An assessment of corporate governance in financial institutions in Barbados

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to provide an assessment of corporate governance in selected financial institutions in Barbados. The instrument used for measuring corporate governance practice is derived from the Central Bank of Barbados (CBB) Corporate Governance Guidelines (2013) and the OECD Principles of Corporate Governance (OECD, 2004). A corporate governance index is developed to best fit the domestic financial system. The results indicate that the five financial institutions are highly compliant with the corporate governance guidelines. The corporate governance index ranges from 75 to 92 on a scale of 0 to 100 in ascending order of good corporate governance. Commercial banks obtained the highest corporate governance rankings. This result is not surprising since the banks operating in Barbados are affiliates of foreign-owned and domiciled financial institutions. They are therefore monitored by multiple local, regional and international regulatory agencies. This paper is the first such research effort for the Barbadian economy. The findings should be beneficial to many persons, including top management (CEO, Chairman, Board of Directors), shareholders and other stakeholders, regulators and future researchers.