TY  - JOUR
AB  - Purpose– This study aims to examine the factors influencing the quality of corporate governance in South Africa (SA). Firm-level variables including performance, firm size, leverage, investment opportunities and audit quality were identified from the corporate governance literature. Design/methodology/approach– The study used ordinary least squares regression on firm-specific and corporate governance variables obtained from panel data of 247-firm years obtained from the annual reports of the 50 largest companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) Securities Exchange of SA. Findings– This study found leverage, firm size and investment opportunities as the main factors influencing the quality of corporate governance in SA. Research limitations/implications– The research findings should be interpreted in the light of the following limitations. First, the study sample consists of the 50 largest firms listed in the JSE of SA. Because these are large companies, the results may not be generalized to other smaller firms operating in SA. Second, this study is constrained to SA. Firms in other developing countries may differ from their SA counterparts. Originality/value– The results of this study are important to the King Committee and other corporate governance regulators in Sub-Saharan Africa, in their effort to improve corporate governance practices and probably minimize corporate failure and protect the well-being of the minority shareholders. Furthermore, the study contributes to our understanding of the variables affecting the quality of corporate governance in developing economies of Africa.
VL  - 14
IS  - 4
SN  - 1472-0701
DO  - 10.1108/CG-02-2013-0024
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-02-2013-0024
AU  - Waweru Nelson
PY  - 2014
Y1  - 2014/01/01
TI  - Factors influencing quality corporate governance in Sub Saharan Africa: an empirical study
T2  - Corporate Governance
PB  - Emerald Group Publishing Limited
SP  - 555
EP  - 574
Y2  - 2024/04/25
ER  -