IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/revfec/v42y2024i1p79-92.html

Stakeholder orientation and product market performance: Evidence from a natural experiment

Author

Listed:
  • Juntai Lu
  • Jia Wei

Abstract

We examine the causal effect of stakeholder orientation on firms' product market performance. Using the staggered enactment of constituency statutes across different states as an exogenous shock that increases the extent of the stakeholder orientation, difference‐in‐difference estimations suggest that on average firms incorporated in states that adopted constituency statutes increase sales growth by 1.7% relative to firms incorporated in states that did not adopt such statutes. The effect is stronger if a firm has higher labor intensity and if a firm operates in a durable goods industry. In addition, we find that stakeholder orientation improves the quality of innovation.

Suggested Citation

  • Juntai Lu & Jia Wei, 2024. "Stakeholder orientation and product market performance: Evidence from a natural experiment," Review of Financial Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(1), pages 79-92, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:revfec:v:42:y:2024:i:1:p:79-92
    DOI: 10.1002/rfe.1188
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/rfe.1188
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/rfe.1188?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. Kenneth A. Froot & Andre F. Perold & Jeremy C. Stein, 1992. "Shareholder Trading Practices And Corporate Investment Horizons," Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, Morgan Stanley, vol. 5(2), pages 42-58, June.
    2. Bo Becker & Per Strömberg, 2012. "Fiduciary Duties and Equity-debtholder Conflicts," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 25(6), pages 1931-1969.
    3. João F. Gomes & Leonid Kogan & Motohiro Yogo, 2009. "Durability of Output and Expected Stock Returns," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 117(5), pages 941-986.
    4. Luigi Zingales, 2000. "In Search of New Foundations," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 55(4), pages 1623-1653, August.
    5. ., 2001. "Corporate Governance in Islamic Banking," Chapters, in: Islamic Banking, chapter 7, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    6. Bhattacharyya, Sugato & Nain, Amrita, 2011. "Horizontal acquisitions and buying power: A product market analysis," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(1), pages 97-115, January.
    7. Maksimovic, Vojislav & Titman, Sheridan, 1991. "Financial Policy and Reputation for Product Quality," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 4(1), pages 175-200.
    8. Leung, Woon Sau & Song, Wei & Chen, Jie, 2019. "Does bank stakeholder orientation enhance financial stability?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 38-63.
    9. Marens, Richard & Wicks, Andrew, 1999. "Getting Real: Stakeholder Theory, Managerial Practice, and the General Irrelevance of Fiduciary Duties Owed to Shareholders," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 9(2), pages 273-293, April.
    10. Jonathan M. Karpoff & Michael D. Wittry, 2018. "Institutional and Legal Context in Natural Experiments: The Case of State Antitakeover Laws," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 73(2), pages 657-714, April.
    11. Marianne Bertrand & Antoinette Schoar, 2003. "Managing with Style: The Effect of Managers on Firm Policies," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 118(4), pages 1169-1208.
    12. Billett, Matthew T. & Garfinkel, Jon A. & Yu, Miaomiao, 2017. "The effect of asymmetric information on product market outcomes," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 123(2), pages 357-376.
    13. Johnson, William C. & Xie, Wenjuan & Yi, Sangho, 2014. "Corporate fraud and the value of reputations in the product market," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 16-39.
    14. Baker, Andrew C. & Larcker, David F. & Wang, Charles C.Y., 2022. "How much should we trust staggered difference-in-differences estimates?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 144(2), pages 370-395.
    15. Li, You & Zhang, Jian, 2020. "Stakeholder orientation and stock price crash risk," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 37(C).
    16. Ali Hortaçsu & Gregor Matvos & Chad Syverson & Sriram Venkataraman, 2013. "Indirect Costs of Financial Distress in Durable Goods Industries: The Case of Auto Manufacturers," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 26(5), pages 1248-1290.
    17. Roberts, Michael R. & Whited, Toni M., 2013. "Endogeneity in Empirical Corporate Finance1," Handbook of the Economics of Finance, in: G.M. Constantinides & M. Harris & R. M. Stulz (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Finance, volume 2, chapter 0, pages 493-572, Elsevier.
    18. Laurent Fresard, 2010. "Financial Strength and Product Market Behavior: The Real Effects of Corporate Cash Holdings," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 65(3), pages 1097-1122, June.
    19. Caroline Flammer & Aleksandra Kacperczyk, 2016. "The Impact of Stakeholder Orientation on Innovation: Evidence from a Natural Experiment," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 62(7), pages 1982-2001, July.
    20. Ni, Xiaoran, 2020. "Does stakeholder orientation matter for earnings management: Evidence from non-shareholder constituency statutes," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    21. Tirole, Jean, 2001. "Corporate Governance," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 69(1), pages 1-35, January.
    22. Li, Tongxia & Lu, Chun, 2022. "Stakeholder orientation and cost stickiness: Evidence from a natural experiment," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 47(PA).
    23. Taiyuan Wang & Pratima Bansal, 2012. "Social responsibility in new ventures: profiting from a long‐term orientation," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(10), pages 1135-1153, October.
    24. Laurent Fresard, 2010. "Financial Strength and Product Market Behavior: The Real Effects of Corporate Cash Holdings," Post-Print hal-00537081, HAL.
    25. Gao, Huasheng & Li, Kai & Ma, Yujing, 2021. "Stakeholder Orientation and the Cost of Debt: Evidence from State-Level Adoption of Constituency Statutes," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 56(6), pages 1908-1944, September.
    26. Ni, Xiaoran & Song, Wei & Yao, Jiaquan, 2020. "Stakeholder orientation and corporate payout policy: Insights from state legal shocks," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    27. Hellmann, Thomas & Puri, Manju, 2000. "The Interaction between Product Market and Financing Strategy: The Role of Venture Capital," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 13(4), pages 959-984.
    28. Campello, Murillo, 2006. "Debt financing: Does it boost or hurt firm performance in product markets?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(1), pages 135-172, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Ni, Xiaoran & Song, Wei & Yao, Jiaquan, 2020. "Stakeholder orientation and corporate payout policy: Insights from state legal shocks," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    2. Cumming, Douglas & Lu, Fanyu & Xu, Limin & Yu, Chia-Feng (Jeffrey), 2025. "Does stakeholder orientation mitigate shareholder-employee conflicts? Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    3. Garman, Amy D. & Kubick, Thomas R., 2025. "Mitigating risk-shifting in corporate pension plans: Evidence from stakeholder constituency statutes," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(1).
    4. Gu, Leilei & Zhang, Huilin, 2022. "Stakeholder-oriented corporate investment: A catering perspective," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).
    5. Bao, Dichu & Fang, Ruirui & Su, Lixin (Nancy), 2024. "The spillover effect of constituency statutes along supply chains: Evidence from supplier commitment," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    6. Li, Tongxia & Lu, Chun & Wang, Hui, 2023. "Stakeholder orientation and trade credit: Evidence from a natural experiment," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 15-34.
    7. Al-Hadi, Ahmed & Habib, Ahsan, 2023. "Consequences of state-level regulations in accounting, finance, and corporate governance: A review," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    8. Chowdhury, Rajib & Doukas, John A. & Park, Jong Chool, 2021. "Stakeholder orientation and the value of cash holdings: Evidence from a natural experiment," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    9. Romec, Arthur, 2023. "Stakeholder orientation and managerial incentives: Evidence from a natural experiment," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    10. Ni, Xiaoran, 2020. "Does stakeholder orientation matter for earnings management: Evidence from non-shareholder constituency statutes," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    11. Atif, Muhammad & Nadarajah, Sivathaasan & Richardson, Grant, 2023. "Staggered adoption of stakeholder constituency statutes and corporate cash holdings in the U.S," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    12. Zhang, Huilin, 2022. "Mandatory corporate social responsibility disclosure and firm innovation: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 47(PB).
    13. Xin, Xianyang & Wong, Jin Boon & Hasan, Mostafa Monzur, 2021. "Stakeholder orientation and cost stickiness," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 32(C).
    14. Li, Guangzhong & Li, Jie, 2018. "Managerial diversion, product market competition, and firm performance," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 240-264.
    15. Sertsios, Giorgo, 2020. "Corporate finance, industrial organization, and organizational economics," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    16. Ding, Wenzhi & Levine, Ross & Lin, Chen & Xie, Wensi, 2021. "Corporate immunity to the COVID-19 pandemic," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(2), pages 802-830.
    17. Alam, Md Samsul & Safiullah, Md & Islam, Md Shahidul, 2022. "Cash-rich firms and carbon emissions," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    18. Rensi Li & Haowen Tian & Sirui Wu, 2025. "From Social Responsibility to Market Leadership: The Role of Targeted Poverty Alleviation in Enhancing Firm Competitiveness," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(3), pages 4529-4542, June.
    19. Bernard, Darren, 2016. "Is the risk of product market predation a cost of disclosure?," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 305-325.
    20. Li, Tongxia & Lu, Chun, 2022. "Stakeholder orientation and cost stickiness: Evidence from a natural experiment," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 47(PA).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:wly:revfec:v:42:y:2024:i:1:p:79-92. 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: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://doi.org/10.1002/(ISSN)1873-5924 .

    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.