In firms with dispersed ownership the main agency conflict to be addressed is the conflict between hired managers who are unaccountable to outsiders and dispersed shareholders due to the separation of ownership and control (Jensen and Meckling, 1976). The dispersed ownership structures of large companies could potentially generate free rider problems insofar as they hinder direct managerial supervision by shareholders (Grossman and Hart, 1980). Shareholders in firms with dispersed ownership prefer strategies of exit rather than voice to monitor management (Eisenhardt, 1989). While small shareholders do not have incentive to monitor individually, collectively all shareholders benefit from the monitoring efforts by the board of directors. Therefore, the function of the board of directors is likely to focus on monitoring management to reduce the agency problems between management and dispersed shareholders.