Corporate governance implementation rating in Indonesia and its effects on financial performance

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of corporate governance (CG) implementation rating conducted by the Indonesian Institute for Corporate Governance (IICG) on the financial performance of the selected companies. Design/methodology/approach This paper is a hypothesis testing study to analyze CG implementation of 88 firms listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange. The samples are companies that participated in the Corporate Governance Perception Index (CGPI) Awards in 2008-2012. A panel data regression analysis is conducted on the data collected from IICG reports and its financial statements. Findings The awareness regarding good corporate governance (GCG) enforcement in Indonesian companies has already increased. The listed companies that participated in CGPI Awards during 2008-2012 always experience an increase in both quantity and quality. CG rating of go-public companies in Indonesia affects their accounting-based financial performance, such as return on assets, return on equity and earnings per share. However, CG implementation rating is not directly responded by the Indonesian stock market and has not yet been able to increase the company’s growth in the short term. Research limitations/implications In this study, CGPI rating in a related year is linked to market performance in the same year. Thus, further research may link CGPI rating to market performance in the next year, as the findings of this study show that GCG implementation is not directly responded by the market. Practical implications GCG implementation is required by stakeholders, as it may give a long-term positive impact. Thus, the government needs to stipulate regulations to increase the commitment of the company in implementing GCG. The company can improve the internal factors of the organization that does not support the establishment of GCG based on the findings during the survey of CGPI. Finally, investors and creditors may consider the CGPI rating for their investment decisions. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature in two ways. First, this study uses the comprehensive CG rating in Indonesia. Previous studies on CG rating focused on internal mechanism; in this study, the rating was assessed using four stages of continuous assessment: self-assessment, document evaluation, paper assessment and company visit, which was conducted by an independent team. Second, this study uses the CG index (compliance, conformance and performance) associated with a variety of accounting-based and market-based performance variables: financial performance, market value and growth.