This issue throws light on two diverse topics of current relevance—corporate governance
and disclosure practices and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities of firms listed in Indian stock exchange.
Ownership Concentration, Corporate Governance and Disclosure Practices:
A Study of Firms Listed in Bombay Stock Exchange
--Pankaj M Madhani
Ownership concentration is a significant internal governance mechanism in which owners can control and influence the management of the firm to protect their interests. This research focuses on the relationship between ownership concentration and corporate governance and disclosure practices of firms. Accordingly, this study identifies and tests the empirical evidence for such relationship for sample firms listed in Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and selected from nine different sectors of the S&P BSE sectoral indices. Indian firms are predominantly of family origin and promoter controlled. This ownership effect provides promoters enough control over the management of the firm. The ownership concentration provides two offsetting effects: substitution effect and expropriation effect. From this perspective, the research explains the principal-agent agency theory as well as principal-principal theory. This research studies ownership concentration in terms of promoters’ holding and finds that promoters’ holding have a negative but insignificant correlation with corporate governance and disclosure practices of firms. As shareholding patterns in India show a high level of promoters’ concentration, it is interesting to see whether external efforts at improving corporate governance would succeed as it happened in economies of dispersed ownership.
Corporate Social Responsibility of Banks and Public Awareness:
A Study in Assam
--Amrita Das and Joyjit Sanyal
The main purpose of this study is to find out the thrust area and scope of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities from the point of view of common public and also to find out the gap in the activities carried out by the banking institutions and the areas for CSR according to the public. For the purpose of the study, a comparative analysis of both public and private sector institutions in carrying out their CSR activities is also included in the paper. This study is based on both primary as well as secondary data collected from the public and reports of the banking institutions for the past five years (2010-11 to 2014-15). The areas of CSR activities being vast in nature cannot be studied totally, and as a result, only specific areas that have been mentioned in the annual reports of the banking institutions have been included in the study. The analysis has been carried out in two parts: the first part shows the areas and the unique activity or schemes being undertaken by each individual bank and the second part of the analysis shows the general public views on CSR.
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.
