An examination of the curvilinear relationship between capital intensity and firm performance for publicly traded US hotels and restaurants

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 862-880 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seoki Lee ◽  
Qu Xiao

PurposeThis study sets out to examine the potential curvilinear relationship between capital intensity and firm value for the US hospitality industry, specifically including publicly traded US hotels and restaurants, during the period 1990‐2008.Design/methodology/approachThis study performs a pooled regression analysis to examine the proposed relationship. The sampled companies are from the period 1990‐2008, consisting of 281 and 1,406 observations for the hotel and restaurant industries, respectively. The study additionally performs the analysis for the 1990s and the 2000s separately for a comparison purpose.FindingsThe findings support the U‐shaped relationship between capital intensity and firm performance during the 2000s for both hotels and restaurants, while no relationship exists during the 1990s.Research limitations/implicationsWhile the results may not be generalizable to private or non‐US hotels and restaurants, the findings should provide hotel and restaurant executives and managers with valuable information for developing their strategies with regard to the capital intensity level.Originality/valueBased on the two perspectives regarding capital intensity's impact on a firm (i.e. positive and negative), a possible proposal suggests that the relationship between capital intensity and a firm's value may not be linear, but possibly curvilinear. Considering the importance of capital intensity in the hospitality industry, examinations of the issue would be beneficial for the hospitality industry.

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 210-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qaiser Rafique Yasser ◽  
Abdullah Al Mamun ◽  
Marcus Rodrigs

Purpose The aim of this paper is to examine the association between board demographics and firm financial performance of Karachi Stock Exchange companies and describe the attributes of these firms and their boards. The connection between board structure and firm performance has attracted much attention, especially in emerging economies, yet yielded many inconsistent empirical results. Design/methodology/approach This study examines the relationship between board structure and the performance of Pakistani public listed companies by using a sample of Karachi Stock Exchange 100 (KSE-100) indexed companies. This study exploits the corporate performance by accounting-based measures (return on assets), market-based measures (Tobin’s Q), and economic profit (economic value added). Findings The outcome of the study shows the positive relationship between the board size, minority representation in board, and family director’s in-board and firm performance. The authors also find that, instead of adding value, independent directors in Pakistan are negatively associated with firm value. Research limitations/implications The study is based on KSE-100 indexed companies from 2009 to 2013; however, a large sample and multiple years’ data are required. Practical implications The paper provides empirical evidence that board independence is not necessary for public-listed companies in Pakistan and would be of interest to regulatory bodies, business practitioners, and academic researchers. Originality/value The paper contributes to the literature on corporate governance and firm performance by introducing a framework for identifying and analyzing moderating variables that affect the relationship between board structure and firm performance.


Author(s):  
Kumar Sanjay Sawarni ◽  
Sivasankaran Narayanasamy ◽  
Kanagaraj Ayyalusamy

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the impact of the efficiency of working capital management (WCM) on the performance of a sample of Indian companies and explore how the nature of the firm's business influences the significance and direction of this impact.Design/methodology/approachThe data for this study were collected for the period of 2012–2018 for 414 non-financial firms listed on the Bombay Stock exchange. Fixed-effect regression models were run by taking Tobin's Q and return on equity (ROE) as dependent variables, and net trade cycle (NTC) and its components as explanatory variables in the presence of liquidity, leverage, size, age and growth as control variables. Sample firms were segregated into manufacturing, trading and service groups, and regression models were used for all the groups to understand the effect of the nature of a firm's business.FindingsWCM efficiency has a significant impact on the performance of the sample firms. Non-financial Indian firms deliver better financial performance by maintaining lower NTC. Like NTC, its components also impact firm value and profitability. The results report that the significance of the relationship varies depending upon the nature of the firm's business.Originality/valueThe previous research studies had not used a sample of large number of Indian firms. Unlike previous studies, this study reports the influence of the nature of business on the relationship between WCM and firm performance. Further, this paper also examines how the individual components of working capital influence the performance of Indian firms.


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giacomo Laffranchini ◽  
Mike Braun

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between available slack and firm performance in Italian family-controlled public firms (FCPFs) from 2006 to 2010. In addition the authors analyze the moderating effects of specific board structure variables on the relationship between slack resources and firms’ performance. Design/methodology/approach – A pooled cross-section of family and non-family publicly traded firms was drawn from COMPUSTAT global and matched with corporate governance and family firm variables hand-collected from companies’ standard profiles from Italy's primary stock exchange, Borsa Italiana. The hypotheses were tested using the feasible generalized least square method in order to analyze the data from 583 firms-observations, controlling for self-selection bias and reverse causality. Findings – The study shows that FCPFs with available slack experience less than proportionate increases in performance, suggesting a concave curvilinear slack-performance relationship. However, the slack-performance relationship is contingent on board independence and board size: greater board independence and larger boards in FCPFs relate to higher performance when the firm lacks or has too much slack available. The findings suggest that a balanced approach of oversight and stewardship helps families to make better resources allocation, to the benefit of outside shareholders as well. Research limitations/implications – The slack measure was restricted to available slack. Future studies can expand this research inquiry with other forms of slack, including potential and recoverable slack. The sample included only publicly traded family and non-family firms, thereby limiting the generalizability of the findings to other types of family enterprises. Lastly, the results only attend to the slack-performance relationship by controlling whether the firm's performance is below or above the industry average. Practical implications – Policy makers and non-family stakeholders may rely on the findings better understand the factors that can alter the family's propensity for risks and its related strategic decisions in the Italian context. Procedures to fully monitor family management's decision making or, at the other extreme, to give the family free reign are likely to disadvantage families, their business, and their outside stakeholders. Originality/value – The study reconciles the debate on the role of slack on firms’ performance by proposing a curvilinear relationship. The study is one of only a handful of research inquiries centrally addressing the role of slack in family-owned businesses, and the only analysis focussed on Italian FCPFs.


2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (8/9) ◽  
pp. 891-914 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erick Rading Outa ◽  
Nelson M. Waweru

Purpose This paper aims to examine the impact of compliance with corporate governance (CG) guidelines during the period 2002-2014 on firm financial performance and firm value of Kenyan-listed companies. Design/methodology/approach Using panel data of 520-firm year’s observations between 2005 and 2014, the authors test the hypothesis that compliance with CG guidelines issued in 2002 by Capital Markets Authority (CMA) improved firm financial performance and firm value. Findings Compliance with CG Index which is an aggregate of all the CG guidelines is positively and significantly related to firm performance and firm value. Board evaluation is also positively and significantly related to firm performance. The findings suggest that CG guidelines are associated with firm financial performance and firm value. Originality/value The authors provide evidence on the relationship between CG practices and firm financial performance and firm value in Kenya. Second, the authors provide evidence on board evaluation which has not been tested before in a “comply or explain” environment. Finally, they evaluate how CMA 2002 CG guidelines steered firm financial performance and firm value over its life cycle from 2002 to 2014. These results are important to CMA and other CG regulators and boards in their efforts to improve CG practices in the region.


2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 451-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng-Yu Lee ◽  
Yen-Chih Huang ◽  
Chia-Chi Chang

Purpose Although scholars have paid considerable attention to the relationship between technological diversification and firm performance, research on this relationship has produced mixed findings. To reconcile these inconsistent findings, this study, thus, aims to revisit the performance effect of technological diversification by considering two organizational characteristics as crucial moderators, namely, firm size and financial slack. Design/methodology/approach To test the research hypotheses, the research sample covers manufacturing firms in the 2008 Standard & Poor (S&P) 500 index. Data regarding the characteristics and patent information of the sample firms were obtained from Compustat and the US Patent and Trademark Office. The hypotheses were tested by using hierarchical regression models. Findings In a sample of 168 S&P 500 manufacturing firms, this study finds that technological diversification has a positive effect on firm performance. The relationship between technological diversification and firm performance is also found to be positively moderated by firm size, financial slack and their configuration. Originality/value The findings of this study further suggest that firms should be aware that the effect of technological diversification on performance can be enhanced or hindered in specific contexts.


2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 352-370
Author(s):  
Michelle Li ◽  
Helen Roberts

Purpose This paper aims to examine the relation between CEO board membership and firm performance. Design/methodology/approach This paper investigates the relationship between firm performance and CEO board membership, applying two-stage least squares, propensity score matching and correcting for self-selection bias across a unique sample of publicly listed New Zealand firms that demonstrate a definitive variation in CEO board membership. Findings This study finds that CEO board membership has a positive impact on firm performance, and these benefits are greater for more complex firms. Research limitations/implications Firms with CEOs independent of the board are associated with lower firm performance. The results are consistent with CEO board members providing an important information transfer mechanism to the board, resulting in an increase in average firm performance. This benefit is greater for larger firms with more business segments. Originality/value The paper tests for the impact of CEO board membership using a data set that demonstrates a definitive variation in CEO board membership.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruopiao Zhang ◽  
Teresa Chu ◽  
Carlos Noronha ◽  
Jieqi Guan

PurposeThis study introduces Social Contribution Value per Share (SCVPS), an indicator devised by the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE), as an easy-to-interpret Measurement of Corporate Social Performance (MCSP) to the international research arena. The authors first explore the informativeness role of voluntary disclosure of SCVPS in the stock market. The authors then go one step further to demonstrate the relationship between corporate value creation quantified by SCVPS and firm value.Design/methodology/approachThe study takes a new perspective – a quasi-natural experiment of SCVPS disclosure in 2008 and uses a Propensity Score Matched Difference in Difference model (PSM-DiD) to investigate the impact of SCVPS disclosure policy on stock price synchronization and firm value. Through manually recalculating all the values of SCVPS and its components, this study enables us to further investigate the relationship between corporate value creation for various stakeholders and firm value.FindingsThis study reveals that voluntary disclosure of SCVPS can signal firm-specific information to the market and reduce noise in returns, thus affecting stock price synchronization. The findings further demonstrate that such firm-specific information has value relevance to firm performance. Moreover, the authors demonstrate that corporate value creation for different stakeholders measured by SCVPS can significantly affect firm value. The moderating effects of ownership structures and industry types are also investigated, and an endogeneity test confirms the robustness of the findings.Practical implicationsThis study argues that SCVPS offers an economically viable way for firms, including small-and-medium-sized enterprises, in emerging economies to disclose corporate value creation and provide the public with a direct understanding and appreciation of the values created by corporations for stakeholders.Originality/valueThe result makes contributions to the MCSP literature and explores the informativeness of SCVPS disclosure. Besides, this paper demonstrates that SCVPS offers a good setting to explore the effect of corporate value creation on firm performance in an emerging market.


2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 102-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darush Yazdanfar ◽  
Peter Öhman

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between debt level and performance among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach – Unlike the vast majority of previous research, this study uses three-stage least squares (3SLS) and fixed-effects models to analyse a comprehensive, cross-sectoral sample of 15,897 Swedish SMEs operating in five industry sectors during the 2009-2012 period. Findings – This study confirms that debt ratios, in terms of trade credit, short-term debt and long-term debt, negatively affect firm performance in terms of profitability. As a high debt ratio seems to increase the agency costs and the risk of losing control of the firm, SME owners and managers tend to finance their businesses with equity capital to a fairly high degree. Practical implications – As debt policy significantly influences firm performance, and thereby firm value and survival, SME owners and managers should focus on finding a satisfactory debt level. Originality/value – To the authors’ best knowledge, this study is among the first to use 3SLS and fixed-effects models to analyse the relationship between debt level and firm performance. Moreover, while most previous research has examined listed firms, this study highlights the issue among SMEs, which play a fundamental role in the economy.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jihwan Yeon ◽  
Michael S. Lin ◽  
Seoki Lee ◽  
Amit Sharma

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the moderating role of family involvement on the corporate social responsibility (CSR)-firm performance (FP) relationship in the US hospitality industry. Building on agency theory, this study examines how family ownership, management and board control influence the relationship between CSR and FP. Design/methodology/approach To examine the moderating effect of family ownership, family management and family board control, this study adopts the two-way fixed-effects model and performs a panel regression analysis with robust standard errors. The sample period spans 1994–2018 and 565 firm-year observations are included. Findings This study finds that the impact of CSR on FP is positively moderated by the extent of a firm’s family member involvement. In specific, all three aspects of corporate governance (i.e. ownership, management and board control) positively moderate the relationship between CSR and FP. Research limitations/implications Findings of this study yield several recommendations for hospitality managers, including shaping strategic decisions for implementing CSR, by providing a unique perspective that the involvement of founding family members can be helpful in enhancing firm value through CSR activities. Originality/value This study sheds light on the further understanding of the CSR-FP link in the hospitality literature. In addition, this study provides practical guidelines for hospitality firms in the context of CSR by revealing possible advantages of strengthened founding family involvement.


2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (10) ◽  
pp. 2089-2110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel E. Núñez Izquierdo ◽  
Josep Garcia-Blandon

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the ability of commercial governance ratings (CGR) to predict firm performance. Design/methodology/approach Based on the review of the corporate governance literature, the authors pose five hypotheses on the relationship between CGR and firm performance. Then, the authors test these hypotheses for the latest version of the Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS) index (Quickscore) with a sample of firms formed by the constituents of the Standard and Poor’s Europe 350 stock market index. Findings The authors have not found a consistent significant relationship between Quickscore ratings and firm performance. This main result holds across a variety of checks. Research limitations/implications Some of the additional analyses are conducted with rather small samples. The results of these analyses have to be carefully taken. Recommendations for further research are offered. Practical implications The results call into question the usefulness of CGR, marketed by influential consultant companies, and which are becoming increasingly popular among investors, as reliable predictors of firm performance. Originality/value Despite an increasing body of research on the use of CGR as predictors of firm performance, the available research is heavily concentrated in the US market. No previous study has explored this relationship using the recently developed ISS index Quickscore in a cross-European setting. The use of a cross-country sample of companies allows the authors to address the impact of institutional factors on the CGR-firm performance relationship. Moreover, the authors do not limit the study to the overall scores of the index but examine also the partial scores (pillars) which intend to assess specific dimensions of governance. This makes the evaluation of the relationship more complex and challenging.


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