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Old captains at the helm: Chairman age and firm performance

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  • Waelchli, Urs
  • Zeller, Jonas

Abstract

This paper examines whether the chairmen of the boards (COBs) impose their life cycles on the firms over which they preside. Using a large sample of unlisted firms, we find a robust negative relation between COB age and firm performance. COBs age much like ‘ordinary’ people. Their cognitive abilities deteriorate, and they experience significant shifts in motivation. Deteriorating cognitive abilities are the main driver of the performance effect that we observe. The results imply that succession planning problems in unlisted firms are real. Mandatory retirement age clauses cannot solve these problems.

Suggested Citation

  • Waelchli, Urs & Zeller, Jonas, 2013. "Old captains at the helm: Chairman age and firm performance," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 1612-1628.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbfina:v:37:y:2013:i:5:p:1612-1628
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbankfin.2012.12.012
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    2. Azzam, Ala'a & Alhababsah, Salem, 2023. "Does age similarity between board chair and CEO matter for R&D investments? Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PD).
    3. Goergen, Marc & Limbach, Peter & Scholz, Meik, 2015. "Mind the gap: The age dissimilarity between the chair and the CEO," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 136-158.
    4. Subramanian Rama Iyer & Ramesh P. Rao, 2017. "Share Repurchases And The Flexibility Hypothesis," Journal of Financial Research, Southern Finance Association;Southwestern Finance Association, vol. 40(3), pages 287-313, September.
    5. Schweizer, Denis & Walker, Thomas & Zhang, Aoran, 2019. "Cross-border acquisitions by Chinese enterprises: The benefits and disadvantages of political connections," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 63-85.
    6. Grashuis, Jasper & Cook, Michael, 2016. "Governance and Performance in the U.S. Agri-Food Industry: A Comparative Study of Firms and Cooperatives," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 235676, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    7. Munjal, Surender & Requejo, Ignacio & Kundu, Sumit K., 2019. "Offshore outsourcing and firm performance: Moderating effects of size, growth and slack resources," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 484-494.
    8. Broye, Géraldine & François, Abel & Moulin, Yves, 2017. "The cost of CEO duality: Evidence from French leadership compensation," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 336-350.
    9. Yongeun Choi & Wonsub Eum & Taewon Kang & Jeong‐Dong Lee, 2022. "Impacts of entrepreneurial experience on firm performance in IPO firms," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(8), pages 4064-4076, December.
    10. Kayani, Umar Nawaz & Arif, Muhammad & Hoang, Khanh, 2021. "Chairman age and corporate diversification: The cases of old and powerful captains in Chinese firms," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 31(C).
    11. Mujeeb Saif Mohsen Al-Absy, 2022. "Board Chairman Characteristics and Real Earnings Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-17, November.
    12. Ye, Zhiwei & Shahab, Yasir & Riaz, Yasir & Ntim, Collins G., 2023. "Strategic deviation and the cost of debt financing," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    13. Marie Lalanne, 2023. "Network‐based appointments and board diversity," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 90(358), pages 409-452, April.
    14. Tankiso MOLOI & Tatenda NHARO & Modi HLOBO, 2021. "Relationship between Board Characteristics and Dividend Payment Policies," Journal of Academic Finance, RED research unit, university of Gabes, Tunisia, vol. 12(1), pages 30-52, June.
    15. Zhenjie Wang & Jiewei Zhang & Hafeez Ullah, 2023. "Exploring the Multidimensional Perspective of Retail Investors’ Attention: The Mediating Influence of Corporate Governance and Information Disclosure on Corporate Environmental Performance in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-33, August.
    16. Sutrisno, Sutrisno, 2023. "Effects of CEO Duality, Board Independence, Ownership Concentration, Company Age on Profit Persistence and Firm Value: An Empirical Study of Manufacturing Companies in West Java, Indonesia," OSF Preprints dzvf8, Center for Open Science.
    17. Qiuwei Li & Wei Zhou & Hui Zhou & Jiaxuan Chen, 2021. "Do Board Characteristics Matter for Growth Firms? Evidence from China," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-9, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Age; Chairman of the board; Cognitive abilities; Firm performance; Corporate governance; Unlisted firms; Survey;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • L20 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - General

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