IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/inm/ororsc/v9y1998i1p49-67.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Diversification and the Legal Organization of the Firm

Author

Listed:
  • Jennifer E. Bethel

    (Babson College, Babson Park, Massachusetts 02157 and United States Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, D.C.)

  • Julia Porter Liebeskind

    (Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-1421)

Abstract

The existing literature on the relationship between strategy and structure tends to ignore the legal dimension of the organization of diversified firms. Yet, there is considerable variation in the legal organization of diversified firms; while some of these firms are organized as simple corporations, many are organized as “corporate groups” in which certain lines of business are organized as separate, subsidiary firms. In this paper we argue that this variation in legal organization is observed because legal organization can significantly affect firm value. In particular, forming subsidiary firms to accommodate new businesses can protect the outstanding stakeholders of a diversified firm from increases in bankruptcy risk and liability exposure. However, forming subsidiary firms also reduces economies of scope. Hence, there are offsetting costs and benefits to adopting different types of legal organization. Changes in these relative costs and benefits over time can also be expected to trigger changes in legal organization, as well as the divestiture of businesses characterized by particular types of economic hazards.

Suggested Citation

  • Jennifer E. Bethel & Julia Porter Liebeskind, 1998. "Diversification and the Legal Organization of the Firm," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 9(1), pages 49-67, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ororsc:v:9:y:1998:i:1:p:49-67
    DOI: 10.1287/orsc.9.1.49
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/orsc.9.1.49
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1287/orsc.9.1.49?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. William F. Sharpe, 1963. "A Simplified Model for Portfolio Analysis," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 9(2), pages 277-293, January.
    2. Michael C. Jensen, 2010. "The Modern Industrial Revolution, Exit, and the Failure of Internal Control Systems," Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, Morgan Stanley, vol. 22(1), pages 43-58, January.
    3. John G. Matsusaka, 1993. "Takeover Motives during the Conglomerate Merger Wave," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 24(3), pages 357-379, Autumn.
    4. Lewellen, Wilbur G, 1971. "A Pure Financial Rationale for the Conglomerate Merger," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 26(2), pages 521-537, May.
    5. Pound, John, 1988. "Proxy contests and the efficiency of shareholder oversight," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 20(1-2), pages 237-265, January.
    6. Debra J. Aron, 1988. "Ability, Moral Hazard, Firm Size, and Diversification," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 19(1), pages 72-87, Spring.
    7. Michael C. Jensen, 1991. "Corporate Control And The Politics Of Finance," Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, Morgan Stanley, vol. 4(2), pages 13-34, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Chang, Shao-Chi & Wang, Chi-Feng, 2007. "The effect of product diversification strategies on the relationship between international diversification and firm performance," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 61-79, March.
    2. Yuan Lu & Jun Yao, 2006. "Impact of state ownership and control mechanisms on the performance of group affiliated companies in China," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 485-503, December.
    3. Riccaboni, Massimo & Wang, Xu & Zhu, Zhen, 2021. "Firm performance in networks: The interplay between firm centrality and corporate group size," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 641-653.
    4. USHIJIMA Tatsuo, 2021. "The Liability of Aging in Internal Capital Markets," Discussion papers 21065, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    5. Tatsuo Ushijima, 2016. "Diversification, Organization, and Value of the Firm," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 45(2), pages 467-499, May.
    6. Argyres, Nicholas S. & Liebeskind, Julia Porter, 2002. "Governance inseparability and the evolution of US biotechnology industry," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 47(2), pages 197-219, February.
    7. Shaleen Gopal & K. S. Manikandan & J. Ramachandran, 2021. "Are There Limits to Diversification in Emerging Economies? Distinguishing between Firm‐Level and Business Group Strategies," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(6), pages 1532-1568, September.
    8. van Oijen, A.A.C.J. & Hendrikse, G.W.J., 2002. "Governance Structure, Product Diversification, and Performance," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2002-51-ORG, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    9. Julia Porter Liebeskind, 2000. "Internal Capital Markets: Benefits, Costs, and Organizational Arrangements," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 11(1), pages 58-76, February.
    10. K. S. Manikandan & J. Ramachandran, 2015. "Beyond institutional voids: Business groups, incomplete markets, and organizational form," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(4), pages 598-617, April.
    11. Sabine Langner, 2004. "Tracking Stocks," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 56(7), pages 666-684, November.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Martin, John D. & Sayrak, Akin, 2003. "Corporate diversification and shareholder value: a survey of recent literature," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 9(1), pages 37-57, January.
    2. Low, Angie & Makhija, Anil K. & Sanders, Anthony B., 2007. "The Impact of Shareholder Power on Bondholders: Evidence from Mergers and Acquisitions," Working Paper Series 2007-5, Ohio State University, Charles A. Dice Center for Research in Financial Economics.
    3. Berger, Philip G. & Ofek, Eli, 1995. "Diversification's effect on firm value," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 39-65, January.
    4. Martynova, M. & Renneboog, L.D.R., 2005. "Takeover Waves : Triggers, Performance and Motives," Discussion Paper 2005-029, Tilburg University, Tilburg Law and Economic Center.
    5. Matsusaka, John G. & Nanda, Vikram, 2002. "Internal Capital Markets and Corporate Refocusing," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 11(2), pages 176-211, April.
    6. Martynova, Marina & Renneboog, Luc, 2008. "A century of corporate takeovers: What have we learned and where do we stand?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 32(10), pages 2148-2177, October.
    7. Martynova, M., 2006. "The market for corporate control and corporate governance regulation in Europe," Other publications TiSEM 8651e281-4914-41f2-ac14-1, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    8. Aivazian, Varouj A. & Qiu, Jiaping & Rahaman, Mohammad M., 2015. "Bank loan contracting and corporate diversification: Does organizational structure matter to lenders?," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 24(2), pages 252-282.
    9. Szilagyi, P.G., 2007. "Corporate governance and the agency costs of debt and outside equity," Other publications TiSEM 9520d40a-224f-43a8-9bf9-b, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    10. Jose Manuel Campa & Simi Kedia, 2002. "Explaining the Diversification Discount," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 57(4), pages 1731-1762, August.
    11. Renneboog, L.D.R. & Szilagyi, P.G., 2009. "Shareholder Activism through the Proxy Process," Other publications TiSEM cc25d736-2965-4511-b100-1, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    12. Peter Cziraki & Luc Renneboog & Peter G. Szilagyi, 2010. "Shareholder Activism through Proxy Proposals: The European Perspective," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 16(5), pages 738-777, November.
    13. Denis, David J. & Serrano, Jan M., 1996. "Active investors and management turnover following unsuccessful control contests," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 239-266, February.
    14. Jang, SooCheong (Shawn), 2011. "Growth-focused or profit-focused firms: Transitions toward profitable growth," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 667-674.
    15. Sheng‐Fu Wu & Chung‐Yi Fang & Wei Chen, 2020. "Corporate governance and stock price crash risk: Evidence from Taiwan," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(7), pages 1312-1326, October.
    16. Stuart L. Gillan & Laura T. Starks, 2002. "Institutional Investors, Corporate Ownership, and Corporate Governance: Global Perspectives," WIDER Working Paper Series DP2002-09, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    17. Claus Dierksmeier, 2020. "From Jensen to Jensen: Mechanistic Management Education or Humanistic Management Learning?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 166(1), pages 73-87, September.
    18. Ovtchinnikov, Alexei V., 2013. "Merger waves following industry deregulation," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 21(C), pages 51-76.
    19. Muurling, Rutger & Lehnert, Thorsten, 2004. "Option-based compensation: a survey," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 39(4), pages 365-401.
    20. Richard Borghesi & Joel Houston & Andy Naranjo, 2007. "Value, Survival, and the Evolution of Firm Organizational Structure," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 36(3), pages 5-31, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:inm:ororsc:v:9:y:1998:i:1:p:49-67. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Asher (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/inforea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.