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Ambiguity and the corporation: Group disagreement and underinvestment

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  • Garlappi, Lorenzo
  • Giammarino, Ron
  • Lazrak, Ali

Abstract

We study a dynamic corporate investment problem where decisions have to be made collectively by a group of agents holding heterogeneous beliefs and adhering to a “utilitarian” governance mechanism in which each agent has a given influence in the decision. In this setting we show that: (i) group decisions are typically dynamically inconsistent, (ii) dynamic inconsistency leads to inefficient underinvestment, and (iii) the ability to trade securities among insiders or with outsiders may restore efficient investment decisions but it may, in some cases, lead to inefficient overinvestment. Our theory can help explain the empirical evidence on the effect of diversity of groups, such as corporate boards, on firms’ outcomes and, more generally, on the difference between group and individual behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Garlappi, Lorenzo & Giammarino, Ron & Lazrak, Ali, 2017. "Ambiguity and the corporation: Group disagreement and underinvestment," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 125(3), pages 417-433.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfinec:v:125:y:2017:i:3:p:417-433
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfineco.2017.06.005
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    2. Donaldson, Jason & Piacentino, Giorgia & Malenko, Nadya, 2017. "Deadlock on the Board," CEPR Discussion Papers 12503, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    3. Kim, Hwa-Sung, 2021. "Risk management and optimal capital structure under ambiguity," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 40(C).
    4. Swagata Bhattacharjee, 2019. "Dynamic Contracting for Innovation Under Ambiguity," Working Papers 1022, Ashoka University, Department of Economics, revised Aug 2019.
    5. Doron Levit & Nadya Malenko & Ernst Maug, 2024. "Trading and Shareholder Democracy," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 79(1), pages 257-304, February.
    6. Yehuda Izhakian & David Yermack & Jaime F. Zender, 2022. "Ambiguity and the Tradeoff Theory of Capital Structure," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(6), pages 4090-4111, June.
    7. Ben-Rephael, Azi & Cookson, J. Anthony & izhakian, yehuda, 2022. "Do I Really Want to Hear The News? Public Information Arrival and Investor Beliefs," SocArXiv ud7yw, Center for Open Science.
    8. Shilin Li & Jinqiang Yang & Siqi Zhao, 2022. "Robust leverage dynamics without commitment," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 74(2), pages 643-679, September.
    9. Steven D Baker & Burton Hollifield & Emilio Osambela, 2020. "Preventing Controversial Catastrophes," The Review of Asset Pricing Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 10(1), pages 1-60.
    10. Bhattacharjee, Swagata, 2022. "Dynamic contracting for innovation under ambiguity," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 534-552.
    11. Seokwoo Lee & Alejandro Rivera, 2021. "Extrapolation Bias and Robust Dynamic Liquidity Management," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(10), pages 6421-6442, October.
    12. Adams, Renée B. & Akyol, Ali C. & Verwijmeren, Patrick, 2018. "Director skill sets," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 130(3), pages 641-662.
    13. Ban, Mingyuan & Chen, Chang-Chih, 2019. "Ambiguity and capital structure adjustments," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 242-270.
    14. Tran, Hai & Turkiela, Jason, 2020. "The powers that be: Concentration of authority within the board of directors and variability in firm performance☆," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    15. Paseda, Oluseun & Olowe, Rufus, 2018. "The Debt Maturity Structure of Nigerian Quoted Firms," MPRA Paper 117061, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 30 Jun 2018.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Ambiguity; Group decisions; Dynamic consistency; Dynamic real investment; Security issuance;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • D25 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Intertemporal Firm Choice: Investment, Capacity, and Financing
    • D70 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - General

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