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Journal of Financial Economics Vol. 87 No. 2 2008

The determinants of board structure☆

J LINCK1; Jeffry M. Netter1; Tina Yang2

1 University of Georgia · 2 Clemson University

Abstract

Using a comprehensive sample of nearly 7,000 firms from 1990 to 2004, we examine the corporate board structure, trends, and determinants. Guided by recent theoretical work, we find that board structure across firms is consistent with the costs and benefits of the board's monitoring and advising roles. Our models explain as much as 45% of the observed variation in board structure. Further, small and large firms have dramatically different board structures. For example, board size fell in the 1990s for large firms, a trend that reversed at the time of mandated reforms, while board size was relatively flat for small and medium-sized firms.

DOI
10.1016/j.jfineco.2007.03.004
Volume
87
Issue
2
Pages
308-328
Language
en
Sources
bibtex:phds-export.bib openalex crossref

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