IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/rvmgts/v18y2024i7d10.1007_s11846-024-00737-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The economic incentive for risk taking in professional partnerships

Author

Listed:
  • L. Peter Jennergren

    (Stockholm School of Economics)

Abstract

Professional service firms are common in some areas, in particular auditing and law. They are organized as partnerships, private corporations, or public corporations. This paper discusses the first category of these three. When a partner leaves the partnership, her/his shares are redeemed. Two alternatives for redemption are at book value, the traditional alternative, or at fair market value. By means of a novel discounted dividends model that includes risk taking, it is shown that there may be an economic incentive for risk taking when the redemption value is equal to book value. There may also be an incentive for risk taking when the redemption value is equal to fair market value. However, the level of risk taking in the latter alternative is not higher than the level of risk taking in the former alternative. Switching from book value to fair market value as redemption value is hence suggested as one way to reduce client propensity for litigation. This paper’s incentive for risk taking in a professional partnership has apparently not been noted in the literature.

Suggested Citation

  • L. Peter Jennergren, 2024. "The economic incentive for risk taking in professional partnerships," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 18(7), pages 2141-2161, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:rvmgts:v:18:y:2024:i:7:d:10.1007_s11846-024-00737-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s11846-024-00737-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11846-024-00737-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11846-024-00737-1?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. Fama, Eugene F & Jensen, Michael C, 1983. "Agency Problems and Residual Claims," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 26(2), pages 327-349, June.
    2. Ray Ball, 2009. "Market and Political/Regulatory Perspectives on the Recent Accounting Scandals," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(2), pages 277-323, May.
    3. Kenth Skogsvik & Stina Skogsvik & Henrik Andersson, 2023. "Bankruptcy Risk in Discounted Cash Flow Equity Valuation," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-18, November.
    4. Theodore Eisenberg & Jonathan R. Macey, 2004. "Was Arthur Andersen Different? An Empirical Examination of Major Accounting Firm Audits of Large Clients," Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 1(2), pages 263-300, July.
    5. Jensen, Michael C & Meckling, William H, 1979. "Rights and Production Functions: An Application to Labor-managed Firms and Codetermination," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 52(4), pages 469-506, October.
    6. Royston Greenwood & Stan X. Li & Rajshree Prakash & David L. Deephouse, 2005. "Reputation, Diversification, and Organizational Explanations of Performance in Professional Service Firms," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 16(6), pages 661-673, December.
    7. Hansmann, Henry, 1988. "Ownership of the Firm," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 4(2), pages 267-304, Fall.
    8. Furubotn, Eirik G, 1976. "The Long-Run Analysis of the Labor-Managed Firm: An Alternative Interpretation," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 66(1), pages 104-123, March.
    9. Matias Bronnenmayer & Bernd Wirtz & Vincent Göttel, 2016. "Success factors of management consulting," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 10(1), pages 1-34, January.
    10. Alan D. Morrison & William J. Wilhelm Jr, 2004. "Partnership Firms, Reputation, and Human Capital," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(5), pages 1682-1692, December.
    11. Spronk, Jaap & Hallerbach, Winfried, 1997. "Financial modelling: Where to go? With an illustration for portfolio management," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 99(1), pages 113-125, May.
    12. Jennergren, L. Peter, 2008. "Continuing value in firm valuation by the discounted cash flow model," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 185(3), pages 1548-1563, 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. Vontalge, Alan L., 1991. "A feasibility study of swine producer management cooperatives," ISU General Staff Papers 1991010108000018168, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    2. Gaetano Cuomo, 2015. "Imprese cooperative e democrazia economica," STUDI ECONOMICI, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2015(116), pages 5-38.
    3. Gregory K. DOW, 2018. "The Theory Of The Labor-Managed Firm: Past, Present, And Future," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 89(1), pages 65-86, March.
    4. repec:bla:annpce:v:89:y:2018:i:1:p:65-86 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Dow,Gregory K., 2019. "The Labor-Managed Firm," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107589650, September.
    6. Thomsen, Steen & Pedersen, Torben, 1998. "Industry and ownership structure," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 385-402, December.
    7. Fabrice Roth, 2000. "Gouvernement des entreprises et stratégie du dirigeant:une étude clinique dans le secteur de l'assurance," Working Papers CREGO 1000701, Université de Bourgogne - CREGO EA7317 Centre de recherches en gestion des organisations.
    8. Guidi, Marco G.D. & Hillier, Joe & Tarbert, Heather, 2010. "Successfully reshaping the ownership relationship by reducing ‘moral debt’ and justly distributing residual claims: The cases from Scott Bader Commonwealth and the John Lewis Partnership," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 21(4), pages 318-328.
    9. Tortia, Ermanno C., 2017. "The firm as a common. The case of the accumulation and use of capital resources in co-operative enterprises," MPRA Paper 76735, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Yi Si & Chongwu Xia, 2023. "The Effect of Human Capital on Stock Price Crash Risk," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 187(3), pages 589-609, October.
    11. Guillermo Alves & Gabriel Burdin & Paula Carrasco & Andrés Dean & Andrés Rius, 2012. "Empleo, remuneraciones e inversión en cooperativas de trabajadores y empresas convencionales: nueva evidencia para Uruguay," Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) 12-14, Instituto de Economía - IECON.
    12. Diamandescu Andrei & Grigore Maria Zenovia, 2009. "From Contractual Approach Of Firm To Theories Of Knowledge," Annals of Faculty of Economics, University of Oradea, Faculty of Economics, vol. 2(1), pages 295-301, May.
    13. Viral V. Acharya & Stewart C. Myers & Raghuram G. Rajan, 2011. "The Internal Governance of Firms," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 66(3), pages 689-720, June.
    14. Jarmila Curtiss & Laure Latruffe & Thomas Medonos & Tomas Ratinger, 2007. "Investment activity and ownership structure of Czech corporate farms," Post-Print hal-02416848, HAL.
    15. Gregory Dow, 2001. "Allocating Control over Firms: Stock Markets versus Membership Markets," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 18(2), pages 201-218, March.
    16. Thomsen, Steen & Rose, Caspar, 2002. "Foundation ownership and financial performance. Do companies need owners?," Working Papers 2002-3, Copenhagen Business School, Department of Finance.
    17. Julia HÖHLER & Rainer KÜHL, 2018. "Dimensions Of Member Heterogeneity In Cooperatives And Their Impact On Organization – A Literature Review," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 89(4), pages 697-712, December.
    18. Ginglinger, Edith & Megginson, William & Waxin, Timothée, 2011. "Employee ownership, board representation, and corporate financial policies," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 868-887, September.
    19. Weiß, Christian, 2010. "The Ownership Concentration of Firms: Three Essays on the Determinants and Effects," EconStor Theses, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, number 30247, September.
    20. Tortia, Ermanno, 2005. "The accumulation of Capital in Labour-Managed Firms: Divisible Reserves and Bonds," AICCON Working Papers 23-2005, Associazione Italiana per la Cultura della Cooperazione e del Non Profit.
    21. Richard E. Caves & Bruce C. Petersen, 1986. "Cooperatives' shares in farm industries: Organizational and policy factors," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 2(1), pages 1-19.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Professional partnership; Horizon; Redemption value; Discounted dividends; Incentive for risk taking;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting
    • G31 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Capital Budgeting; Fixed Investment and Inventory Studies
    • G33 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Bankruptcy; Liquidation
    • C63 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Computational Techniques

    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:spr:rvmgts:v:18:y:2024:i:7:d:10.1007_s11846-024-00737-1. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    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.