In this study, we link these two strands of research and examine whether physical proximity between firms and
investors allows large institutions to monitor corporate activities more effectively. Specifically, we examine whether firms
with more local shareholders are better governed and are less likely to engage in corporate misbehavior. We also
investigate whether monitoring activities of local investors affect the profitability of local firms. Although there is an
obvious free-riding problem associated with the monitoring of geographically proximate firms, the potential benefits from
monitoring can outweigh the monitoring costs, especially for large shareholders (e.g., Grossman and Hart, 1980; Shleifer
and Vishny, 1986).