Skip to main content
Log in

Board Size, Independence and Performance: An Analysis of Thai Banks

  • Published:
Asia-Pacific Financial Markets Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study examines the impact of board size and independent directors on the performance of local commercial banks in Thailand. A panel fixed-effect in the individual regression model is used to examine this relationship over 1999–2003. The results showed a statistically significant negative relation between Thai banks’ board size and their performances. In addition, a statistically significant positive relationship was found between the proportion of independent directors on the bank board and performance.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adams R., Mehran H. (2003) Is corporate governance different from bank holding companies? FRBNY Economic Policy Review 9: 123–142

    Google Scholar 

  • Adams, R., & Mehran, H. (2005). Corporate performance, board structure and its determinants in the banking industry. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/paper=302593

  • Agrawal A., Knoeber C.R. (1996) Firm performance and mechanisms to control agency problems between managers and shareholders. Journal of Financial Quantitative Analyses 31(3): 377–397

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anuchitworawong, C. (2003). Deposit insurance, corporate governance, and discretionary behavior: Evidence from Thai financial institutions. PhD dissertation, Osaka University, Japan.

  • Belkhir, M. (2005). Board structure, ownership structure, and firm performance: Evidence from banking. Available at SSRN: http://papers.ssrn.com/so13/papers.cfm?paper=604505.

  • Bhagat S., Black B. (1999) The uncertain relationship between board composition and firm performance. Business Lawyer 54: 921–963

    Google Scholar 

  • Blalock H.M. (1972) Social statistics. New York, McGraw-Hill

    Google Scholar 

  • Caprio, G. J., & Levine, R. (2002). Corporate governance of banks: Concepts and international observations. World Bank, IMF and Brooking Institution on Building the Pillars of Financial Sector Governance: The Roles of Public and Private Sectors, 2002. http://iicg.som.yale.edu/news/april_5/CAPRIO.pdf.

  • Charumilind C., Kali R., Wiwattanakantang Y. (2006) Connected lending: Thailand before the financial crisis. Journal of Business 79(1): 181–217

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coles, J. L., Daniel, N. D., & Naveen, L. (2007). Boards: Does one size fit all? Journal of Financial Economics, forthcoming.

  • Cotter J., Shivdasani A., Zenner M. (1997) Do independent directors enhance target shareholder wealth during tender offers? Journal of Financial Economics 43(2): 195–218

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dehaene A., Vuyst D.V., Ooghe H. (2001) Corporate performance and board structure in Belgian companies. Long Range Planning 32: 383–398

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Demirgüç-Kunt A., Detragiache E. (2002) Does deposit insurance increase banking system stability? An empirical investigation. Journal of Monetary Economics 49(7): 1373–1406

    Google Scholar 

  • Eisenberg T., Sundgren S., Well M. (1998) Larger board size and decreasing firm value in small firms. Journal of Financial Economics 48(1): 35–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fama E. (1980) Agency problems and the theory of the firm. Journal of Political Economy 88(2): 288–307

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fama E., Jensen M. (1983) Separation of ownership and control. Journal of Law and Economics 26(2): 301–325

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farrell K., Whidbee D. (2000) The consequences of forced CEO succession for outside directors. Journal of Business 73(4): 597–627

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Furfine C.H. (2001) Banks as monitors of other banks: evidence from the overnight federal funds market. Journal of Business 74(1): 33–57

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hermalin B.E., Weisbach M.S. (1991) The effects of board composition and direct incentives on firm performance. Financial Management 20(4): 101–112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hermalin B.E., Weisbach M.S. (2003) Boards of directors as an endogenously determined institution: A survey of the economic literature. FRBNY Economic Policy Review 9: 7–26

    Google Scholar 

  • Higgs D. (2003) Review of the effectiveness of non-executive directors. Department of Trade and Industry, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Himmerlberg C.P., Hubbard R.G., Palia D. (1999) Understanding the determinants of managerial ownership and link between ownership and performance. Journal of Financial Economics 53(3): 353–384

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoschka T.C., Nast G.R., Villinger R. (2002). Better boards in Thailand. The McKinsey Quarterly 4(1):14–27

    Google Scholar 

  • Jensen M. (1993) The modern industrial revolution, exit, and the failure of internal control systems. Journal of Finance 48(3):831–880

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson R.A., Wichern D.W. (2007) Applied multivariate statistical analysis. USA, Prentice-Hall Inc

    Google Scholar 

  • Jinarat V., Quang T. (2003) The impact of good governance on organization performance after the Asian crisis in Thailand. Asia Pacific Business Review 10(1): 21–42

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kiel G.C., Nicholson G.J. (2003) Board composition and corporate performance: How the Australian experience informs contrasting theories of corporate governance. Corporate Governance: An International Review 11(3): 189–205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kole S. (1997) The complexity of compensation contracts. Journal of Financial Economics 43(1): 79–104

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levine, R. (2003). The corporate governance of banks: A concise discussion of concepts and evidence. World Bank Forum on Global Corporate Governance, Discussion Paper No. 3, http://www.gcgf.org.

  • Lipton M., Lorsch J. (1992) A modest proposal for improved corporate governance. Business Lawyer 48(1): 59–77

    Google Scholar 

  • Macey J.R., O’hara M. (2003) The corporate governance of banks. FRBNY Economic Policy Review 9: 91–107

    Google Scholar 

  • Merton R.C. (1977) An analytic derivation of the cost of deposit insurance and loan guarantees. Journal of Banking and Finance 1(2): 3–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pathan, S., Skully, M., & Wickramanyake, J. (2007). Reforms in Thai bank governance: An aftermath of the Asian financial crisis. International Review of Financial Analysis, forthcoming.

  • Price Waterhouse Management Consultants Ltd. (2003). Corporate governance in Thailand: A Price house study. Commissioned by the Stock Exchange of Thailand, Bangkok.

  • Rosenstein S., Wyatt J. (1990) Outside directors, board independence, and shareholder wealth. Journal of Financial Economics 26(2): 175–184

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharpe W.F. (1966). Mutual fund performance. Journal of Business 39(1): 119–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shivdasani A. (1993) Board composition, ownership structure, and hostile takeovers. Journal of Accounting and Economics 16(2): 167–198

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skully, M. T. (2002). Banking and corporate governance: some prudential issues. Presented in Second International Conference on Banking and Finance in Greece, August 9–11, 2002.

  • Stock Exchange of Thailand (1999a). Code of best practice for directors of listed companies. Bangkok: Stock Exchange of Thailand.

  • Stock Exchange of Thailand (1999b). The principles of corporate governance. Bangkok: Stock Exchange of Thailand.

  • Subrahmanyam V., Ranjan N., Rosenstein S. (1997) The role of outside directors in bank acquisitions. Financial Management 26(1): 23–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Victor D.A., Peter H. (2004) Does the composition and practice of board of directors bear any relationship to the performance of their companies? Corporate Governance: An International Review 12(3): 263–280

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waiquamdee, A. (2007). Thailand 10 years after 1997: Past lessons for new challenges. Bangkok: The Bank of Thailand.

  • Yermack D. (1996) Higher market valuation of companies with a small board of directors. Journal of Financial Economics 40(2): 185–212

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou X. (2001) Understanding the determinants of managerial ownership and the link between ownership and performance: Comment. Journal of Financial Economics 62(3): 559–571

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael Skully.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pathan, S., Skully, M. & Wickramanayake, J. Board Size, Independence and Performance: An Analysis of Thai Banks. Asia-Pacific Finan Markets 14, 211–227 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10690-007-9060-y

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10690-007-9060-y

Keywords

Navigation