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On the decision to go public with dual class stock

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  • Arugaslan, Onur
  • Cook, Douglas O.
  • Kieschnick, Robert

Abstract

Why do firms deviate from a one share-one vote regime when going public? This question raises considerations that are at the core of many corporate governance issues. We consider three arguments for this choice. Examining data on IPOs from 1980 through 2008, we do not find that firms go public with dual class stock so managers have more incentive to invest in hard to monitor projects nor to gain more when selling control of the firm. Rather, managers appear to take their firms public with dual class stock in order to retain control of their firms while reducing their lack of diversification costs.

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  • Arugaslan, Onur & Cook, Douglas O. & Kieschnick, Robert, 2010. "On the decision to go public with dual class stock," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 16(2), pages 170-181, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:corfin:v:16:y:2010:i:2:p:170-181
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    Cited by:

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    3. Lin, James Juichia & Shi, Wei-Zhong & Tsai, Li-Fang & Yu, Min-Teh, 2022. "Corporate cash and the Firm's life-cycle: Evidence from dual-class firms," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 27-48.
    4. Li, Xiaodan & Jiao, Yang & Yu, Min-Teh & Zhao, Yang, 2019. "Founders and the decision of Chinese dual-class IPOs in the U.S," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    5. Baran, Lindsay & Forst, Arno, 2015. "Disproportionate insider control and board of director characteristics," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 62-80.
    6. Li, Ting & Zaiats, Nataliya, 2017. "Information environment and earnings management of dual class firms around the world," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 1-23.
    7. Mark Humphery‐Jenner & Emdad Islam & Lubna Rahman & Jo‐Ann Suchard, 2022. "Powerful CEOs and Corporate Governance," Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 19(1), pages 135-188, March.
    8. Jordan, Bradford D. & Kim, Soohyung & Liu, Mark H., 2016. "Growth opportunities, short-term market pressure, and dual-class share structure," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 304-328.
    9. Lindsay Baran & Arno Forst & M. Tony Via, 2023. "Dual‐class share structure and innovation," Journal of Financial Research, Southern Finance Association;Southwestern Finance Association, vol. 46(1), pages 169-202, February.

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