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The dark side of asset redeployability through the lens of corporate employment decisions

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  • Le, Anh-Tuan
  • Ouyang, Puman

Abstract

This study examines how U.S.-listed firms' asset redeployability affects their labor investment efficiency and documents a negative relationship between asset redeployability and labor investment efficiency. Asset redeployability increases overinvestment in labor in the forms of over-hiring and under-firing and provides managers more opportunities to conduct earnings management, which reduces financial reporting quality, readability, and comparability, thereby harming labor investment efficiency. Furthermore, our additional results indicate that the negative impact of asset redeployability on labor investment efficiency is mitigated for firms that have a higher degree of unionization, employ more skilled labor, or implement better corporate governance practices.

Suggested Citation

  • Le, Anh-Tuan & Ouyang, Puman, 2023. "The dark side of asset redeployability through the lens of corporate employment decisions," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:corfin:v:82:y:2023:i:c:s0929119923001116
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2023.102462
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Anh-Tuan Le & Henry Hongren Huang & Tzu-Chang Forrest Cheng, 2025. "Growing pains: geographic expansion and labor investment efficiency," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 65(2), pages 619-659, August.
    2. Do, Trung K., 2024. "Asset redeployability and green innovation," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    3. Li, Wanli & Chen, Junrui & Yuan, Kaibin, 2025. "Changes in corporate employment under climate risk," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • E22 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Investment; Capital; Intangible Capital; Capacity
    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • G31 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Capital Budgeting; Fixed Investment and Inventory Studies

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