor-intensive, particularly in environments of high economic policy uncertainty. In conclusion, the Industrial Internet boosts total factor productivity by fostering increased risk-taking.
{"title":"Industrial internet technology, resource reallocation and corporate risk-taking capacity: Evidence from the strategic management perspective","authors":"Lili Hui , Huobao Xie","doi":"10.1016/j.cjar.2024.100387","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cjar.2024.100387","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>By employing machine learning techniques and the Word2Vec model, we quantify the micro-level implementation of Industrial Internet technology in Chinese manufacturing firms from 2010 to 2022. This provides empirical evidence for understanding how the Industrial Internet technology enhances corporate risk-taking capability. Our study shows that adopting this technology increases risk-taking capacity, mainly through resource reallocation. The information layer empowers improvements in organizational structure, the platform layer optimizes labor resources, and the edge/software layers facilitate the integration of supply chain resources. The effect is more pronounced in firms that are technology- and labor-intensive, particularly in environments of high economic policy uncertainty. In conclusion, the Industrial Internet boosts total factor productivity by fostering increased risk-taking.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":45688,"journal":{"name":"China Journal of Accounting Research","volume":"17 4","pages":"Article 100387"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142532908","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-08-14DOI: 10.1016/j.cjar.2024.100386
Dongling Li , Yuhong Li , Fei Guo
We examine auditor responses to the voluntary resignation of independent directors. We show that auditors respond by increasing audit fees or rescinding engagement with their clients, but not by increasing their audit effort. Mechanism tests reveal that independent directors’ voluntary resignation leads to increased regulatory sanctions and negative media coverage, these relationships are more pronounced after the New Securities Law. Auditor response strategies follow an order of priority: at an acceptable level of perceived risk, auditors increase audit fees; when perceived risk exceeds this level, auditors will discontinue the client relationship. Auditors associate greater risk with firms that have (vs. have not) experienced consecutive voluntary resignations by independent directors. Mandatory resignation has no such effect.
{"title":"Voluntary resignation of independent directors and auditor responses: Empirical evidence from Chinese A-share listed firms","authors":"Dongling Li , Yuhong Li , Fei Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.cjar.2024.100386","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cjar.2024.100386","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We examine auditor responses to the voluntary resignation of independent directors. We show that auditors respond by increasing audit fees or rescinding engagement with their clients, but not by increasing their audit effort. Mechanism tests reveal that independent directors’ voluntary resignation leads to increased regulatory sanctions and negative media coverage, these relationships are more pronounced after the New Securities Law. Auditor response strategies follow an order of priority: at an acceptable level of perceived risk, auditors increase audit fees; when perceived risk exceeds this level, auditors will discontinue the client relationship. Auditors associate greater risk with firms that have (vs. have not) experienced consecutive voluntary resignations by independent directors. Mandatory resignation has no such effect.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":45688,"journal":{"name":"China Journal of Accounting Research","volume":"17 4","pages":"Article 100386"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142532907","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}