Corporate governance is the system by which companies are directed and controlled. It
is influenced by firm-specific corporate governance practices and structures and also
by country-level legal and regulatory regimes.
Corporate Governance and Disclosure Practices of Firms:
The Impact of Nature and Types of Intellectual Capital
--Pankaj M Madhani
In this knowledge economy, there is a gradual shift in focus from capital and labor intensive firms to knowledge intensive firms. This paper focuses on the corporate governance and disclosure practices of firms listed on Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). The sample firms represent different sectors of Intellectual Capital (IC) intensive firms segregated according to types of IC (viz., human capital, structural capital and relational capital). These sectors are characterized by large investment in intangible or knowledge assets with relatively small proportion of tangible assets in their asset base. This research calculates IC intensity ratio for sample firms, and studies its impact on the corporate governance and disclosure practices of firms. By analyzing the key characteristics of these IC intensive industries and subsequently studying the impact of the nature of industry (i.e. IC intensive firms) and types of IC on the corporate governance and disclosure practices, this research identifies and tests the empirical evidence for such relationship.
The Effect of Institutional Ownership on Firm Performance
--Tripti Nashier and Amitabh Gupta
The role of institutional investors in corporate governance is widely recognized. This study investigates whether institutional investors are active monitors or passive investors by examining the relationship between institutional ownership and firm performance for a sample of 11,136 firm-year observations from 1,392 non-financial firms listed on the BSE from 2007 to 2014. It employs panel data regression models and instrumental variables regression using generalized method of moments to control for unobserved heterogeneity and possible endogeneity of ownership variables. The results reveal that institutional ownership has a positive impact on firm performance. Institutional ownership is disaggregated into domestic and foreign institutional ownership and it is observed that both the categories positively affect the firm performance. The findings suggest that institutional investors, whether domestic or foreign, are able to monitor managements’ actions and decisions effectively and help to improve firm performance. It also finds the relationship between institutional ownership and firm performance to be endogenous.
Automated Teller Machines (ATMs): The Changing Face of Banking in India
Bank Management
Information and communication technology has changed the way in which banks provide services to its customers. These days the customers are able to perform their routine banking transactions without even entering the bank premises. ATM is one such development in recent years, which provides remote banking services all over the world, including India. This paper analyzes the development of this self-service banking in India based on the secondary data.
The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is playing a very important role in the progress and advancement in almost all walks of life. The deregulated environment has provided an opportunity to restructure the means and methods of delivery of services in many areas, including the banking sector. The ICT has been a focused issue in the past two decades in Indian banking. In fact, ICTs are enabling the banks to change the way in which they are functioning. Improved customer service has become very important for the very survival and growth of banking sector in the reforms era. The technological advancements, deregulations, and intense competition due to the entry of private sector and foreign banks have altered the face of banking from one of mere intermediation to one of provider of quick, efficient and customer-friendly services. With the introduction and adoption of ICT in the banking sector, the customers are fast moving away from the traditional branch banking system to the convenient and comfort of virtual banking. The most important virtual banking services are phone banking, mobile banking, Internet banking and ATM banking. These electronic channels have enhanced the delivery of banking services accurately and efficiently to the customers. The ATMs are an important part of a bank’s alternative channel to reach the customers, to showcase products and services and to create brand awareness. This is reflected in the increase in the number of ATMs all over the world. ATM is one of the most widely used remote banking services all over the world, including India. This paper analyzes the growth of ATMs of different bank groups in India.
International Scenario
If ATMs are largely available over geographically dispersed areas, the benefit from using an ATM will increase as customers will be able to access their bank accounts from any geographic location. This would imply that the value of an ATM network increases with the number of available ATM locations, and the value of a bank network to a customer will be determined in part by the final network size of the banking system. The statistical information on the growth of branches and ATM network in select countries.
Indian Scenario
The financial services industry in India has witnessed a phenomenal growth, diversification and specialization since the initiation of financial sector reforms in 1991. Greater customer orientation is the only way to retain customer loyalty and withstand competition in the liberalized world. In a market-driven strategy of development, customer preference is of paramount importance in any economy. Gone are the days when customers used to come to the doorsteps of banks. Now the banks are required to chase the customers; only those banks which are customercentric and extremely focused on the needs of their clients can succeed in their business today.
