Title: Board composition, CEO turnover and firm value: the effect of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act

Authors: Mustafa A. Dah; Matthew Hurst

Addresses: Adnan Kassar School of Business, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon ' School of Business Administration, Stetson University, DeLand, FL 32723, USA

Abstract: This paper tests the effect of an exogenous shock, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) of 2002, on the structure of corporate boards and their efficiency as a monitoring mechanism. The results suggest an increase in the participation of independent directors at the expense of insiders. Consequently, we investigate the implications of board composition changes on CEO turnover and firm value. We document a significant reduction in CEO turnover in the post-SOX period. We also demonstrate that, after SOX, a board dominated by independent directors is less likely to remove a CEO owing to poor performance. Finally, we highlight a negative association between the change in board composition and firm value. Contrary to the legislators' objectives, we suggest that the change in board structure brings about inefficient monitoring and promotes an unfavourable trade-off between independent directors and insiders.

Keywords: board independence; managerial turnover; firm performance; Sarbanes-Oxley Act; board composition; CEO turnover; firm value; SOX; corporate boards; monitoring; independent directors; insiders.

DOI: 10.1504/IJFSM.2016.080118

International Journal of Financial Services Management, 2016 Vol.8 No.3, pp.217 - 239

Received: 02 Jul 2016
Accepted: 13 Aug 2016
Published online: 02 Nov 2016 *

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