Governance reforms and performance of MENA banks: Are disclosures effective?

Abstract Relatively little research has addressed the impact of corporate governance reforms and associated disclosure norms on the performance of MENA country banks. We combine the staggered timing of corporate governance reforms related to disclosures across MENA countries with bank-level data for the period 2000–2012 to examine this impact. The analysis suggests that certain categories of disclosures—specifically, disclosures of board independence and foreseeable risk—significantly affect bank performance and stability. The key channels through which this influence works are lower interest costs, better access to finance, and improved regulatory standards. The results also suggest that reforms related to disclosure exert a differential effect on the performance and stability of Islamic banks.