We examine the relation between labor union strength and investment efficiency using comprehensive firm-level data of Korean listed companies. We find that the perceived underinvestment related to unionization documented in previous studies is attributable to a negative relation between union...

A long-standing earnings management hypothesis suggests that deflationary earnings management in a unionized setting should lead to concessions from the union during contract negotiations. However, little evidence exists to support this hypothesis. I assess the strategy of missing mean consensus...

This paper surveys economic models where cooperation arises in the workplace because individuals' utility functions involve a concern for others (altruism) or a desire to respond to like with like (reciprocity). It also discusses empirical evidence which bears on the relevance of these theories....

Pure wage rent, defined as labor pricing that chronically exceeds market-opportunity cost, is an outcome of rational employer-employee interaction in information-challenged workplaces. It is an essential concept, integral to the analysis of important economic phenomena, consistent with available...

Prior economic research is very critical about family CEOs and family management. Nepotism, altruism, lower managerial abilities, and a small pool of qualified family candidates are cited as reasons that speak against family management. Still, the empirical reality is different. A surprisingly...

The longevity that characterizes many family businesses is explained, to a large extent, by the continuous effort that is made within them to ensure their own governance over the years. To this end, it is important that the structures and regulations developed in the various decision-making...

We hear much about the “democratic ideal” as if it were unreachable within the walls of the organization. Of late, apologists have begun suggesting that there is no need to worry; democracy exists; it’s just that it is often hidden from view right within the requisite hierarchical...

This paper investigates the relationship between cross ownership, sales delegation and loan commitment. We find that under sales delegation, a higher degree of cross ownership decreases the optimal bank loan interest rate, which is beneficial to the firm profits. However, cross ownership reduces...

The article analyses inter-dependencies between dividend, capital structure, and cost of capital, factoring the ownership structure of listed firms in India, using 3SLS system approach. The study finds that family firms are dominant with concentrated ownership. Dividend, leverage, and average...

The benefits of family ownership and control of firms are at the center of the family firm debate. Previous studies have used either family ownership or management as proxies for control. Both indicators are off the mark, as they do not measure "decision control" as intended by the theory of the...