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

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  • Hamelin, Anaïs

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.

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  • Hamelin, Anaïs, 2011. "Small business groups enhance performance and promote stability, not expropriation. Evidence from French SMEs," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 613-626, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbfina:v:35:y:2011:i:3:p:613-626
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    Cited by:

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    3. Alexandre Gazaniol, 2012. "Learning from international activities? A microeconometric analysis of first-time innovators," International Economics, CEPII research center, issue 129, pages 31-61.
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    5. 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.
    6. 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.
    7. 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.
    8. 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.
    9. 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).
    10. Vivien Lefebvre, 2024. "Layoffs in SMEs: The Role of Social Proximity," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 190(4), pages 801-820, April.
    11. 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.
    12. 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.
    13. Giulio Cainelli & Valentina Giannini & Donato Iacobucci, 0. "Small firms and bank financing in bad times," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-11.
    14. 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.
    15. 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.
    16. Enrico Guzzini & Donato Iacobucci, 2014. "Business Group Affiliation and R&D," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(1), pages 20-42, January.
    17. 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.
    18. 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.
    19. 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.
    20. 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.
    21. 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.
    22. 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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