Corporate Governance, Financing Pattern and Cost of Capital: Evidence from New Zealand Companies

Abstract

In this paper, we examine the effects of corporate governance mechanisms on the financing policies of New Zealand firms for the period 2004-2008. Using a unique self-constructed corporate governance index and employing the Fama and French (1999) financing model of firms, we find that firms with weak corporate governance mechanisms have more leverage than do firms with strong governance mechanisms. After controlling for the effects among corporate governance components, we observe that firms with different levels of corporate governance quality use different corporate governance mechanisms in relation to their financing policies. We report that firms can dynamically adjust their leverage as a governance mechanism through compensation policy and shareholder rights. Boards are observed to affect firm leverage only when other corporate governance mechanisms are ineffective.