Abstract

ABSTRACT I examine the structure of corporate ownership in a sample of Japanese firms in the mid 1980s. Ownership is highly concentrated in Japan, with financial institutions by far the most important large shareholders. Ownership concentration in independent Japanese firms is positively related to the returns from exerting greater control over management. This is not the case in firms that are members of corporate groups (keiretsu). Ownership concentration and the accounting profit rate in both independent and keiretsu firms are unrelated. The results are consistent with the notion that there exist two distinct corporate governance systems in Japan —one among independent firms and the other among firms that are members of keiretsu.

Keywords

KeiretsuCorporate governanceShareholderBusinessAccountingSample (material)Control (management)Profit (economics)Industrial organizationFinanceEconomicsManagementMicroeconomics

Related Publications

Publication Info

Year
1992
Type
article
Volume
47
Issue
3
Pages
1121-1140
Citations
568
Access
Closed

External Links

Social Impact

Social media, news, blog, policy document mentions

Citation Metrics

568
OpenAlex

Cite This

Stephen D. Prowse (1992). The Structure of Corporate Ownership in Japan. The Journal of Finance , 47 (3) , 1121-1140. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6261.1992.tb04007.x

Identifiers

DOI
10.1111/j.1540-6261.1992.tb04007.x