Prof. Walid SAFFAR
Professor
PhD
PhD
HEC Montreal, University of Montreal

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walid.saffar@polyu.edu.hk
2766 7059
2330 9845
M725
Research Area:
Finance & Financial Services

Consulting, Research and Teaching Interests:
Corporate finance
Corporate governance and compensation
International accounting and finance
Auditing





Biography
Selected Works

Prof. Walid Saffar received his MBA in Finance from Laval University in 2003 and obtained his PhD in Finance from HEC Montreal in 2009.
Prof. Saffar joined the School of Accounting and Finance at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University as Assistant Professor in September 2012.
Prof. Saffar has been serving as Assistant Professor at the American University of Beirut since 2009. He had also served as Instructor at HEC Montreal and the University of Southern Indiana from 2007 to 2008 and 2008 to 2009 respectively.
Prof. Saffar’s main research interests include privatization, political institutions and connectedness, and auditor choice.

1.?“Near and Dear? The Role of Location in CSR Engagement” with Bryan Husted and Dima Jamali,?Strategic Management Journal?37 (2016) 2050-2070
2.?“National Culture and Privatization: The Relationship between Collectivism and Residual State Ownership” with Narjess Boubakri, Omrane Guedhami, and Chuck Kwok,?Journal of International Business Studies?47 (2016) 170-190
3.?“Disclosure Standards, Auditing Infrastructure, and Bribery Mitigation” with Samer Khalil and Samir Trabelsi,?Journal of Business Ethics?132 (2015) 379-399
4.?“Auditor Choice in Politically Connected Firms” with Omrane Guedhami and Jeffrey Pittman,?Journal of Accounting Research?52 (2014) 107-162
5.?“The Role of State and Foreign Owners in Corporate Risk-Taking: Evidence from Privatization” with Narjess Boubakri and Jean-Claude Cosset,?Journal of Financial Economics?108 (2013) 641-658
6.?“Political Institutions, Connectedness, and Corporate Risk-Taking” with Narjess Boubakri and Sattar Mansi,?Journal of International Business Studies?44 (2013) 195-215
7.?“Political Connections and the Cost of Equity Capital” with Narjess Boubakri, Omrane Guedhami, and Dev Mishra,?Journal of Corporate Finance?18(2012) 541-559
The 3^rd?most cited?Journal of Corporate Finance?article since 2012?(source:?ISI Web of Science)
2015 Emerald Citations of Excellence Award, recognizing the most influential and outstanding papers published in 300 business journals since 2012
8.?“Auditor Choice in Privatized Firms: Empirical Evidence on the Role of State and Foreign Owners” with Omrane Guedhami and Jeffrey Pittman,?Journal of Accounting and Economics?48 (2009) 151-171
9.?“Political Connections of Newly Privatized Firms” with Narjess Boubakri and Jean-Claude Cosset,?Journal of Corporate Finance?14 (2008) 654-673
The 3^rd?most cited?Journal of Corporate Finance?article since 2008?(source:?ISI Web of Science)
2009 Esdras Minville Award, best Ph.D. student publication at HEC Montreal