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Family-centered goals, family board representation, and debt financing

Author

Listed:
  • Vincent Molly

    (KU Leuven
    Antwerp Management School - Family Business Community)

  • Lorraine M. Uhlaner

    (EDHEC Business School)

  • Alfredo De Massis

    (Free University of Bozen-Bolzano
    Lancaster University Management School)

  • Eddy Laveren

    (Antwerp Management School - Family Business Community
    University of Antwerp)

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of both family-centered goals and family board representation (family member representation on the board of directors) on family firm capital structure. Based on a sample of 327 Belgian family SMEs, our findings show that family-centered goals indirectly affect the total debt rate through family board representation. More specifically, the results indicate that this mediating effect holds primarily for the short-term (vs. long-term) debt rate and for the financial (vs. nonfinancial) debt rate. Taken together, our findings suggest that the socioemotional wealth (SEW) perspective is relevant and fruitful to explain debt decisions in family firms. Our findings contribute to family business literature and enable scholars and practitioners to gain a better understanding of family firm capital structure decisions.

Suggested Citation

  • Vincent Molly & Lorraine M. Uhlaner & Alfredo De Massis & Eddy Laveren, 2019. "Family-centered goals, family board representation, and debt financing," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 269-286, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:sbusec:v:53:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1007_s11187-018-0058-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s11187-018-0058-9
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    2. Hanvedes Daovisan & H. L. Shen, 2020. "Does Working Capital Affect Family Firms’ Decision-Making in Laos? Evidence from a Two-Wave Cross-Lagged Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-16, March.
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    7. Comino-Jurado, María & Sánchez-Andújar, Sonia & Parrado-Martínez, Purificación, 2021. "Reassessing debt-financing decisions in family firms: Family involvement on the board of directors and generational stage," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 426-435.
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    14. Vasanthan Subramaniam & Mosharrof Hosen, 2023. "Corporate diversification and debt financing: Do family shareholders protect their control rights?," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(2), pages 1305-1317, March.
    15. Antonia Schickinger & Alexandra Bertschi-Michel & Max P. Leitterstorf & Nadine Kammerlander, 2022. "Same same, but different: capital structures in single family offices compared with private equity firms," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 58(3), pages 1407-1425, March.
    16. Susana Álvarez‐Díez & J. Samuel Baixauli‐Soler & María Belda‐Ruiz & Gregorio Sánchez‐Marín, 2023. "Variable selection for classification and forecasting of the family firm's socioemotional wealth," Journal of Forecasting, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(8), pages 2063-2078, December.
    17. Filipe Sardo & Elisabete S. Vieira & Zélia Serrasqueiro, 2022. "The role of gender and succession on the debt adjustments of family firm capital structure," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 12(2), pages 349-372, June.
    18. Ginesti, Gianluca & Ossorio, Mario & Dawson, Alexandra, 2023. "Family businesses and debt maturity structure: Focusing on family involvement in governance to explain heterogeneity," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 14(2).
    19. María Belda-Ruiz & Gregorio Sánchez-Marín & J. Samuel Baixauli-Soler, 2022. "Influence of family-centered goals on dividend policy in family firms: A socioemotional wealth approach," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 18(4), pages 1503-1526, December.
    20. Arzubiaga, Unai & Diaz-Moriana, Vanessa & Bauweraerts, Jonathan & Escobar, Octavio, 2021. "Big data in family firms: A socioemotional wealth perspective," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 344-352.
    21. Katrien Jansen & Anneleen Michiels & Wim Voordeckers & Tensie Steijvers, 2023. "Financing decisions in private family firms: a family firm pecking order," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 61(2), pages 495-515, August.
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    23. Dou, Junsheng & Wu, Saisai & Fang, Hanqing, 2022. "Family involvement, family essence, and family-centered non-economic and economic goals in Chinese family firms: A replication study," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 13(4).
    24. Nieves Lidia Díaz‐Díaz & Pedro J. García‐Teruel & Pedro Martínez‐Solano, 2023. "Private family firms, generations and bank debt," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(3), pages 3043-3075, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Family business; Family-centered goals; Financing; Debt; Governance; Board of directors; Socioemotional wealth;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • L21 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Business Objectives of the Firm
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship

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