CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF ITALIAN LISTED FIRMS. THE RESULTS OF AN EMPIRICAL RESEARCH

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Abstract

Corporate governance has become a popular topic in the international scene. The recent financial scandals (Enron, Parmalat, Tyco, and WorldCom) have increased the interest on the relationship between Corporate Governance and performance, due to its apparent importance for the economic health of companies and its effect on society in general. The paper aims to verify a possible relationship between the corporate governance of Italian listed companies and their financial performance. Creating a quality index for corporate governance, called CGQI, we will try to understand if a good corporate governance can lead to better firm results. The target population is composed of all Italian companies listed on the Italian Stock Exchange, in the year 2012. The cross-sectional regression highlights two important results: the negative correlation between Tobin’s q and CGQI, and the positive correlation between Return on Equity and CGQI. It is possible to extend the analysis both temporally and spatially, with a comparison between different countries, considering that our index is constructed on the basis of corporate governance guidelines of different countries.

Keywords: Corporate Governance, Financial Performances, Italy, Tobin’s Q, ROE, ROA

How to cite this paper: Rossi, M., Nerino, M., & Capasso, A. (2015). Corporate governance and financial performance of italian listed firms. The results of an empirical research. Corporate Ownership & Control, 12(2-6), 628-643. https://doi.org/10.22495/cocv12i2c6p6