Chapter 3
CHAPTER 4 CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AROUND THE WORLD
SUGGESTED ANSWERS AND SOLUTIONS TO END-OF-CHAPTER
QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
Questions
1. The majority of major corporations are franchised as public corporations. Discuss the key strength and weakness of the ‘public corporation’. When do you think the public corporation as an organizational form is unsuitable?
Answer: The key strength of the public corporation lies in that it allows for efficient risk sharing among investors. As a result, the public corporation may raise a large sum of capital at a relatively low cost. The main weakness of the public corporation stems from the conflicts of interest between managers and shareholders.
2. The public corporation is owned by multitude of shareholders but managed by professional managers. Managers can take self-interested actions at the expense of shareholders. Discuss the conditions under which the so-called agency problem arises.
Answer: The agency problem arises when managers have control rights but insignificant cash flow rights. This wedge between control and cash flow rights motivates managers to engage in self-dealings at the expense of shareholders.
3. Following corporate scandals and failures in the U.S. and abroad, there is a growing demand for corporate governance reform. What should be the key objectives of corporate governance reform? What kind of obstacles can there be thwarting reform efforts?
Answer: The key objectives of corporate governance reform should be to strengthen shareholder rights and protect shareholders from expropriation by corporate insiders, whether managers or large shareholders. Controlling shareholders or managers do not wish to lose their control rights and thus resist reform efforts.
4. Studies show that the legal protection of shareholder rights varies a great deal across countries. Discuss the possible reasons why the English common law tradition provides the
SUGGESTED ANSWERS AND SOLUTIONS TO END-OF-CHAPTER
QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
Questions
1. The majority of major corporations are franchised as public corporations. Discuss the key strength and weakness of the ‘public corporation’. When do you think the public corporation as an organizational form is unsuitable?
Answer: The key strength of the public corporation lies in that it allows for efficient risk sharing among investors. As a result, the public corporation may raise a large sum of capital at a relatively low cost. The main weakness of the public corporation stems from the conflicts of interest between managers and shareholders.
2. The public corporation is owned by multitude of shareholders but managed by professional managers. Managers can take self-interested actions at the expense of shareholders. Discuss the conditions under which the so-called agency problem arises.
Answer: The agency problem arises when managers have control rights but insignificant cash flow rights. This wedge between control and cash flow rights motivates managers to engage in self-dealings at the expense of shareholders.
3. Following corporate scandals and failures in the U.S. and abroad, there is a growing demand for corporate governance reform. What should be the key objectives of corporate governance reform? What kind of obstacles can there be thwarting reform efforts?
Answer: The key objectives of corporate governance reform should be to strengthen shareholder rights and protect shareholders from expropriation by corporate insiders, whether managers or large shareholders. Controlling shareholders or managers do not wish to lose their control rights and thus resist reform efforts.
4. Studies show that the legal protection of shareholder rights varies a great deal across countries. Discuss the possible reasons why the English common law tradition provides the