We analyze the sales method for a sample of 575 acquisitions announced between 1998 and 2012 and find that targets choose auctions to maximize the target takeover premium through greater competition and to relax their financial constraints. Auctions, compared to negotiated deals, are associated...

This paper studies how managers react to shareholder empowerment vis-à-vis governance provisions. We show that a staggered legislative change that increases noncompliance costs in the implementation of shareholder-initiated majority voting proposals is followed by an increase in the submission...

An integral aspect of shareholder democracy is the shareholder proposal process, through which shareholders can pressure firms to make changes. We find that shareholders' uncertainty about the firm reduces their participation in voting on shareholder proposals and also reduces the likelihood of...