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Small business groups enhance performance and promote stability, not expropriation. Evidence from French SMEs

Author

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  • Anaïs Hamelin

    (LARGE - Laboratoire de Recherche en Gestion et Economie - UNISTRA - Université de Strasbourg)

Abstract

This paper investigates the influence that a firm's distance from control has on its performance, using balance sheet information and a unique data set on small business ownership. This study fills a gap in the empirical governance literature by investigating whether there is expropriation of minority shareholders in small business groups. Contrary to observations for large business groups, results show a positive relationship between the separation of control from ownership and firm performance. Results also underline that tunneling promotes controlling shareholders' profit stability rather than profit maximization in small business groups.

Suggested Citation

  • Anaïs Hamelin, 2011. "Small business groups enhance performance and promote stability, not expropriation. Evidence from French SMEs," Post-Print hal-02496357, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-02496357
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbankfin.2010.07.025
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    Cited by:

    1. Giulio Cainelli & Valentina Giannini & Donato Iacobucci, 2020. "Small firms and bank financing in bad times," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 55(4), pages 943-953, December.
    2. Luis Alfonso Dau & Randall Morck & Bernard Yin Yeung, 2021. "Business groups and the study of international business: A Coasean synthesis and extension," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(2), pages 161-211, March.
    3. Col, Burcin & Sen, Kaustav, 2019. "The role of corporate governance for acquisitions by the emerging market multinationals: Evidence from India," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 239-254.
    4. Giulio Cainelli & Valentina Giannini & Donato Iacobucci, 0. "Small firms and bank financing in bad times," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-11.
    5. Alexandre Gazaniol, 2012. "Learning from international activities? A microeconometric analysis of first-time innovators," International Economics, CEPII research center, issue 129, pages 31-61.
    6. Nehme Azoury & Elie Bouri, 2015. "Principal–principal conflicts in Lebanese unlisted family firms," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 19(2), pages 461-493, May.
    7. Enrico Guzzini & Donato Iacobucci, 2014. "Ownership as R&D incentive in business groups," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 119-135, June.
    8. Shahid Hussain & Nabeel Safdar, 2018. "Tunneling: Evidence from Family Business Groups of Pakistan," Business & Economic Review, Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar, Pakistan, vol. 10(2), pages 97-122, June.
    9. Panagiotis Avramidis & Ioannis Asimakopoulos & Dimitris Malliaropulos & Nickolaos G. Travlos, 2017. "Group affiliation in periods of credit contraction and bank’s reaction: evidence from the Greek crisis," Working Papers 237, Bank of Greece.
    10. Bhaumik, Sumon Kumar & Selarka, Ekta, 2012. "Does ownership concentration improve M&A outcomes in emerging markets?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 717-726.
    11. Viswanathan Nagarajan & Pitabas Mohanty & Apalak Khatua, 2023. "Financing effects of corporate diversification: A review," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 17(7), pages 2555-2585, October.
    12. Enrico Guzzini & Donato Iacobucci, 2012. "Business group affiliation and R&D propensity," Working Papers 1203, c.MET-05 - Centro Interuniversitario di Economia Applicata alle Politiche per L'industria, lo Sviluppo locale e l'Internazionalizzazione.
    13. Xiang, Dong & Zhang, Yuming & Worthington, Andrew C. & Liu, Yanchu, 2020. "Raising capital for the family firm for sustainability: Whence the advantage?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    14. Enrico Guzzini & Donato Iacobucci, 2014. "Business Group Affiliation and R&D," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(1), pages 20-42, January.
    15. Anaïs HAMELIN, 2013. "Does Size Matter? Firm And Business Group Size Influence On The Benefits Of Group Affiliation," Working Papers of LaRGE Research Center 2013-10, Laboratoire de Recherche en Gestion et Economie (LaRGE), Université de Strasbourg.
    16. Vivien Lefebvre, 2023. "Human resources slack and profitability: SMEs, large firms, and the role of business group affiliation," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 13(3), pages 611-637, September.
    17. Dong Xiang & Andrew C. Worthington & Helen Higgs, 2011. "Firm-level determinants and impacts of finance-seeking behaviour and outcomes for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Australia," Discussion Papers in Finance finance:201115, Griffith University, Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics.
    18. Xiang, Dong & Chen, Jiakui & Tripe, David & Zhang, Ning, 2019. "Family firms, sustainable innovation and financing cost: Evidence from Chinese hi-tech small and medium-sized enterprises," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 499-511.
    19. Rosy Locorotondo & Nico Dewaelheyns & Cynthia Hulle, 2015. "Affiliates’ Bank Debt Policy: Does Parent Firm Nationality Matter?," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(5-6), pages 747-776, June.
    20. Vivien Lefebvre, 2023. "Business group affiliation in resource-scarce locations," Journal of Organization Design, Springer;Organizational Design Community, vol. 12(3), pages 121-140, September.
    21. Daniel Ruiz-Palomo & Julio Diéguez-Soto & Antonio Duréndez & José António C. Santos, 2019. "Family Management and Firm Performance in Family SMEs: The Mediating Roles of Management Control Systems and Technological Innovation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(14), pages 1-22, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Ownership Control Tunneling Small business Performance;

    JEL classification:

    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance

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