This thesis examines the causal relationships among bank development, stock market development, conventional insurance, Islamic insurance, and economic growth in Malaysia using annual data for the period from 1975 to 2012. These relationships are studied a using multivariate VAR framework to evaluate long-run relationships among bank development, stock market development, conventional insurance, Islamic insurance, real gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, fixed capital formation (FCF), trade openness, and the consumer price index. The study also uses vector error correction model-based (VECM) causality tests to establish long- and short-run causality relationships among bank development, stock market development, conventional insurance, Islamic insurance, and economic growth. It uses four bank development indicators: the ratio of commercial bank assets divided by commercial bank plus central bank assets (BTOT), liquid liabilities (M3), domestic credit to the private sector (DCP), and bank deposit liabilities (LBDL). It further uses the total value traded ratio (VT), turnover ratio (TR), number of listed companies (LC), market capitalization (MC), and total capital raised in the primary market (IPOs) as indicators for stock market development. It also uses five variables representing conventional insurance, specifically gross premium income (life insurance), gross premium income (non-life insurance), life insurance penetration, non-life insurance penetration, and non-life insurance density, and three variables for Islamic insurance: assets of family takaful funds (AFTF), assets of general takaful funds (AGTF), and total contributions by participants in the family takaful (CPFT). The empirical results indicate that the direction of causality among bank development, stock market development, conventional and Islamic insurance, and economic growth in Malaysia is sensitive to the choice of proxy used for bank development, stock market development, conventional insurance, and Islamic insurance.

The quality of risk oversight by a company's board of directors is of critical importance in preserving shareholder value and protecting stakeholder interests. The research for this thesis was aimed at constructing a Risk Governance Index (RGI) which sought to measure the quality of risk oversight by the board of directors in the parent companies of life insurance companies registered with the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority (APRA). The thesis contributed to research in the financial services sector. The RGI enables regulators and shareholders to monitor whether the board of directors is discharging its duties and responsibilities effectively to protect and enhance shareholder investment, as well as the interests of the depositors and policyholders of a regulated financial institution.

Global financial markets have changed dramatically over recent decades. One of the most substantial changes is the now widespread use of securitisation in the financial system. Banking institutions are turning from interest-dependent returns or interest-based spread to fee-based activities, including lines of credit and many different forms of credit guarantees, adjusting to the altered financial environment in which they operate. Given the recent Global Financial Crisis (GFC), this study focuses on the benefits and costs of asset securitisation as a funding tool for modern financial institutions. The study addresses the important issue of the financial excesses that resulted in recession and high unemployment rates, not seen for decades in most of the Western world.
This study evaluates the effect of using asset securitisation and other lending determinants on bank credit growth of banking institutions operating in Australia, both local and foreign. The study classifies the determinants into supply-side determinants, which are internal or bankspecific characteristics, and demand-side determinants, which are external or macroeconomic determinants. Credit growth is used as a proxy for operational performance, represented by two key indicators (dependent variables): business credit activity and housing credit activity. Each of these indicators has different measures. Data from a sample of 35 banking institutions was collected over three distinct periods between 2004 and 2012. Of the banks, 10 are domestic banks, of which six securitise assets. None of the 25 foreign banks, a mix of subsidiary and branches, securitise assets. Panel data methods are employed to conduct the analysis.
A random effects regression model is used to analyse the effect of the independent variables on the dependent variables. The business credit activity indicator is measured by credit growth, business loans growth and credit card loans growth. Housing credit activity is measured by housing loans growth, housing loans owned growth, housing loans investment growth and housing loans others growth. The explanatory variables used in this study's regression models are financial and economic indicators; that is, supply-side determinants (bank size, total deposits, liquid ratio and asset securitisation) and demand-side determinants (growth of Gross Domestic Product [GDP], inflation rate, interest rate and unemployment rate).
When examining the determinants on the supply side, the results of the analysis are mixed regarding the effect of securitisation on bank credit growth; but, as expected, most of the empirical results confirm that securitising assets does not have a significant positive effect on credit growth in any of the three GFC periods considered (crisis or no-crisis periods). The proposition was that large banks are likely to be more efficient and able to acquire funds at a lower cost due to the amount of collateral they can provide. However, the empirical results inconsistently support this proposition. Total deposits have a significant effect from the perspective of securitising assets as an alternative and additional funding source that can be used to cover credit demand. Neither the asset securitisation nor liquidity ratio had a significant effect on bank credit growth. In contrast, the results for demand-side determinants show that interest rate and unemployment rate have a significant negative effect on credit growth. The inflation rate has a positive significant effect on credit growth. There is no effect of GDP.
Securitisation activities enable the banking sector to better diversity their financial resources base as well as add flexibility to their financial resources and loan portfolio, enabling them to better cope with challenges arising in their operational environment. However, the random effects estimates in the study show that banking institutions do not, in fact, gain benefits from securitising assets.
Asset securitisation contributes to creating a more integrated market by providing new categories of financial assets that suit investor's preferred investment risk profile by increasing their capacity. If banking institutions know which factors are most likely to enhance their credit growth this could lead to increased competition in the marketplace, assisting in keeping prices low on the supply side of credit and thus encouraging growth in the business sector, which will drive job creation, resulting in a decrease in the unemployment rate.

The purpose of this study is to examine the macro-economic, bank specific and corporate governance determinants of non-performing loans in Nepalese banking. In addition to this, the next objective of the study is to analyze the influence of corporate governance on bank performance in Nepal. The study is to investigate the above objectives in order to improve the means by which commercial banks in Nepal manage their non-performing loans and performance. This will provide guidance for the regulatory bodies in safeguarding the stability and integrity of the Nepalese financial system.

This study examines the relationship between firm performance and ownership type and also the relationship between firm performance and corporate governance. In addition this study investigates whether there is a link between performance measures. Although many researchers have made an effort to investigate whether there is a link between ownership type and organizational performance, corporate governance and corporate performance in developed countries, the empirical evidence on these areas are weak in Sri Lanka, being a developing country and emerging economy with a unique economic situation. Another aspect of corporate performance studies are some potentially important biases related to the selection of the performance measures used in studies on corporate performance. This is due to many researchers having chosen only one or two measurement techniques out of financial/accounting, market based and production efficiency measurement techniques to measure corporate performance. Therefore different conclusions can be achieved using one or the other measures of empirical evidence. Consequently the validity of results of many studies on corporate performance in the literature is questioned (Bozec, Dia, & Breton, 2006). To overcome this problem, multi-dimensional measures are required (Carton & Hofer, 2006). Accordingly, three dimensions of performance measures (financial/accounting, market based and production efficiency) were used in this study. These performance measurement techniques have been compared to determine whether there are potential relationships among them. This study makes four significant contributions to the study of the performance of - public, private and mixed enterprises in Sri Lanka, especially via multiple approaches to address the research issue of corporate performance.