GOVERNANCE and TRUST: an Institutional Economics Perspective on Taiwan's Financial Reform

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

GOVERNANCE and TRUST: an Institutional Economics Perspective on Taiwan's Financial Reform GOVERNANCE AND TRUST: An institutional economics perspective on Taiwan's financial reform Doris Hsiao-Chi Chuang A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the University of Brighton for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2012 The University of Brighton Abstract Evolution of the financial system involves continual institutional changes for reform pur- poses. However, reform experiences differed considerably from one country to another. Why is it that some countries can effectively implement reforms to foster successful devel- opment while others fail to do so? This study takes a first step in answering this question. It aims to explain the variations of financial reform experience in terms of informal institu- tional influence and highlight the importance of governance in shaping the reform outcome. The thesis studies governance characteristics that influence Taiwan’s banking evolution and examines the development of both formal and informal institutions. It argues that de- velopment of Taiwan’s banking sector has been path-dependent and significantly influ- enced by informal institutions, which held back its recent reform progress. The study com- prises three parts: theoretical framework, quantitative statistical research and qualitative country study. It applies the analytical framework set out in the theoretical part and draws on empirical evidences from quantitative research to form the basis for an empirical inves- tigation into the historical financial development and recent reform experience in Taiwan. At the conceptual level, the research adopts the New Institutional Economics (NIE) framework and argues that governance bears a decisive importance for an effective reform because it fosters trust in the institutions and facilitates the reform by encouraging coopera- tive behaviours among actors. It identifies that governance of financial service industry is perceived from institutional qualities of property rights protection, corruption prevention, and political stability. Using the case of Taiwan’s banking sector, the research explores the sector has been shaped and conditioned by the institutional contexts in which it operates. It discovers that that the underdeveloped mechanism for creditors’ rights protection, collu- sion between financial businesses owners and politicians, deadlocked political situation with China contribute to weak governance which amplified its 1990s banking crises. It is observed that government’s behaviours did not transform with the reform to form new hab- its and thoughts under the influence of the institutional persistence, hence only had limited success in inducing policy enforcement. In terms of policy implications, the research en- courages policy makers to study historical development and to build upon existing initia- tives taking into account the path-dependent environment and informal institutional em- beddedness of implemented projects. 2 Content List Abstract ................................................................................................................... 2 Content List ................................................................................................................... 3 List of Tables ................................................................................................................... 7 List of Figures ................................................................................................................... 9 Preface ................................................................................................................. 10 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................ 11 Declaration ................................................................................................................. 12 List of Abbreviations ............................................................................................................. 13 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 15 1 Overview of Taiwan’s financial system ............................................... 25 1.1 General background of Taiwan ............................................................... 25 1.2 Financial system structure ....................................................................... 27 1.2.1 Supervisory authorities ............................................................................ 27 1.2.2 Financial institutions ............................................................................... 29 1.2.3 Financial markets .................................................................................... 29 1.3 Financial system evolution ...................................................................... 30 1.3.1 Early development stage 1949-1988 ....................................................... 30 1.3.2 Banking privitisation 1989-2000 ............................................................. 31 1.3.2.1 Deregulation of interest rates and foreign exchange rates ...................... 31 1.3.2.2 Liberalisation of capital movement ......................................................... 32 1.3.2.3 Liberalisation of the establishment of financial institutions ................... 33 1.3.2.4 Deregulation of securities market ........................................................... 33 1.3.3 Financial reform post 2001 ..................................................................... 34 1.4 Summary ................................................................................................. 35 2 Literature review ................................................................................... 36 2.1 New Institutional Economics .................................................................. 37 2.1.1 NIE evolution .......................................................................................... 38 2.1.2 Definitions of transaction costs and institutions ..................................... 39 2.1.3 Institutional changes ................................................................................ 40 2.1.4 Informal constraints on institutional changes ........................................ 42 2.2 Financial system from NIE perspectives ................................................. 43 2.2.1 Existence of financial intermediaries ...................................................... 44 2.2.2 Functions of banking intermediaries ....................................................... 45 2.2.3 Asymmetric information problems ......................................................... 47 2.2.4 Trust in financial system ......................................................................... 48 2.3 Institutional quality and financial development ...................................... 50 2.3.1 Formal institutional influence ................................................................. 50 2.3.2 Informal institutional influence ............................................................... 53 2.3.3 Decisive institutional quality: Governance ............................................. 54 2.4 Governance and financial reform ............................................................ 55 2.4.1 Property rights protection ........................................................................ 56 2.4.2 Corruption prevention ............................................................................. 58 3 2.4.3 Political stability ...................................................................................... 59 2.5 Summary ................................................................................................. 60 3 Approach and methodology of the study ............................................ 62 3.1 The structure of the thesis ....................................................................... 62 3.1.1 Theoretical framework ............................................................................ 65 3.1.2 Quantitative research ............................................................................... 66 3.1.3 Qualitative research ................................................................................. 67 3.2 The research method ............................................................................... 67 3.2.1 Data collection ........................................................................................ 67 3.2.2 Analytical approaches ............................................................................. 68 3.3 Justification of research design ............................................................... 70 3.3.1 Data source .............................................................................................. 70 3.3.2 Mixed research strategy .......................................................................... 72 3.3.3 Methodology reviews of similar studies ................................................. 73 4 Quantitative research: Institutional qualities and trust in banks .... 75 4.1 Part 1 - Trust in banks: Institutional influence ........................................ 76 4.1.1 Statistical technique and data collection ................................................. 78 4.1.2 Discriminant variables ............................................................................ 80 4.1.3 Discriminant functions ............................................................................ 84 4.1.4 Graphical interpretation of findings
Recommended publications
  • Integration of International Financial Regulatory Standards for the Chinese Economic Area: the Challenge for China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan Lawrence L.C
    Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business Volume 20 Issue 1 Fall Fall 1999 Integration of International Financial Regulatory Standards for the Chinese Economic Area: The Challenge for China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan Lawrence L.C. Lee Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/njilb Part of the International Law Commons, International Trade Commons, Law and Economics Commons, and the Securities Law Commons Recommended Citation Lawrence L.C. Lee, Integration of International Financial Regulatory Standards for the Chinese Economic Area: The hC allenge for China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, 20 Nw. J. Int'l L. & Bus. 1 (1999-2000) This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Northwestern University School of Law Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business by an authorized administrator of Northwestern University School of Law Scholarly Commons. ARTICLES Integration of International Financial Regulatory Standards for the Chinese Economic Area: The Challenge for China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan Lawrence L. C. Lee* I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................... 2 II. ORIGINS OF THE CURRENT FINANCIAL AND BANKING SYSTEMS IN THE CHINESE ECONOMIC AREA ............................................................ 11 * Lawrence L. C. Lee is Assistant Professor at Ming Chung University School of Law (Taiwan) and Research Fellow at Columbia University School of Law. S.J.D. 1998, Univer- sity of Wisconsin-Madison Law School; LL.M. 1996, American University Washington College of Law; LL.M. 1993, Boston University School of Law; and LL.B. 1991, Soochow University School of Law (Taiwan). Portions of this article were presented at the 1999 Con- ference of American Association of Chinese Studies and the 1997 University of Wisconsin Law School Symposium in Legal Regulation of Cross-Straits Commercial Activities among Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China.
    [Show full text]
  • First Financial Restructuring and Operating Efficiency: Evidence from Taiwanese Commercial Banks
    Journal of Banking & Finance 34 (2010) 1461–1471 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Banking & Finance journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jbf First financial restructuring and operating efficiency: Evidence from Taiwanese commercial banks Hsing-Chin Hsiao a, Hsihui Chang b, Anna M. Cianci b,*, Li-Hua Huang a a Department of Accounting Information, National Taipei College of Business, Taipei City 100, Taiwan b Department of Accounting, LeBow College of Business, Drexel University, PA 19104, USA article info abstract Article history: This paper investigates the effect of the ‘‘First Financial Restructuring” (FFR) on the operating efficiency of Received 30 April 2008 commercial banks in Taiwan. Applying data envelopment analysis (DEA) to operations data for 40 com- Accepted 24 January 2010 mercial banks over the 6-year period 2000–2005, we find that while the banks have lower operating effi- Available online 1 February 2010 ciency on average during the reform period (2002–2003) compared to the pre-reform period (2000– 2001), improved operating efficiency is reflected in the post-reform period (2004–2005). Our results JEL classification: remain unchanged even after controlling for the non-performing loan ratio, capital adequacy ratio, bank G21 ownership, size, and GDP growth rate. These results suggest that the improved efficiency in the post- G28 reform period is possibly due to enhanced banking and risk management practices and benefits obtained Keywords: from compliance with the FFR. First Financial Restructuring (FFR) Ó 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Operating efficiency Commercial banks Data envelopment analysis (DEA) 1. Introduction an effort to foster banking efficiency (Denizer et al., 2007; Isik and Hassan, 2003; Zhao et al., 2010).
    [Show full text]
  • JP Morgan and the Money Trust
    FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ST. LOUIS ECONOMIC EDUCATION The Panic of 1907: J.P. Morgan and the Money Trust Lesson Author Mary Fuchs Standards and Benchmarks (see page 47) Lesson Description The Panic of 1907 was a financial crisis set off by a series of bad banking decisions and a frenzy of withdrawals caused by public distrust of the banking system. J.P. Morgan, along with other wealthy Wall Street bankers, loaned their own funds to save the coun- try from a severe financial crisis. But what happens when a single man, or small group of men, have the power to control the finances of a country? In this lesson, students will learn about the Panic of 1907 and the measures Morgan used to finance and save the major banks and trust companies. Students will also practice close reading to analyze texts from the Pujo hearings, newspapers, and reactionary articles to develop an evidence- based argument about whether or not a money trust—a Morgan-led cartel—existed. Grade Level 10-12 Concepts Bank run Bank panic Cartel Central bank Liquidity Money trust Monopoly Sherman Antitrust Act Trust ©2015, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Permission is granted to reprint or photocopy this lesson in its entirety for educational purposes, provided the user credits the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, www.stlouisfed.org/education. 1 Lesson Plan The Panic of 1907: J.P. Morgan and the Money Trust Time Required 100-120 minutes Compelling Question What did J.P. Morgan have to do with the founding of the Federal Reserve? Objectives Students will • define bank run, bank panic, monopoly, central bank, cartel, and liquidity; • explain the Panic of 1907 and the events leading up to the panic; • analyze the Sherman Antitrust Act; • explain how monopolies worked in the early 20th-century banking industry; • develop an evidence-based argument about whether or not a money trust—a Morgan-led cartel—existed • explain how J.P.
    [Show full text]
  • A Cost Efficiency Analysis of Local Commercial Banks in Taiwan by Elaine Yiling Lin a Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment Of
    A Cost Efficiency Analysis of Local Commercial Banks in Taiwan By Elaine Yiling Lin A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science Applied Economics At The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Table of Contents Title Page ....................................................................................................................... i. Approval Page ............................................................................................................... ii. Table of Contents ........................................................................................................ iii. List of Tables & Figures .............................................................................................. iv. Abstract ......................................................................................................................... v. 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1 2. Literature Review .................................................................................................... 2 3. Model Specification ................................................................................................ 5 4. Data Description ..................................................................................................... 7 5. Empirical Results .................................................................................................... 8 6. Conclusion ...........................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Internationalization of the Taiwan Banking Industry, 1990-2001
    International Journal of Social Science and Humanity, Vol. 5, No. 3, March 2015 Internationalization of the Taiwan Banking Industry, 1990-2001 Hsien-Jui Chung operational procedures. Regulation, prior to 1991, had the Abstract—This article depicts and analyses the effect of limiting the number of financial institutions and so internationalization of the banking industry in Taiwan during the industry expanded as banks established new branches the period 1999 to 2001. We draw on the perspective of across the country. As a result incumbent banks earned capabilities to describe and explain how banks’ domestic significant profits in a closed and stable financial operations experience prior to internationalization both restrained and contributed to overseas expansion. As a bank environment characterized by a low degree of competition has an initial internationalization experience, domestic Government policy focused on creating a stable platform experience did not prejudice the subsequent for economic development and this came at the expensive of internationalization. considering internationalization. The Government’s approach, initiated in 1970, was conservative and directed Index Terms—Banking, industry internationalization, towards newly-established financial institutions including overseas expansion, capability development. two overseas Chinese-funded banks (OCBC Bank and United Bank), two City-controlled Banks, an Export-Import I. INTRODUCTION Bank, a few private banks and a number of credit cooperatives. In other countries, such as South Africa and International expansion is an accumulative process in New Zealand, deregulation of the industry was having which firms developed their international operation significant effects on the internationalization of banks [2]. capabilities in a long period that are necessary for effective The Government in Taiwan, similarly, faced increasing calls management of international businesses [1].
    [Show full text]
  • Legal Aspects of Offshore Banking in Taiwan Ya-Huei Chen
    Maryland Journal of International Law Volume 8 | Issue 2 Article 4 Legal Aspects of Offshore Banking in Taiwan Ya-Huei Chen Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.law.umaryland.edu/mjil Part of the International Law Commons, and the International Trade Commons Recommended Citation Ya-Huei Chen, Legal Aspects of Offshore Banking in Taiwan, 8 Md. J. Int'l L. 237 (1984). Available at: http://digitalcommons.law.umaryland.edu/mjil/vol8/iss2/4 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UM Carey Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in Maryland Journal of International Law by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UM Carey Law. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LEGAL ASPECTS OF OFFSHORE BANKING IN TAIWAN YA-HUEI CHEN* I. INTRODUCTION Taiwan has enjoyed uniformly high growth rates since the early 1950's, except during the 1974-75 oil crisis.' It is expected that the gains already achieved will be held and that economic development will con- tinue.' The demand for capitakis increasing because of this economic and industrial development, but the financial market in Taiwan is still poorly developed and generally unresponsive to market demand.' Financial ser- vices in Taiwan have been criticized as being inadequate, inefficient, disor- derly and too conservative. The liberalization, reorganization, moderniza- tion and internationalization of Taiwan's financial system is necessary and imminent.' The expansion and internationalization of the capital market is a prior- ity of Taiwan's government. Progress has already been made toward en- hancing Taiwan's economic position by making the country an international financial center.
    [Show full text]
  • Online Banking Information
    Information Management and Business Review Vol. 4, No. 11, pp. 570-582, Nov 2012 (ISSN 2220-3796) Customer Adoption of Internet Banking: An Empirical Investigation in Taiwanese Banking Context *Chao Chao Chuang, Fu-Ling Hu Hsing Wu University, Taiwan *[email protected] Abstract: In these days, banks work hard to attract consumers and keep their market share by providing them with more innovative services through Internet banking. Banking services are now just at the distance of one click from the mouse. The purpose of this paper is to explore how and why specific factors affect adoption of Internet banking in Taiwan context. The findings suggest six identified factors are significant in respect of customers’ adoption of Internet banking services. Convenience, accessibility and feature availability are the main motivators for consumers to use Internet banking service. Results also reveal that security and privacy play important roles in discouraging the customers to use Internet banking services. Conclusions and managerial suggestions are proposed to provide a practical contribution for bank managers to better understand customers’ perception of e-banking service quality and enhance customers’ adoption rates. Keywords: Internet banking, banking services, customer adoption 1. Introduction In recent years, Internet banking has experienced amazing growth and has changed conventional banking practice. Internet banking users can access their accounts very easily through logging in to the bank’s website with their personal identification numbers and passwords. Internet banking services include checking accounts balance, paying bills, transferring money between bank accounts, investing, trading foreign currency, etc. By providing Internet banking services, conventional financial institutions hope to lower operational costs, enhance banking service quality, and make customer relationship management more effective to further increase market share.
    [Show full text]
  • 2016 Annual Report (PDF)
    Our Commitment WELLS FARGO & COMPANY ANNUAL REPORT 2016 2016 ANNUAL REPORT Contents 2 | Letter from Chairman of the Board 4 | Letter from Chief Executive Officer and President 14 | Demonstrating Our Commitment 14 | Homeownership: More than a dream 16 | Journey through retirement 18 | A prescription for caring 20 | Bringing bankers to the kitchen table 22 | A home for hope 24 | Building with smart technology 26 | Helping create affordable housing 28 | A future of efficient freight 30 | A bank for life 32 | Operating Committee and Other Corporate Officers 33 | Board of Directors 34 | 2016 Corporate Social Responsibility Performance 35 | 2016 Financial Report - Financial review - Controls and procedures - Financial statements - Report of independent registered public accounting firm 273 | Stock Performance 2 2016 ANNUAL REPORT Dear Fellow Shareholders, Since 1852, Wells Fargo has worked to earn customers’ trust We have enforced senior management accountability by meeting their financial needs and helping them succeed for the damage to Wells Fargo’s reputation through very financially, while maintaining the highest standards of significant compensation actions. The Board accepted integrity. That is why my fellow Board members and I were John Stumpf’s recommendation to forfeit all of his unvested deeply troubled that Wells Fargo violated that trust by equity of approximately $41 million prior to his retirement opening accounts for certain retail banking customers that as Chairman and CEO. The Board required Carrie Tolstedt, they did not request or in some cases even know about. the departed head of Community Banking, to forfeit all This behavior is unacceptable, not only to the Board but of her approximately $19 million of unvested equity.
    [Show full text]
  • The Japanese Economy During the Interwar Period
    20092009--JE--21 The Japanese Economy during the Interwar Period: 両大戦間期Instabilityの日本における恐慌と政策対応 in the Financial System and ― 金融システム問題と世界恐慌への対応を中心にthe Impact of the World Depression ― Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies 金融研究所 鎮目雅人 Masato Shizume 2009 年 4 月 May 2009 The Japanese economy during the interwar period faced chronic crises. Among them, the Showa Financial Crisis of 1927 and the Showa Depression of 1930-31 marked turning points. The Showa Financial Crisis of 1927 was the consequence of persistent financial instability because of the incomplete restructuring in the business sector and postponements in the disposal of bad loans by financial institutions. The crisis brought reforms in the financial sector through large-scale injections of public funds and the amalgamation of banks. The Showa Depression of 1930-31 was caused by the Great Depression, a worldwide economic collapse, which had been intensified in Japan by the return to the Gold Standard at the old parity. Japan escaped from the Great Depression earlier than most other countries through a series of macroeconomic stimulus measures initiated by Korekiyo Takahashi, a veteran Finance Minister who resumed office in December 1931. Takahashi instituted comprehensive macroeconomic policy measures, including exchange rate, fiscal, and monetary adjustments. At the same time, the Gold Standard, which had been governing Japan’s fiscal policy, collapsed in the wake of the British departure from it in September 1931. Then, Japan introduced a mechanism by which the government could receive easy credit from the central bank without establishing other institutional measures to govern its fiscal policy. This course of events resulted in an eventual loss of fiscal discipline.
    [Show full text]
  • The Prolonged Reform of Taiwan's State-Owned Banks (1989-2005)
    China Perspectives 2007/1 | 2007 Climate change: the China Challenge The Prolonged Reform of Taiwan's State-owned Banks (1989-2005) Chia-Feng Leou Édition électronique URL : http://journals.openedition.org/chinaperspectives/1343 DOI : 10.4000/chinaperspectives.1343 ISSN : 1996-4617 Éditeur Centre d'étude français sur la Chine contemporaine Édition imprimée Date de publication : 15 janvier 2007 ISSN : 2070-3449 Référence électronique Chia-Feng Leou, « The Prolonged Reform of Taiwan's State-owned Banks (1989-2005) », China Perspectives [En ligne], 2007/1 | 2007, mis en ligne le 08 avril 2008, consulté le 28 octobre 2019. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/chinaperspectives/1343 ; DOI : 10.4000/chinaperspectives.1343 © All rights reserved Economy s e Financial Liberalisation and v i a t c n i Democratisation: e h p s c The Prolonged Reform of Taiwan’s State-Owned Banks (1989-2005) r e p CHIA-FENG LEOU Following the global trend of financial liberalisation, Taiwan’s government has dedicated itself to its own financial “Big Bang” since the late 1980s. An essential part of this financial overhaul has been the reform of the state-owned banks (SOBs). It was believed that privatisation and deregulation of the SOBs could effectively enhance the efficiency of Taiwan’s financial sector. After almost two decades, however, the reform is still not complete. Given its importance, the question arises: why is it taking so long? This article argues that the state has been unable to implement its planned reform policies as its ability to carry out the SOB reform has been significantly constrained by the newly rising political forces resulting from Taiwan’s democratisation.
    [Show full text]
  • Taiwan and Los Angeles County
    Taiwan and Los Angeles County Taipei World Trade Center Taiwan and Los Angeles County Prepared by: Ferdinando Guerra, International Economist Principal Researcher and Author Robert A. Kleinhenz, Ph.D., Chief Economist Kimberly Ritter-Martinez, Economist George Entis, Research Analyst February 2015 Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation Kyser Center for Economic Research 444 S. Flower St., 37th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90071 Tel: (213) 622-4300 or (888) 4-LAEDC-1 Fax: (213)-622-7100 E-mail: [email protected] Web: http://www.laedc.org The LAEDC, the region’s premier business leadership organization, is a private, non-profit 501(c)3 organization established in 1981. GROWING TOGETHER • Taiwan and Los Angeles County As Southern California’s premier economic development organization, the mission of the LAEDC is to attract, retain, and grow businesses and jobs for the regions of Los Angeles County. Since 1996, the LAEDC has helped retain or attract more than 198,000 jobs, providing over $12 billion in direct economic impact from salaries and over $850 million in property and sales tax revenues to the County of Los Angeles. LAEDC is a private, non-profit 501(c)3 organization established in 1981. Regional Leadership The members of the LAEDC are civic leaders and ranking executives of the region’s leading public and private organizations. Through financial support and direct participation in the mission, programs, and public policy initiatives of the LAEDC, the members are committed to playing a decisive role in shaping the region’s economic future. Business Services The LAEDC’s Business Development and Assistance Program provides essential services to L.A.
    [Show full text]
  • DP61 Achieving Effective Governance Under Divided Government and Private Interest Group Pressure
    Discussion Paper 53 Achieving Effective Governance under Divided Government and Private Interest Group Pressure: Taiwan’s 2001 Financial Holding Company Law Sebastian Brück Laixiang Sun Department of Financial & Management Studies, SOAS, University of London, London WC1H 0XG, United Kingdom (THIS VERSION: (11 JANUARY 2006)) ABSTRACT In recent years, the division of Taiwan’s government between a DPP-led executive and opposition-dominated legislature has led to rather inefficient policy-making. This problem has been exacerbated by the increasing involvement of interest groups in the island’s legislative process. Drawing on the case of the 2001 Financial Holding Company Law, this paper examines the conditions under which effective governance can still be achieved in Taiwan. The law, which allowed commercial banks, investment banks and insurance companies to be integrated within one legal entity, had been devised by the Chen administration to address Taiwan’s most severe banking crisis in decades. Analyzing its adoption process shows that concerted media pressure can succeed in forcing Taiwan’s major parties to jointly pursue beneficial legislation. Furthermore, the paper argues that interest group involvement in Taiwanese policy-making does not necessarily lead to crippling regulatory capture but, on the contrary, can entail welfare enhancing change. Corresponding Author: Prof. Laixiang Sun, Department of Financial and Management Studies, SOAS, University of London, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG, UK. Tel. +44-20-78984821, Fax. +44-20-76377075, Email: [email protected] . Centre for Financial and Management Studies 1 State Ownership and Corporate Performance: A Quantile Analysis on China’s Listed Companies 2 SOAS, University of London Discussion Paper 53 1.
    [Show full text]