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Governance and Performance Implications of Diversification Strategies: Evidence from Large U.S. Firms

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  • Manohar Singh
  • Ike Mathur
  • Kimberly C. Gleason

Abstract

Recent research focuses on explaining the diversification discount. However, there is little direct evidence regarding the relation among ownership structure, corporate governance, and corporate diversification. The results in this paper suggest that agency issues do not account for firms adopting a particular diversification strategy. Also, the performance consequences of the shift in the diversification strategy and the subsequent changes in institutional and block ownership structures are not related to agency issues. In fact, investors seem not to avoid diversified firms per se. We suggest that observed board and ownership differences between diversified and focused firms are due to their being at different stages of corporate evolution.

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  • Manohar Singh & Ike Mathur & Kimberly C. Gleason, 2004. "Governance and Performance Implications of Diversification Strategies: Evidence from Large U.S. Firms," The Financial Review, Eastern Finance Association, vol. 39(4), pages 489-526, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:finrev:v:39:y:2004:i:4:p:489-526
    DOI: 10.1111/j.0732-8516.2004.00086.x
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    1. J. Krafft & J. -L. Ravix, 2008. "Corporate Governance And The Governance Of Knowledge: Rethinking The Relationship In Terms Of Corporate Coherence," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(1-2), pages 79-95.
    2. Elmar Gerum & Sascha H. Mölls & Chunqian Shen, 2011. "Kapitalmarktorientierte Rechnungslegung in Deutschland zwischen Anspruch und Realität — Theorie und Empirie," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 63(6), pages 534-577, September.
    3. Chen, Sheng-Syan & Chen, I-Ju, 2012. "Corporate governance and capital allocations of diversified firms," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 395-409.
    4. Tzu‐Lin Chang & Hsiao‐Wen Wang & Keng‐Pei Lin & Hsin‐Yu Chen, 2022. "R&D performance and international diversification: Evidence from an emerging market," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(7), pages 3176-3197, October.
    5. Liu-Ching Tsai & Chaur-Shiuh Young & Hui-Wen Hsu, 2011. "Entrenched controlling shareholders and the performance consequences of corporate diversification in Taiwan," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 37(1), pages 105-126, July.
    6. Imen Fakhfakh Sakka & Anis Jarboui, 2016. "Audit reports timeliness: Empirical evidence from Tunisia," Cogent Business & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 3(1), pages 1195680-119, December.
    7. Gerum Elmar & Mölls Sascha H., 2013. "Corporate Governance-Systeme und Unternehmensfinanzierung - Empirische Befunde für deutsche Großunternehmen / Corporate Governance-Systems and Corporate Financing – Empirical Evidence for large corpor," ORDO. Jahrbuch für die Ordnung von Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, De Gruyter, vol. 64(1), pages 195-220, January.
    8. Elmar Gerum & Sascha H. Mölls & Chunqian Shen, 2018. "Corporate governance, capital market orientation and firm performance: empirical evidence for large publicly traded German corporations," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 88(2), pages 203-252, February.
    9. Duc Nam Phung & Anil V. Mishra, 2016. "Corporation Diversification and Firm Performance: Evidence from Vietnamese Listed Firms," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(4), pages 386-408, December.
    10. Glaser, Markus & Müller, Sebastian, 2010. "Is the diversification discount caused by the book value bias of debt?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(10), pages 2307-2317, October.
    11. Ducassy, Isabelle & Prevot, Frédéric, 2010. "The effects of family dynamics on diversification strategy: Empirical evidence from French companies," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 1(4), pages 224-235, December.
    12. Duc-Niem Le & Van-Hoa Nguyen, 2024. "Does Quality Certification or Product Diversification Improve the Performance of Small and Medium Enterprises?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-11, February.
    13. Nancy Youssef & Peng Zhou, 2020. "The Effect of Board Structure on Egyptian Mutual Fund Performance: A Structural Equation Model Analysis," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 12(3), pages 1-1, March.
    14. David Hyland, 2008. "The long-run performance of diversifying firms," Journal of Economics and Finance, Springer;Academy of Economics and Finance, vol. 32(3), pages 294-310, July.
    15. Jackie Krafft & Jacques-Laurent Ravix, 2005. "The governance of innovative firms: an evolutionary approach," Post-Print hal-00203620, HAL.
    16. Andreas Bausch & Frithjof Pils, 2009. "Product diversification strategy and financial performance: meta-analytic evidence on causality and construct multidimensionality," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 3(3), pages 157-190, November.

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