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Managerial Entrenchment and Capital Structure: New Evidence

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  • Kose John
  • Lubomir Litov

Abstract

Prior research has often taken the view that entrenched managers tend to avoid debt. Contrary to this view, we find that firms with entrenched managers, as measured by the Gompers et al. (2003) governance index, use more debt finance and have higher leverage ratios. To address the potential endogeneity of the governance index, we use instrumental variables analysis and the exogenous shock to corporate governance generated by the adoption of state anti‐takeover laws. We find that firms incorporated in states that adopt restrictive anti‐takeover laws increase the debt component of their external financing. Our evidence is consistent with entrenched managers receiving better access to debt markets (better credit ratings) and better financing terms (perhaps in response to the conservative investment policy that they pursue).

Suggested Citation

  • Kose John & Lubomir Litov, 2010. "Managerial Entrenchment and Capital Structure: New Evidence," Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 7(4), pages 693-742, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:empleg:v:7:y:2010:i:4:p:693-742
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1740-1461.2010.01193.x
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    3. Kieschnick, Robert & Moussawi, Rabih, 2018. "Firm age, corporate governance, and capital structure choices," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 597-614.
    4. Richard Herron, 2022. "Payout policy and the interaction of firm-level and country-level governance," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 58(1), pages 1-39, January.
    5. John, Kose & Knyazeva, Anzhela & Knyazeva, Diana, 2015. "Governance and Payout Precommitment," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 101-117.
    6. Omer Unsal & Blake Rayfield, 2020. "Correction to: Corporate governance and employee treatment: Evidence from takeover defenses," Journal of Economics and Finance, Springer;Academy of Economics and Finance, vol. 44(2), pages 392-416, April.
    7. Alves, Paulo & Couto, Eduardo & Francisco, Paulo, 2014. "Board of directors’ composition and financing choices," MPRA Paper 52973, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2014.
    8. Ji, Shuangshuang & Mauer, David C. & Zhang, Yilei, 2020. "Managerial entrenchment and capital structure: The effect of diversification," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    9. Chongyang Chen & Robert Kieschnick, 2024. "Bank competition and the design of syndicated loans," The Financial Review, Eastern Finance Association, vol. 59(1), pages 227-251, February.
    10. Aiyesha Dey & Valeri Nikolaev & Xue Wang, 2016. "Disproportional Control Rights and the Governance Role of Debt," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 62(9), pages 2581-2614, September.
    11. Ghosh, Chinmoy & Huang, Di & Nguyen, Nam H. & Phan, Hieu V., 2023. "CEO tournament incentives and corporate debt contracting," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    12. Trinh, Vu Quang & Kara, Alper & Elnahass, Marwa, 2022. "Dividend payout strategies and bank survival likelihood: A cross-country analysis," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    13. Maryam Ishaq & Yasir Islam & Ghulam Ghouse, 2021. "Tobin’s Q as an Indicator of Firm Performance: Empirical Evidence from Manufacturing Sector Firms of Pakistan," International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), vol. 0(1), pages 425-441.
    14. Hamdi Driss & Sadok El Ghoul & Omrane Guedhami & John K. Wald, 2023. "Governance and leverage: International evidence," The Financial Review, Eastern Finance Association, vol. 58(2), pages 261-285, May.

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