scholarly journals Family Control And The Value Of Cash Holdings

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabri Boubaker ◽  
Imen Derouiche ◽  
Majdi Hassen

The present study investigates the effects of family control on the value of corporate cash holdings. Using a large sample of French listed firms, the results show that the value of excess cash reserves is lower in family firms than in other firms, reflecting investors concern about the potential misuse of cash by controlling families. We also find that the value of excess cash is lower when controlling families are involved in management and when they maintain a grip on control, indicating that investors do not expect the efficient use of cash in these firms. Our findings are consistent with the argument that the extent to which excess cash contributes to firm value is lower when dominant shareholders are likely to expropriate firm resources. Overall, family control seems to be a key determinant of cash valuation when ownership is concentrated.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruchi Moolchandani ◽  
Sujata Kar

PurposeThis paper examines whether family control exerts any influence on corporate cash holdings in Indian listed firms. It also examines how this accumulated cash of family firms impacts firm value.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses dynamic panel data regression estimated using two-step system generalized method of moments (GMM) on S&P BSE 500 firms during 2009–2018 for testing the repercussions of family control on the cash levels of a firm. Further, fixed effects regression has been employed for the valuation analysis.FindingsEstimation results showed that family control negatively impacts cash holdings in Indian firms. Further, the cash accumulation by family firms adversely affects the market valuation of the firm. These findings signal a principal–principal (P-P) agency conflict in Indian family firms, i.e. friction between family owners and minority shareholders' interests. Minority shareholders fear that a part of the cash reserves will be used by family members for personal benefits. Thus, they discount cash reserves in family firms.Originality/valueThe study adds to the determinants of corporate cash holdings in emerging markets. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study from India investigating family control as a determinant of cash policy. It sheds light on the P-P agency conflict in Indian family firms. P-P agency conflict is less researched in cash holdings literature as opposed to the principal–agent managerial disputes. Also, the study uses a more comprehensive definition of family control rather than just considering the ownership as used in prior cash holding research.


2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 257-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Lau ◽  
Joern H. Block

This research investigates whether the presence of controlling founders and families has significant impact on the level of cash holdings, and their implications on firm value. The agency cost of cash holdings in founder firms is arguably less severe than family firms, due to founders’ economic incentives, strong psychological commitment and superior knowledge, whereas family firms are exposed to adverse selection and moral hazard as a result of altruism. Results indicate that founder firms hold a significantly higher level of cash holdings than family firms. In addition, there is a positive interaction effect between founder management and cash holdings on firm value, suggesting the presence of founders as managers helps to mitigate the agency costs of cash holdings.


2009 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 21-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ohannes George Paskelian ◽  
Stephen Bell

We examine the determinants and implications of Chinese corporate cash holdings in the 1993- 2006 period. Agency theories assert that firms with a large controlling shareholder have relatively large cash holdings because of the greater ability of the controlling shareholder to extract private benefits from the cash holdings. Our findings show a very strong inverse relationship between cash holdings and firm valuation in high government ownership firms. Also, we find that in firms with high government ownership, dividend payouts are highly valued. We conclude that Chinese investors see government ownership as a factor that reduces firm value. They prefer relatively higher dividends from firms having high government ownership. Conversely, investors assign much higher value to firms with relatively low government ownership and they tend to be neutral about the dividends payouts of such firms. Also, investors value highly the presence of foreign investors in Chinese firms and tend to be neutral about dividend payouts of firms with high foreign ownership concentration.


2015 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 220-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qigui Liu ◽  
Tianpei Luo ◽  
Gary Gang Tian

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 7068
Author(s):  
Xiaolin Li ◽  
Weian Li ◽  
Yaowei Zhang

This paper firstly introduces green governance into the empirical research of family firms. Due to the fact that family firms have their own particularity in the principal agent and also have a strong desire to preserve social emotional wealth, this paper deeply studies the driving influence of family control on the green governance of family firms, and analyzes the moderating effect based on the political connection of executives. Taking the 2015–2017 Chinese family-listed firms that released social responsibility reports as the research sample, we find that family control contributes to the improvement of corporate green governance in family firms. However, the political connection of the actual controller weakens the effect of family control on the green governance of family firms. In addition, this research is also carried out under different situations, such as at the regional level and individual level. The research helps family firms give full play to their own advantages, guide the green governance practice of family firms, and improve the level of green governance.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 143
Author(s):  
Ghada Tayem

This study investigates the factors influencing the level of corporate cash holdings in the context of Jordan, a small emerging market characterized by large market frictions. This article employs the framework of the trade off, financing hierarchy, and managerial discretion theories to predict determinants of cash reserves. Then it examines these predictions using a sample of listed nonfinancial Jordanian firms over the period 2005-2013 using alternative estimation methods. Consistent with the trade-off theory, the results show that firm size and cash substitutes have negative and significant impact on cash holdings while growth opportunities and cash flow volatility have positive and significant impact. In addition, and consistent with the financing hierarchy view, the results show that cash flow and growth opportunities have positive and significant impact on cash holdings. Also, the study documents that leverage is negatively related to cash holdings while squared leverage is positively related to cash reserves. Finally, the results indicate that there are significant dynamic effects in determining cash holding targets.


2016 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 368-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thi Lien Hoa Nguyen ◽  
Le Ngan Trang Nguyen ◽  
Thi Phuong Vy Le

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 1127-1159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shihua Chen ◽  
Yan Ye ◽  
Khalil Jebran ◽  
Muhammad Ansar Majeed

PurposeThis study examines how Confucianism, as an informal system, alleviates manager–shareholder conflicts and thus decreases managerial behavior of keeping higher levels of cash reserves. This study also investigates whether formal governance mechanisms (state ownership and institutional investors) moderate the relationship between Confucianism and cash holdings.Design/methodology/approachThis study opts a sample of Chinese listed firms over the period of 2004–2015. The geographical-proximity-based method was followed to measure Confucianism, which is the distance between a firm's registered address and the national Confucianism centers.FindingsThe results indicate that Confucianism adversely influences cash holdings. The authors’ findings illustrate that Confucian culture promotes ethical behavior, and therefore, firms in a strong Confucianism environment keep a lower level of cash reserves. The authors further document that the effect of Confucianism on cash holding is weaker for state-owned firms but stronger for firms with low institutional ownership.Practical implicationsThe findings provide implications for policymakers, academicians, and corporations. The results suggest that culture can reduce cash holdings. Especially, in emerging markets, such as China, where formal mechanisms are relatively less effective, informal institutions can serve an alternative system for alleviating adverse effects of agency conflicts.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature in two ways. First, this study contributes to cash holdings literature by showing that culture (Confucianism) is negatively associated with cash holdings. Second, this study extends the incumbent literature that seeks to explore how Confucian culture influences corporate behavior. To the best of the authors knowledge, this is the first study that identifies that Confucianism is associated with cash holdings.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Moncef Guizani ◽  
Ahdi Noomen Ajmi

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the influence of macroeconomic conditions on corporate cash holdings in terms of their influence on the level of cash and the speed of adjustment of cash to target levels in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC).Design/methodology/approachThe study employs both static and dynamic regression analyses considering a sample of 2,878 firm-year observations drawn from stock markets in GCC countries over the 2010–2018 period.FindingsConsistent with the precautionary motive, the results show that GCC firms tend to accumulate cash reserves in weak economic periods. Evidence also reveals that the estimated adjustment coefficients from dynamic panel models show that GCC firms adjust more slowly toward their target cash ratio in periods of unfavorable economic conditions.Practical implicationsThis study has important implications for managers, policymakers and regulators. For managers, the study is an important reference to understand and design cash management policies by considering financial constraints imposed by macroeconomic conditions. In particular, managers should pay more attention to periods of credit crunch and weak economic conditions in which firms may be exposed to greater bankruptcy risks. For policymakers and regulators, this study may be useful in assessing the effect of macroeconomic factors on firm's cash holding decision. Therefore, in an effort to increase the supply of external financing available to firms, policymakers may devise investment friendly environment by controlling macroeconomic factors.Originality/valueThis paper offers some insights on the macro determinants of cash holdings by investigating emerging economies. It explores the role of macroeconomic conditions on corporate cash holdings in terms of their influence on the costs of external funds and financial constraints.


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