Prior research has suggested that sitting on the board of a poorly performing firm (PPF) can be undesirable to directors. Still, almost 60% of such firms are able to appoint new directors following director departures. Contrary to a quality matching explanation, we do not find that only poorly performing directors join these firms. Upon joining PPFs, directors are more likely to fill leadership positions without necessarily receiving higher pay. These directors subsequently receive career benefits, especially those who are relatively junior in the pool. As such, the evidence is consistent with the leadership positions providing a certification effect.

External networks are usually believed to add value, but what happens when the connected parties have conflicting interests in a transaction? We study the impact of social connections between seasoned equity offering (SEO) issuers and their lead underwriters on SEO outcomes. We find that, during accelerated offerings, connected issuers profit substantially from their links to investment banks through both lower direct issuance costs and smaller SEO discounts. Results of an event study based on the sudden collapse of Lehman Brothers show that the effect of connections is causal. We present evidence supporting an information flow hypothesis that connections improve deal outcomes by facilitating more efficient information exchange.

This study shows how professional ties assist directors in gaining future board positions when their reputation is tainted by accounting fraud. We demonstrate that the influence of professional ties is more prominent for directors who are more heavily impacted by fraud. This effect is also stronger when directors share professional ties with key board members in the appointing firms. Additional tests show that appointments of these directors are associated with more favorable market reactions compared to appointments of other tainted directors. We also find that firms’ financial reporting quality improves after appointing professionally connected tainted directors.