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The current study aims to investigate the relation between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and information asymmetry, as well as the moderating effect of board characteristics (gender diversity, size and independence) on this relationship.

This paper uses a panel data regression analysis with the system generalized method of moments (SGMM) estimator of nonfinancial French firms included in the SBF 120 index. The environmental and social disclosure scores are collected from the Bloomberg database, while financial data are collected from the FactSet database.

The empirical results demonstrate that environmental disclosure has a positive impact on the level of information asymmetry, while social disclosure has no effect on the information environment. Gender diversity and board independence negatively impact the opacity index, while board size has a positive effect. The presence of women in board composition has a substitution effect on the relationship between environmental disclosure and information asymmetry. There is no moderating effect of board size on the association between CSR disclosure and information asymmetry. However, the proportion of independent female directors and board independence operates as substitutes to social disclosure on reducing information asymmetry.

Although the models include the most common control variables used in the literature, they omit some variables. Second, the results should be interpreted with caution and should not be generalized to the entire stock market since the sample is based on large French companies.

The results of this study may be of interest to managers, investors and French market authorities since France is characterized by highly developed laws and reforms in the area of CSR. In addition, the paper leads to a better understanding of how women on the board, in particular, independent female directors, affect the relationship between CSR disclosure and information asymmetry. This could be of interest to French authorities, which has encouraged the appointment of women through the adoption of the Copé–Zimmermann law.

First, to the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to explore the moderating effect of board characteristics on the relationship between CSR and information asymmetry. Second, unlike previous studies using individual proxies to measure information asymmetry, the authors favor the opacity index of Anderson et al. (2009). They calculate this index by including a fifth individual measure, namely, share price volatility. The opacity index better describes the information environment of companies than individual measures since it reflects the perceptions of investors and analysts together.

Business group affiliation seems to make a firm more opaque. The benefits of group affiliation (internal market transactions) and the negative aspects of group affiliation (agency problems of group control) both may make group firms more opaque than non-group firms. Using the opacity index developed by Anderson, Duru, and Reeb (2009), this paper reports that Korean group firms are more transparent than non-group firms after the Asian financial crisis (1997–1998) and this leads to better performance of group firms. The improved transparency results from disappeared internal market benefits and diminished agency problems. These results are robust after controlling for the size of internal markets of groups, industry diversification, the existence of group inside financial institutions, and endogeneity.

The paper explores the impact of the quality of accounting in a given country, as measured by an index of earnings opacity, on the country's level of corruption. The results of a regression of corruption on earnings opacity for a sample of 34 countries show significant relationships between the level of corruption and the level of earnings opacity after controlling for economic development, human development, size of government and economic freedom.

This study aims to examine the effect of the various dimensions of economic freedom and political freedom in host countries on the foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows over a six-year period from 1995 to 2000 in 95 countries.

The sample consists of 95 countries and relates to the time period from 1995 to 2000. The sample is of a longitudinal or panel nature.

Results indicate that better economic management (monetary policy, fiscal burden and banking and finance), less government participation in the economy, less state intervention (strong property rights, less regulation, low prevalence of informal markets and less corruption), absence of wage and price controls and higher levels of political freedom lead to higher FDI inflows after controlling for FDI stock.

Most empirical studies using indices such as the Index of Economic freedom are subject to certain methodological limitations such as model selection, parameter heterogeneity and outliers and moral hazard.

Empirical findings suggest that the role played by governments in national economies have significant influence over FDI decisions.

From a policy perspective, our results imply that to attract FDI, governments will need to improve the institutional environments of their countries. More specifically, improving the levels of economic and political freedoms can greatly facilitate the inflow of FDI.

One of the main contributions of the present study to the international business literature is that it is one of the first that explicitly relates the ten components that constitute “economic freedom” to FDI.

This paper relates to the literature on central bank (CB) transparency and inflation uncertainty. Considering that opacity is a possible source for inflation uncertainty the purpose of this paper is to test the hypothesis that increase in the dispersion of the degree of CB opacity generates higher levels of inflation uncertainty.

In a first step, the authors present a theoretical model that shows how increase in the dispersion of the degree of CB opacity creates higher levels of inflation uncertainty. In a second step, the authors test the assumption that increase in the dispersion of the degree of CB opacity generates higher levels of inflation uncertainty in the Brazilian economy.

The findings denote that CB transparency is an important tool for guiding public expectations and thus contributes to avoiding the uncertainty caused by CB preferences.

This paper extends the theoretical model presented by de Mendonça and Simão Filho (2007) by the theoretical link between the forecast error and opacity. Furthermore, because the theoretical underpinning relies on the CB guiding inflation expectations, the authors construct an uncertainty measure based on survey of forecasts where such expectations can be inferred through the variability in the forecast error.

Corruption is a phenomenon that is ubiquitous, but the extent and the form differ across countries. According to Transparency International, the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) in year 2001 varied from 0.4 to 9.9 (10 is completely corruption free). The average score for the 91 countries surveyed was 4.76 (with a standard deviation of 2.39). Why is there so much cross-country difference? Why are some countries virtually corruption free, but are others fraught with corruption?

It is clear that some firms are more forthcoming about their financial affairs than others, and that the financial statements of some firms are designed to obscure rather than reveal information about the firms. How does one reflect the transparency (or the opacity) of a firm's financial statements in its value? This paper aims to examine both the sources of complexity in financial statements and the appropriate responses in valuation.

The paper examines both the sources of complexity in financial statements and the appropriate responses in valuation.

The paper develops a number of potential measures of complexity, ranging from a measure of opacity (developed by Price Waterhouse) to a complexity score (developed by asking a series of questions about companies).

If the value of complex firms is consistently discounted, an incentive for simpler holding structures and more transparent financial statements will be created.

While investors and analysts may increasingly bemoan the increasing complexity of financial statements, there is no simple measure of complexity. This paper considers some ways in which the complexity of a firm's financial statement can be measured.

This study aims to determine the association of Transparency and Disclosure (TD) with financial distress (FID) while the competition (as Lerner Index) moderates the association between the two.

The panel data analysis (static model) is performed to examine the effect of disclosures on the bank's FID. A TD index is built to assess the level of TD. All three versions of Altman's Zscore are employed to measure a bank's FID (High Zscore is opposite of FID). The data of 34 banks running in India for the timeframe 2015–16 to 2018–19 is utilized. Lerner index (LI) is taken as the moderator. The bank-size, valuation and financial leverage are control variables.

There exists no linear connection between TD and FID. However, TD is positively associated with financial stability (opposite FID). It means TD initially reduces financial stability and improves it after TD crosses a threshold level. Competition (as LI, where the higher value of LI means reduced competition) negatively moderates the association of TD with financial stability. Hence, the findings of this study support the competition-fragility premise. Surprisingly, the negatively significant interaction term of LI and TD implies either high competition and high TD or low competition with low TD, which helps in the bank's financial stability.

The findings provide input to a long-term policy of disclosures and competition in the banking sector, keeping in view the financial stability of the banks. Therefore, findings are novel and carry immense value to the existing knowledge on the topic.

This case study will allow students to critically analyse and develop entry strategies into untapped foreign markets. The case study was designed to introduce students to identifying and analysing information related to target markets for expansions in international business.

The main objectives of this case are to evaluate and make the “Go Global” decision for the company; to take a position on entry timing for a company for entering an overseas market; to select a country for entry based on cultural, administrative, geographic and economic analysis and other relevant factors; and to evaluate a firm’s readiness for exports.

This case study on Satya Pharmaceuticals presents a typical dilemma faced by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in emerging markets such as India while exploring the untapped overseas markets to expand their business. Satya Pharmaceuticals produced over-the-counter Ayurvedic medicines. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the consumer preference for Ayurvedic products had increased globally. Home country governments’ emphasis on exports and conducive consumer preferences created an opportune time for such SMEs to explore uncharted markets with a propensity for herbal medicines. Amidst strict regulations regarding safety, efficacy, labelling and packaging norms, along with a subjective understanding of the consumers’ sentiments regarding alternate medicines, SMEs had to select their target market carefully for their products to be successful overseas. This case study presents the basic information that entrepreneurs needed to explore the foreign markets. It revolved around checking firms’ preparedness to explore foreign markets, identifying target markets, timing the entry and entering those markets.

This case is appropriate for graduate-level courses in management that offer subjects such as international business.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 5: International business.

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of corporate governance (CG) developments in Greece and has two objectives: to enrich the debate in this area and to contribute to the increasing literature by presenting the main aspects of the Greek CG framework; and to place the current CG developments and trends in Greece within the international debate, especially in the light of the recent debate to improve and convergence CG in the EU.

First, reviews the evolution of the CG debate in Greece and its implication at the EU level. Second, provides a short view of the institutional‐economic environment in Greece, as it influences corporate governance practices. Then analyzes the CG mechanisms in the light of the recent key reforms. Finally, summarizes the findings and proceeds with some critical points and recommendations.

The general finding is that the development of regulatory reforms was mostly an endogenous process influenced mainly by the speculative events in the Greek capital market during 1999.

The evolution of the Greek CG may have significant implication, such as that the Greek market is a newly mature euro‐area market and CG is supposed to be a key factor for the competitive transformation of the capital market and the business world. In addition, the evolutionary path of CG in Greece may have significant implication for the new EU member states.

The paper shows how the CG practices evolve in a small open economy influenced by speculative events and is valuable to policymakers, regulators and academics.