IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/riibaf/v70y2024ipas0275531924001430.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Is the military CEO aggressive or conservative? Differences in legal and cultural factors around the world

Author

Listed:
  • Yeoh, Siew-Boey
  • Hooy, Chee-Wooi

Abstract

We address the puzzle of why military CEOs do not uniformly undertake riskier corporate policies to enhance the competitive advantage of firms. We argue that understanding the military CEOs’ risk taking behaviour is incomplete without accounting for institutional setting across countries. Grounding on institutional theory, we test the moderating role of formal and informal institutions by using a sample of 90 countries around the world. We find that military imprint influences military CEOs to undertake riskier corporate policies. We further find that countries with higher quality of formal institutions and individualistic culture strengthen risk taking propensity, while eastern religion countries weaken the risky behaviour. Findings of this paper yields implication for firms and policymakers seeking to encourage risk taking behaviour for enhancement of competitive advantage.

Suggested Citation

  • Yeoh, Siew-Boey & Hooy, Chee-Wooi, 2024. "Is the military CEO aggressive or conservative? Differences in legal and cultural factors around the world," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(PA).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:riibaf:v:70:y:2024:i:pa:s0275531924001430
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ribaf.2024.102350
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0275531924001430
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ribaf.2024.102350?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hartwell, Christopher A. & Malinowska, Anna P., 2019. "Informal institutions and firm valuation," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 1-1.
    2. Bradley, Frank & Gao, Yuhui & Sousa, Carlos M.P., 2013. "A natural science approach to investigate cross-cultural managerial creativity," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(5), pages 839-855.
    3. Stulz, Rene M. & Williamson, Rohan, 2003. "Culture, openness, and finance," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(3), pages 313-349, December.
    4. Arthur T. Denzau & Douglass C. North, 1994. "Shared Mental Models: Ideologies and Institutions," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(1), pages 3-31, February.
    5. Kanagaretnam, Kiridaran & Lobo, Gerald J. & Wang, Chong & Whalen, Dennis J., 2015. "Religiosity and risk-taking in international banking," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 7(C), pages 42-59.
    6. Mara Faccio & Maria-Teresa Marchica & Roberto Mura, 2011. "Large Shareholder Diversification and Corporate Risk-Taking," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 24(11), pages 3601-3641.
    7. Pathan, Shams & Faff, Robert, 2013. "Does board structure in banks really affect their performance?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 1573-1589.
    8. Mihir Desai & Paul Gompers & Josh Lerner, 2003. "Institutions, Capital Constraints and Entrepreneurial Firm Dynamics: Evidence from Europe," NBER Working Papers 10165, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Joan Marques, 2012. "Consciousness at Work: A Review of Some Important Values, Discussed from a Buddhist Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 105(1), pages 27-40, January.
    10. Christopher A. Hartwell, 2021. "Identity and the Evolution of Institutions: Evidence from Partition and Interwar Poland," Forum for Social Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(1), pages 61-82, January.
    11. Hilary, Gilles & Hui, Kai Wai, 2009. "Does religion matter in corporate decision making in America?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(3), pages 455-473, September.
    12. Graham, John R. & Harvey, Campbell R. & Puri, Manju, 2013. "Managerial attitudes and corporate actions," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(1), pages 103-121.
    13. Wolfgang Breuer & Michael Riesener & Astrid Juliane Salzmann, 2014. "Risk aversion vs. individualism: what drives risk taking in household finance?," The European Journal of Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(5), pages 446-462, May.
    14. Faccio, Mara & Marchica, Maria-Teresa & Mura, Roberto, 2016. "CEO gender, corporate risk-taking, and the efficiency of capital allocation," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 193-209.
    15. Desislava Dikova & Padma Rao Sahib & Arjen van Witteloostuijn, 2010. "Cross-border acquisition abandonment and completion: The effect of institutional differences and organizational learning in the international business service industry, 1981–2001," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 41(2), pages 223-245, February.
    16. Illiashenko, Pavlo & Laidroo, Laivi, 2020. "National culture and bank risk-taking: Contradictory case of individualism," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    17. Frye, Timothy, 2004. "Credible Commitment and Property Rights: Evidence from Russia," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 98(3), pages 453-466, August.
    18. Guo, Shujuan & Zan, Botao & Sun, Yuan & Zhang, Meili, 2020. "Effects of top managers’ military experience on technological innovation in the transition economies of China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    19. Sarela Enriquez-Perales & Conrado Diego García-Gómez & José María Díez-Esteban & Edmundo R. Lizarzaburu Bolaños, 2023. "Formal institutions, ICSID arbitration and firm performance: evidence from Latin America," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 13(2), pages 429-464, June.
    20. Boubakri, Narjess & Cosset, Jean-Claude & Saffar, Walid, 2013. "The role of state and foreign owners in corporate risk-taking: Evidence from privatization," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 108(3), pages 641-658.
    21. Yuan, Rongli & Wen, Wen, 2018. "Managerial foreign experience and corporate innovation," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 752-770.
    22. Levine, Ross & Renelt, David, 1992. "A Sensitivity Analysis of Cross-Country Growth Regressions," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 82(4), pages 942-963, September.
    23. Grogan, Louise & Moers, Luc, 2001. "Growth empirics with institutional measures for transition countries," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 25(4), pages 323-344, December.
    24. Lang, Larry & Ofek, Eli & Stulz, Rene M., 1996. "Leverage, investment, and firm growth," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 3-29, January.
    25. Li, Kai & Griffin, Dale & Yue, Heng & Zhao, Longkai, 2013. "How does culture influence corporate risk-taking?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 1-22.
    26. Khan, Majid & Lockhart, James & Bathurst, Ralph, 2021. "The institutional analysis of CSR: Learnings from an emerging country," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(C).
    27. repec:bla:etrans:v:10:y:2002-11:i:3:p:586-617 is not listed on IDEAS
    28. Voigt, Stefan, 2018. "How to measure informal institutions," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 14(1), pages 1-22, February.
    29. Shane, Scott, 1993. "Cultural influences on national rates of innovation," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 8(1), pages 59-73, January.
    30. Cain, Matthew D. & McKeon, Stephen B., 2016. "CEO Personal Risk-Taking and Corporate Policies," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 51(1), pages 139-164, February.
    31. Berggren, Niclas & Bergh, Andreas & Bjørnskov, Christian, 2012. "The growth effects of institutional instability," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 8(2), pages 187-224, June.
    32. Paolo Mauro, 1995. "Corruption and Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 110(3), pages 681-712.
    33. Estrin, Saul & Korosteleva, Julia & Mickiewicz, Tomasz, 2013. "Which institutions encourage entrepreneurial growth aspirations?," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 28(4), pages 564-580.
    34. La Porta, Rafael & Lopez-de-Silanes, Florencio & Shleifer, Andrei & Vishny, Robert, 2000. "Investor protection and corporate governance," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(1-2), pages 3-27.
    35. Gabriel Perez‐Quiros & Allan Timmermann, 2000. "Firm Size and Cyclical Variations in Stock Returns," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 55(3), pages 1229-1262, June.
    36. Stephen Knack & Philip Keefer, 1997. "Does Social Capital Have an Economic Payoff? A Cross-Country Investigation," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 112(4), pages 1251-1288.
    37. Cronqvist, Henrik & Makhija, Anil K. & Yonker, Scott E., 2012. "Behavioral consistency in corporate finance: CEO personal and corporate leverage," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(1), pages 20-40.
    38. Axelrod, Robert, 1986. "An Evolutionary Approach to Norms," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 80(4), pages 1095-1111, December.
    39. Christopher Marquis & Yanhua Bird, 2018. "The Paradox of Responsive Authoritarianism: How Civic Activism Spurs Environmental Penalties in China," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 29(5), pages 948-968, October.
    40. Zhongju Liao & Jincai Dong & Chen Weng & Chen Shen, 2019. "CEOs' religious beliefs and the environmental innovation of private enterprises: The moderating role of political ties," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(4), pages 972-980, July.
    41. Steven Globerman & Daniel Shapiro, 2003. "Governance infrastructure and US foreign direct investment," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 34(1), pages 19-39, January.
    42. Garretsen, Harry & Lensink, Robert & Sterken, Elmer, 2004. "Growth, financial development, societal norms and legal institutions," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 14(2), pages 165-183, April.
    43. Li, Xiaoyang & Low, Angie & Makhija, Anil K., 2017. "Career concerns and the busy life of the young CEO," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 88-109.
    44. Witold Jerzy Henisz, 2004. "Political Institutions and Policy Volatility," Economics and Politics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(1), pages 1-27, March.
    45. Limei Cheng & Takyi Kwabena Nsiah & Kailun Sun & Ziyue Zhuang, 2020. "Institutional environment, technical executive power and agricultural enterprise innovation performance," Cogent Business & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(1), pages 1743619-174, January.
    46. David B. Audretsch & Werner Boente & Jagannadha Pawan Tamvada, 2007. "Religion and Entrepreneurship," Jena Economics Research Papers 2007-075, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
    47. Ferris, Stephen P. & Javakhadze, David & Rajkovic, Tijana, 2017. "CEO social capital, risk-taking and corporate policies," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 46-71.
    48. Alvaro Cuervo-Cazurra & Mehmet Genc, 2008. "Transforming disadvantages into advantages: developing-country MNEs in the least developed countries," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 39(6), pages 957-979, September.
    49. Serfling, Matthew A., 2014. "CEO age and the riskiness of corporate policies," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 251-273.
    50. Lin, Lin & Nguyen, Nhut Hoang & Young, Martin & Zou, Liping, 2021. "Military executives and corporate outcomes: Evidence from China," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    51. Gary H. Jefferson & Thomas G. Rawski, 2002. "China's emerging market for property rights: Theoretical and empirical perspectives1," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 10(3), pages 585-617, November.
    52. Lu, Jun & Wang, Wei, 2018. "Managerial conservatism, board independence and corporate innovation," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 1-16.
    53. Aggarwal, Raj & Goodell, John W., 2014. "National cultural dimensions in finance and accounting scholarship: An important gap in the literatures?," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 1(C), pages 1-12.
    54. Hutton, Irena & Jiang, Danling & Kumar, Alok, 2014. "Corporate Policies of Republican Managers," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 49(5-6), pages 1279-1310, December.
    55. Xingqiang Du & Wei Jian & Quan Zeng & Yingjie Du, 2014. "Corporate Environmental Responsibility in Polluting Industries: Does Religion Matter?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 124(3), pages 485-507, October.
    56. Hall, Thomas W., 2012. "The collateral channel: Evidence on leverage and asset tangibility," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 18(3), pages 570-583.
    57. Kevin Zheng Zhou & Laura Poppo, 2010. "Exchange hazards, relational reliability, and contracts in China: The contingent role of legal enforceability," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 41(5), pages 861-881, June.
    58. Robert N. Eberhart & Charles E. Eesley, 2018. "The dark side of institutional intermediaries: Junior stock exchanges and entrepreneurship," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(10), pages 2643-2665, October.
    59. Claudia R. Williamson & Carrie B. Kerekes, 2011. "Securing Private Property: Formal versus Informal Institutions," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 54(3), pages 537-572.
    60. Jiang, Fuxiu & Jiang, Zhan & Kim, Kenneth A. & Zhang, Min, 2015. "Family-firm risk-taking: Does religion matter?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 260-278.
    61. Gaganis, Chrysovalantis & Hasan, Iftekhar & Papadimitri, Panagiota & Tasiou, Menelaos, 2019. "National culture and risk-taking: Evidence from the insurance industry," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 104-116.
    62. Andy C W Chui & Alison E Lloyd & Chuck C Y Kwok, 2002. "The Determination of Capital Structure: Is National Culture a Missing Piece to the Puzzle?," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 33(1), pages 99-127, March.
    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. Ooi, Chai-Aun & Hooy, Chee-Wooi, 2022. "Muslim CEOs, risk-taking and firm performance," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    2. Sarela Enriquez-Perales & Conrado Diego García-Gómez & José María Díez-Esteban & Edmundo R. Lizarzaburu Bolaños, 2023. "Formal institutions, ICSID arbitration and firm performance: evidence from Latin America," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 13(2), pages 429-464, June.
    3. Jiang, Jiaoliang & Chen, Yulin, 2021. "How does labor protection influence corporate risk-taking? Evidence from China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    4. Guo, Lan & Su, Zhong-qin & Xiao, Zuoping & Fung, Hung-Gay, 2024. "Alcohol culture and corporate risk-taking," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(PB).
    5. Panta, Humnath, 2020. "Does social capital influence corporate risk-taking?," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 26(C).
    6. Çolak, Gönül & Korkeamäki, Timo, 2021. "CEO mobility and corporate policy risk," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    7. Cao, Yue & Dong, Yizhe & Ma, Diandian & Sun, Li, 2021. "Customer concentration and corporate risk-taking," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    8. Dowling, Michael & Vanwalleghem, Dieter, 2018. "Gulf Cooperation Council cross-border M&A: Institutional determinants of target nation selection," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 471-489.
    9. Stephen P. Ferris & David Javakhadze & Tijana Rajkovic, 2019. "An international analysis of CEO social capital and corporate risk‐taking," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 25(1), pages 3-37, January.
    10. Fu, Fanjie & Fang, Jing & Zhang, Fan & Yao, Shujie & Ou, Jinghua, 2024. "CEOs' hometown connections and corporate risk-taking: Evidence from China," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    11. Sun, Zixiong & Anderson, Hamish & Chi, Jing, 2023. "Managerial foreign experience and corporate risk-taking: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    12. Chang, Jeffery (Jinfan) & Meng, Qingbin & Ni, Xiaoran, 2022. "A tale of riskiness: The real effects of share pledging on the Chinese stock market," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    13. Sah, Nilesh B., 2021. "Cash is Queen: Female CEOs’ propensity to hoard cash," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 29(C).
    14. Illiashenko, Pavlo & Laidroo, Laivi, 2020. "National culture and bank risk-taking: Contradictory case of individualism," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    15. Ashraf, Badar Nadeem & Zheng, Changjun & Arshad, Sidra, 2016. "Effects of national culture on bank risk-taking behavior," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 309-326.
    16. Pascal Gantenbein & Axel Kind & Christophe Volonté, 2019. "Individualism and Venture Capital: A Cross-Country Study," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 59(5), pages 741-777, October.
    17. Ahmed, Mohamed Shaker & Kumar, Satish, 2023. "Are MBA CEOs really more risk-averse?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    18. Ting, Hsiu-I & Wang, Ming-Chun & Yang, J. Jimmy & Tuan, Kai-Wen, 2021. "Technical expert CEOs and corporate innovation," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    19. Trabert, Sebastian, 2023. "Do younger CEOs really increase firm risk? Evidence from sudden CEO deaths," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    20. McGuinness, Paul B., 2021. "Board member age, stock seasoning and the evolution of capital structure in Chinese firms," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(3).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Managerial risk taking; Military CEO; Institutional quality; National culture; Religion;
    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

    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:eee:riibaf:v:70:y:2024:i:pa:s0275531924001430. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ribaf .

    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.