Stewardship Code and Firm’s R&D Investment in Japan

Abstract

Purpose: This paper explores the influence of both domestic and international institutional investors, recognized as emerging outside blockholders in Japanese firms, on R&D investment. The study aims to understand how these investors impact R&D spending, a crucial factor for sustainable growth, particularly in the context of the implementation of the Stewardship Code. Research design, data, and methodology: The analysis employed panel analysis on 105 manufacturing companies listed on Nikkei225 from 2014 to 2020. We used the intensity of R&D as the dependent variable, with institutional investors holding more than 3% of each company’s shares as the independent variable. By classifying institutional investors, we compared the results between domestic and foreign institutional investors. Results: The analysis revealed that outside blockholders had a significantly positive effect on R&D. However, when institutions were classified, different results emerged. While domestic institutional investors had a significant positive impact on R&D, foreign institutional investors did not yield statistically significant results. Additionally, the financial institution variable, acting as the control variable and related to insider investors, consistently demonstrated a significantly negative effect across all models. Implications: Despite foreign institutional investors dominating the Japanese stock market, it was found that domestic institutional investors have emerged as significant outside blockholders in each firm. Traditionally criticized as passive investors, domestic institutional investors are shown to influence and promote R&D for long-term growth, in line with the Japanese stewardship code. While foreign investors are often associated with potential decreases in R&D for short-term gains such as ROE and dividends, no significant evidence was found. Moreover, with increasing stake ratios, foreign investors have the potential to positively impact Japanese firms in the future.