IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i9p5044-d546970.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Family Control and Corporate Innovation in Stakeholder-Oriented Corporate Governance

Author

Listed:
  • Hideaki Sakawa

    (Graduate School of Economics, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8501, Japan)

  • Naoki Watanabel

    (Graduate School of Economics, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8501, Japan)

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of family control on corporate innovation activity in publicly traded firms in Japan under stakeholder-oriented corporate governance. In a sample of 14,991 firm-year observations in publicly traded firms in Japan during the period 2007 to 2016, we tested whether family owners or board members are enhancing research and development investments. While theoretical perspectives of principal–principal conflicts generally assume a negative relationship between family control and research and development intensity, we find a positive relationship, which supports the stewardship theory perspective. Additionally, we find that main bank ownership positively moderates the relationship between family control and research and development, suggesting that the main bank could affect the decision-making of family board members in the long-term. This result is supported by the close relationships between the main bank and client firms. Furthermore, our study reveals that the shareholder orientation of foreign shareholders suppresses family board members’ long-term orientation. We conclude that the exploitation presumed by principal–principal conflict perspectives has not been thoroughly investigated in Japan’s stakeholder-oriented corporate governance system.

Suggested Citation

  • Hideaki Sakawa & Naoki Watanabel, 2021. "Family Control and Corporate Innovation in Stakeholder-Oriented Corporate Governance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-13, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:9:p:5044-:d:546970
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/9/5044/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/9/5044/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Danny Miller & Isabelle Le Breton‐Miller & Barry Scholnick, 2008. "Stewardship vs. Stagnation: An Empirical Comparison of Small Family and Non‐Family Businesses," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(1), pages 51-78, January.
    2. Isabelle Le Breton-Miller & Danny Miller & Richard H. Lester, 2011. "Stewardship or Agency? A Social Embeddedness Reconciliation of Conduct and Performance in Public Family Businesses," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(3), pages 704-721, June.
    3. Hideaki Sakawa & Naoki Watanabel, 0. "IPO underpricing and ownership monitoring in Japan," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 0, pages 1-24.
    4. Isabelle Le Breton-Miller & Danny Miller, 2009. "Agency vs. Stewardship in Public Family Firms: A Social Embeddedness Reconciliation," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 33(6), pages 1169-1191, November.
    5. William D. Nordhaus, 1996. "Do Real-Output and Real-Wage Measures Capture Reality? The History of Lighting Suggests Not," NBER Chapters, in: The Economics of New Goods, pages 27-70, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Charles W. L. Hill & Scott A. Snell, 1988. "External control, corporate strategy, and firm performance in research‐intensive industries," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 9(6), pages 577-590, November.
    7. Mike W Peng & Denis Y L Wang & Yi Jiang, 2008. "An institution-based view of international business strategy: a focus on emerging economies," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 39(5), pages 920-936, July.
    8. Hideaki Sakawa & Naoki Watanabel, 2020. "Main bank relationship and accounting conservatism: evidence from Japan," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 19(1), pages 62-85, February.
    9. Leydesdorff, Loet & Meyer, Martin, 2006. "Triple Helix indicators of knowledge-based innovation systems: Introduction to the special issue," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(10), pages 1441-1449, December.
    10. Robert E. Hoskisson & Michael A. Hitt, 1988. "Strategic control systems and relative r&d investment in large multiproduct firms," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 9(6), pages 605-621, November.
    11. Mike W. Peng & Yi Jiang, 2010. "Institutions Behind Family Ownership and Control in Large Firms," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(2), pages 253-273, March.
    12. Chrisman, James J. & Chua, Jess H. & Kellermanns, Franz W. & Chang, Erick P.C., 2007. "Are family managers agents or stewards? An exploratory study in privately held family firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 60(10), pages 1030-1038, October.
    13. Michael N. Young & Mike W. Peng & David Ahlstrom & Garry D. Bruton & Yi Jiang, 2008. "Corporate Governance in Emerging Economies: A Review of the Principal–Principal Perspective," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(1), pages 196-220, January.
    14. Toyohiro Kono, 1984. "Strategy and Structure of Japanese Enterprises," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-349-17627-4.
    15. Kuo-Jui Wu & Ching-Jong Liao & Ming-Lang Tseng & Pei-Jay Chou, 2015. "Understanding Innovation for Sustainable Business Management Capabilities and Competencies under Uncertainty," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(10), pages 1-35, October.
    16. Hideaki Sakawa & Naoki Watanabel, 2020. "IPO underpricing and ownership monitoring in Japan," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 19(4), pages 480-503, September.
    17. Toru Yoshikawa & Abdul A. Rasheed, 2010. "Family Control and Ownership Monitoring in Family‐Controlled Firms in Japan," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(2), pages 274-295, March.
    18. Morck, Randall & Nakamura, Masao & Shivdasani, Anil, 2000. "Banks, Ownership Structure, and Firm Value in Japan," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 73(4), pages 539-567, October.
    19. Hideaki Sakawa & Naoki Watanabel & Geeta Duppati & Robert Faff, 2021. "Institutional ownership and corporate risk-taking in Japanese listed firms," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(16), pages 1899-1914, April.
    20. Etzkowitz, Henry & Leydesdorff, Loet, 2000. "The dynamics of innovation: from National Systems and "Mode 2" to a Triple Helix of university-industry-government relations," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 109-123, February.
    21. Hideaki Sakawa & Naoki Watanabel, 2021. "Earnings quality and internal control in bank-dominated corporate governance," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 20(2), pages 188-220, April.
    22. Jensen, Michael C. & Meckling, William H., 1976. "Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 305-360, October.
    23. Gregory Jackson & Andreas Moerke, 2005. "Continuity and Change in Corporate Governance: comparing Germany and Japan," Corporate Governance: An International Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 13(3), pages 351-361, May.
    24. Timothy F. Bresnahan & Robert J. Gordon, 1996. "The Economics of New Goods," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number bres96-1, May.
    25. Kurt A. Desender & Ruth V. Aguilera & Mónica Lópezpuertas-Lamy & Rafel Crespi, 2016. "A clash of governance logics: Foreign ownership and board monitoring," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(2), pages 349-369, February.
    26. Henry Etzkowitz & Loet Leydesdorff, 1997. "Introduction to special issue on science policy dimensions of the Triple Helix of university-industry-government relations," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 24(1), pages 2-5, February.
    27. Eddleston, Kimberly A. & Kellermanns, Franz W., 2007. "Destructive and productive family relationships: A stewardship theory perspective," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 22(4), pages 545-565, July.
    28. Sakawa, Hideaki & Watanabel, Naoki, 2018. "Parent control and ownership monitoring in publicly listed subsidiaries in Japan," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 7-14.
    29. Hideaki Sakawa & Naoki Watanabel, 2020. "Institutional Ownership and Firm Performance under Stakeholder-Oriented Corporate Governance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-21, January.
    30. Ulrich Lichtenthaler & Miriam Muethel, 2012. "Retracted: The Impact of Family Involvement on Dynamic Innovation Capabilities: Evidence from German Manufacturing Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 36(6), pages 1235-1253, November.
    31. Fama, Eugene F & Jensen, Michael C, 1983. "Separation of Ownership and Control," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 26(2), pages 301-325, June.
    32. Marie Rama, 2012. "Corporate Governance and Corruption: Ethical Dilemmas of Asian Business Groups," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 109(4), pages 501-519, September.
    33. Ana Beatriz Hernández-Lara & Juan Pablo Gonzales-Bustos & Amado Alarcón-Alarcón, 2021. "Social Sustainability on Corporate Boards: The Effects of Female Family Members on R&D," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-13, February.
    34. Randall Morck & Bernard Yeung, 2003. "Agency Problems in Large Family Business Groups," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 27(4), pages 367-382, October.
    35. Block, Joern H., 2012. "R&D investments in family and founder firms: An agency perspective," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 248-265.
    36. William S. Schulze & Michael H. Lubatkin & Richard N. Dino & Ann K. Buchholtz, 2001. "Agency Relationships in Family Firms: Theory and Evidence," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 12(2), pages 99-116, April.
    37. Sea-Jin Chang & Chi-Nien Chung & Ishtiaq P. Mahmood, 2006. "When and How Does Business Group Affiliation Promote Firm Innovation? A Tale of Two Emerging Economies," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 17(5), pages 637-656, October.
    38. Hideaki Sakawa & Naoki Watanabel, 2021. "Main bank relationships and risk taking in Japanese listed firms," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(9), pages 996-1012, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Mujeeb Saif Mohsen Al-Absy & Ku Nor Izah Ku Ismail & Sitraselvi Chandren, 2019. "Corporate Governance Mechanisms, Whistle-Blowing Policy and Real Earnings Management," International Journal of Financial Research, International Journal of Financial Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 10(6), pages 265-282, October.
    2. Lyu, Xiaoliang & Ma, Jiameng & Zhang, Xiaochen, 2023. "Social trust and corporate innovation: An informal institution perspective," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    3. Naoki Watanabel & Shohei Yamauchi & Hideaki Sakawa, 2022. "The Board Structure and Performance in IPO Firms: Evidence from Stakeholder-Oriented Corporate Governance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-15, July.
    4. Gillan, Stuart L. & Nguyen, Nga & Nishikawa, Takeshi, 2023. "Heterogeneity in shareholder activism: Evidence from Japan," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    5. Akihiro Yamada & Kento Fujita, 2022. "Impact of Parent Companies and Multiple Large Shareholders on Audit Fees in Stakeholder-Oriented Corporate Governance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-20, May.
    6. Hideaki Sakawa & Naoki Watanabel, 2020. "Institutional Ownership and Firm Performance under Stakeholder-Oriented Corporate Governance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-21, January.
    7. Rossella Leopizzi & Simone Pizzi & Fabrizio D'Addario, 2021. "The Relationship among Family Business, Corporate Governance, and Firm Performance: An Empirical Assessment in the Tourism Sector," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-12, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hideaki Sakawa & Naoki Watanabel, 2022. "Accounting Frauds and Main-Bank Monitoring in Japanese Corporations," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(2), pages 605-621, October.
    2. Basco, Rodrigo, 2013. "The family's effect on family firm performance: A model testing the demographic and essence approaches," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 4(1), pages 42-66.
    3. Hideaki Sakawa & Naoki Watanabel, 2020. "Institutional Ownership and Firm Performance under Stakeholder-Oriented Corporate Governance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-21, January.
    4. A. Ashwin & Rishikesha Krishnan & Rejie George, 2015. "Family firms in India: family involvement, innovation and agency and stewardship behaviors," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 32(4), pages 869-900, December.
    5. César Camisón-Zornoza & Beatriz Forés-Julián & Alba Puig-Denia & Sergio Camisón-Haba, 0. "Effects of ownership structure and corporate and family governance on dynamic capabilities in family firms," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-34.
    6. Naoki Watanabel & Shohei Yamauchi & Hideaki Sakawa, 2022. "The Board Structure and Performance in IPO Firms: Evidence from Stakeholder-Oriented Corporate Governance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-15, July.
    7. César Camisón-Zornoza & Beatriz Forés-Julián & Alba Puig-Denia & Sergio Camisón-Haba, 2020. "Effects of ownership structure and corporate and family governance on dynamic capabilities in family firms," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 16(4), pages 1393-1426, December.
    8. Yoo, Taeyoung & Sung, Taeyoon, 2015. "How outside directors facilitate corporate R&D investment? Evidence from large Korean firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(6), pages 1251-1260.
    9. Purkayastha, Saptarshi & Veliyath, Rajaram & George, Rejie, 2019. "The roles of family ownership and family management in the governance of agency conflicts," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 50-64.
    10. Ivan Miroshnychenko & Alfredo De Massis & Danny Miller & Roberto Barontini, 2021. "Family Business Growth Around the World," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 45(4), pages 682-708, July.
    11. Weiping Liu & Haibin Yang & Guangxi Zhang, 2012. "Does family business excel in firm performance? An institution-based view," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 29(4), pages 965-987, December.
    12. Mazzi, Chiara, 2011. "Family business and financial performance: Current state of knowledge and future research challenges," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 2(3), pages 166-181.
    13. Yunshi Liu & Yi-Jung Chen & Linda C. Wang, 2017. "Family business, innovation and organizational slack in Taiwan," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 34(1), pages 193-213, March.
    14. Goel, Sanjay & Mazzola, Pietro & Phan, Phillip H. & Pieper, Torsten M. & Zachary, Ramona K., 2012. "Strategy, ownership, governance, and socio-psychological perspectives on family businesses from around the world," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 3(2), pages 54-65.
    15. Anneleen Michiels & Wim Voordeckers & Nadine Lybaert & Tensie Steijvers, 2015. "Dividends and family governance practices in private family firms," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 44(2), pages 299-314, February.
    16. Dean Xu & Chuang Chen & Xiaohui Wu, 2019. "Ownership structure and the use of non-family executives in family-dominated Chinese listed firms: An institutional logics perspective," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 36(3), pages 797-820, September.
    17. Alain Verbeke & Liena Kano, 2012. "The Transaction Cost Economics Theory of the Family Firm: Family–Based Human Asset Specificity and the Bifurcation Bias," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 36(6), pages 1183-1205, November.
    18. Sakawa, Hideaki & Watanabel, Naoki & Gu, Junjian, 2022. "Internationalization and the reliance of analyst forecasts in stakeholder-oriented corporate governance: Evidence from Japanese MNEs," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    19. Choi, Young Rok & Zahra, Shaker A. & Yoshikawa, Toru & Han, Bong H., 2015. "Family ownership and R&D investment: The role of growth opportunities and business group membership," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(5), pages 1053-1061.
    20. Toru Yoshikawa & Abdul A. Rasheed, 2010. "Family Control and Ownership Monitoring in Family‐Controlled Firms in Japan," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(2), pages 274-295, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:9:p:5044-:d:546970. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.