Agency theory
Agency Theory and
Its Consequences
A study of the unintended effect of Agency Theory on Risk and Morality
M.Sc. FSM Master Thesis: Agency Theory & Its Consequences
Master Thesis at Copenhagen Business School
Student: Thomas Rüdiger Smith
Programme: M.Sc Finance & Strategic Management
Advisor: Sven Junghagen, Department of Management Politics & Philosophy
August, 2011
Total Pages: 78 (133 with appendix and summary)
Characters: 181647 (246486 with appendix and summary)
Thomas Rüdiger Smith
2
M.Sc. FSM Master Thesis: Agency Theory & Its Consequences
Executive Summary
The failing corporate governance system, excessive risk-taking and the greedy manager have all been cited as reasons for the recent financial crisis. This thesis determines the connection between these three aspects and agency theory, deriving two potential side effects and consequences. In theoretical support of the relationship between the shareholder primacy inherent in agency theory and risktaking as well as the critique of the model of man in agency theory, two intertwined research questions are investigated,
Did the agency theoretical prescriptions of corporate governance and directors’ financial literacy impact the risk profile of Scandinavian banks during the Financial Crisis? And are there differences in the moral and ethical perceptions of business majors in comparison to other majors?
Through an analysis of agency theory and its impact on practical corporate governance, this thesis develops ten hypotheses regarding the relationship between risk-taking to the composition of board of directors, director background and the utilization of stock based remuneration. Additionally, based on the critique of agency theory, three hypotheses with regards to the presumed negative impact of agency theory on the moral and ethical perceptions of business majors are presented.
The data from Scandinavian bank boards and risk measures shows that some of the agency
Its Consequences
A study of the unintended effect of Agency Theory on Risk and Morality
M.Sc. FSM Master Thesis: Agency Theory & Its Consequences
Master Thesis at Copenhagen Business School
Student: Thomas Rüdiger Smith
Programme: M.Sc Finance & Strategic Management
Advisor: Sven Junghagen, Department of Management Politics & Philosophy
August, 2011
Total Pages: 78 (133 with appendix and summary)
Characters: 181647 (246486 with appendix and summary)
Thomas Rüdiger Smith
2
M.Sc. FSM Master Thesis: Agency Theory & Its Consequences
Executive Summary
The failing corporate governance system, excessive risk-taking and the greedy manager have all been cited as reasons for the recent financial crisis. This thesis determines the connection between these three aspects and agency theory, deriving two potential side effects and consequences. In theoretical support of the relationship between the shareholder primacy inherent in agency theory and risktaking as well as the critique of the model of man in agency theory, two intertwined research questions are investigated,
Did the agency theoretical prescriptions of corporate governance and directors’ financial literacy impact the risk profile of Scandinavian banks during the Financial Crisis? And are there differences in the moral and ethical perceptions of business majors in comparison to other majors?
Through an analysis of agency theory and its impact on practical corporate governance, this thesis develops ten hypotheses regarding the relationship between risk-taking to the composition of board of directors, director background and the utilization of stock based remuneration. Additionally, based on the critique of agency theory, three hypotheses with regards to the presumed negative impact of agency theory on the moral and ethical perceptions of business majors are presented.
The data from Scandinavian bank boards and risk measures shows that some of the agency