Does Family Control Shape Corporate Capital Structure? An Empirical Analysisof Eurozone Firms

[EN] This study investigates the relationship between family control and corporatecapital structure considering the dynamic nature of the debt policy and the ownership structureof family firms. Our results show that the sensitivity of debt to fluctuations in cash flow isless pronounced in family fir...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Pindado García, Julio, Requejo Puerto, Ignacio, De la Torre, Chabela
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2015
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Salamanca (USAL)
Repositorio:GREDOS. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Salamanca
OAI Identifier:oai:gredos.usal.es:10366/149738
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10366/149738
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Family control
Capital structure
Speed of adjustmen
Second blockholder
Panel data
Eurozone
5307.06 Fluctuaciones Económicas
5311 Organización y Dirección de Empresas
Descripción
Sumario:[EN] This study investigates the relationship between family control and corporatecapital structure considering the dynamic nature of the debt policy and the ownership structureof family firms. Our results show that the sensitivity of debt to fluctuations in cash flow isless pronounced in family firms and highlight that family control increases the speed ofadjustment toward target debt. Four dimensions of the family business model explain theseresults: deviations of voting from cash flow rights, the presence of a second blockholder in thecompany, involvement of family members in management, and the generation in charge ofthe business. The weaker negative impact of cash flow on debt is driven by family firms with nocontrol-enhancing mechanisms, companies with active family participation in management andfamily businesses that are still controlled by the first generation. By contrast, the more severeagency conflicts between owners and creditors in family firms with a second blockholder leadto more pronounced pecking order behaviour. Furthermore, the higher flexibility in corporatedecision-making of family firms managed by the family and under the influence of the firstgeneration explains why family companies are able to rebalance their capital structure faster