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Relationship-Specific Investments and Firms' Boundaries: Evidence from Textual Analysis of Patents

Author

Listed:
  • Bena, Jan

    (U of British Columbia)

  • Erel, Isil

    (Ohio State U and ECGI)

  • Wang, Daisy

    (Ohio State U)

  • Weisbach, Michael S.

    (Ohio State U and ECGI)

Abstract

The hold-up problem can impair firms' abilities to make relationship-specific investments through contracts. Ownership changes can mitigate this problem. To evaluate changes in the specificity of human capital investments, we perform textual analyses of patents filed by lead inventors from both acquirer and target firms before and after acquisitions. Inventors whose human capital is highly complementary with the patent portfolios of their acquisition partners are more likely to stay with the combined firm post-deal and subsequently make their investments more specific to the partner's assets. As ownership of another firm results in increasingly specific investments to that firm's assets, contracting issues related to relationship-specific investments is likely a motive for acquisitions.

Suggested Citation

  • Bena, Jan & Erel, Isil & Wang, Daisy & Weisbach, Michael S., 2023. "Relationship-Specific Investments and Firms' Boundaries: Evidence from Textual Analysis of Patents," Working Paper Series 2023-27, Ohio State University, Charles A. Dice Center for Research in Financial Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecl:ohidic:2023-27
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • L14 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Transactional Relationships; Contracts and Reputation
    • L22 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Organization and Market Structure

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