Corporate Governance Metrics for Asian Companies: Are They Reliable Indicators of Corporate Performance?

As more investors have bought shares in Asian companies, global interest in these firms' corporate governance has soared. Firms like Institutional Shareholder Services have begun to rate Asian firms' corporate governance, assigning them "Corporate Governance Quotients" (CGQ). Some research suggests that companies with higher CGQs deliver better shareholder returns for investors. The first section of this paper examines whether this positive relation holds true in the Asian market and considers the implications of our findings for Asian managers. The second section raises some more general questions about the value and viability of corporate governance ratings and identifies some dangers associated with corporate governance rating systems.