The impact of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance on firm’s investment efficiency: evidence from China
ISSN: 0114-0582
Article publication date: 18 July 2023
Issue publication date: 25 October 2023
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance (D&O insurance hereafter) on corporate governance and firm performance, with a specific focus on investment efficiency.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a sample of Chinese A-share listed firms from the period 2007 to 2020, this study uses Ordinary Least Squares regressions to investigate the research questions, as well as moderating and mediating effects. Additionally, alternative measures of investment efficiency are used, and the Heckman two-stage model and propensity score matching model are used to demonstrate the consistency of the findings and to mitigate the risk of endogeneity.
Findings
The findings of this study suggest that purchasing D&O insurance has a detrimental impact on corporate investment efficiency, particularly in the context of over-investment activities; robust internal governance mechanisms, exemplified by a higher shareholding ratio of the top shareholder and enhanced internal control quality, alleviate this negative effect; and financing constraints act as a mediating factor in the association between D&O insurance and investment efficiency.
Originality/value
Corporate investment efficiency is of significant importance for both national macroeconomic growth and micro-enterprise development. Notably, the prevalence of D&O insurance among Chinese firms is progressively increasing, thus exerting a growing influence. This study contributes to the existing literature on D&O insurance and corporate investment efficiency, providing valuable insights into the economic impact of D&O insurance on Chinese firms. The empirical evidence presented herein facilitates future reforms and adjustments.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Tom Scott (Editor-in-Chief), Daifei Troy Yao (Guest Editor), Jin Zhang (reviewer and discussant), Fang Hu, Lin Liao, Weqiang Tan and participants in the 2022 Pacific Accounting Review Special Issue Conference for valuable comments and suggestions for an early draft of this paper. Weiping Li gratefully acknowledges the financial support by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, Sun Yat-Sen University (2023qntd47). Xuan Sean Sun gratefully acknowledges the financial support provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC-71972011).
Declarations of interest: None.
Data Availability Statement: Data are available from the public sources cited in the text.
Citation
Li, W., Li, H., Sun, X.S. and Huang, T.K. (2023), "The impact of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance on firm’s investment efficiency: evidence from China", Pacific Accounting Review, Vol. 35 No. 4, pp. 670-697. https://doi.org/10.1108/PAR-08-2022-0130
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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