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Owner Identity and Firm Performance: Evidence from European Companies

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  • Marco Cucculelli

    (Universit… Politecnica delle Marche, Faculty of Economics "Giorgio Fu…")

Abstract

Empirical evidence of the distribution of firms based on owner identity for a set of European countries reveals substantial differences. Using the sensitivity of a firm's sales to demand shocks as a measure of risk-taking behavior, the paper explores if owner identity affects the willingness of the firms to take risk in order to improve their current situation (venturing risk). Consistent with a hypothesis of risk-avoidance behavior, small- and medium-sized family-owned companies appear to under-react to changes in market demand, notably when ownership is highly concentrated and growth options are significant. However, they confirm their status of good performers when pure profitability measures are used. Conversely, industrial- and nonconcentrated family-owned firms appear more prone to deal with venturing risk, especially when the intensity of the risk is large as in the case of fast-growing companies or demand changes in nondomestic markets.

Suggested Citation

  • Marco Cucculelli, 2009. "Owner Identity and Firm Performance: Evidence from European Companies," Mo.Fi.R. Working Papers 24, Money and Finance Research group (Mo.Fi.R.) - Univ. Politecnica Marche - Dept. Economic and Social Sciences.
    • Handle: RePEc:anc:wmofir:24
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    File URL: http://docs.dises.univpm.it/web/quaderni/pdfmofir/Mofir024.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Cucculelli, Marco & Marchionne, Francesco, 2012. "Market opportunities and owner identity: Are family firms different?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 18(3), pages 476-495.
    2. Claudia Pongelli & Matteo Giuliano Caroli & Marco Cucculelli, 2016. "Family business going abroad: the effect of family ownership on foreign market entry mode decisions," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 47(3), pages 787-801, October.
    3. Magda Bianco & Maria Bontempi & Roberto Golinelli & Giuseppe Parigi, 2013. "Family firms’ investments, uncertainty and opacity," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 40(4), pages 1035-1058, May.
    4. Bianco, Madga & Golinelli, Roberto & Parigi, Giuseppe, 2009. "Family firms and investments," MPRA Paper 19247, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Matteo Bugamelli & Luigi Cannari & Francesca Lotti & Silvia Magri, 2012. "The innovation gap of Italy�s production system: roots and possible solutions," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 121, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    6. Yeh, Yin-Hua & Liao, Chen-Chieh, 2021. "Are non-family successors all the same? Inside-promoted vs. outside-sourced," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    7. Matteo Bugamelli & Francesca Lotti & Monica Amici & Emanuela Ciapanna & Fabrizio Colonna & Francesco D�Amuri & Silvia Giacomelli & Andrea Linarello & Francesco Manaresi & Giuliana Palumbo & Filippo , 2018. "Productivity growth in Italy: a tale of a slow-motion change," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 422, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    8. Valentina Peruzzi, 2017. "Does family ownership structure affect investment-cash flow sensitivity? Evidence from Italian SMEs," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(43), pages 4378-4393, September.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • L25 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Performance

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