Date of Award
1-1-2021
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D. in Business Administration
First Advisor
Charles Clay Dibrell
Second Advisor
Richard Gentry
Third Advisor
Paul Johnson
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
Family firms are not only the most prevalent form of business organization in the world, accounting for roughly 75% of all organizations (La Porta, Lopez-de-Silanes, & Shleifer, 1999; Miller, Steier, & Le Breton-Miller, 2003), they also represent “heterogeneous and complex enterprises” that offer a “challenging array of issues to study” (Sharma, Chrisman, & Gersick, 2012, p. 5). Accordingly, this series of essays explores diversification strategies in family firms by investigating the family specific factors which may influence strategic decision-making. I begin with a review of the diversification literature over the last 20 years. Next, using data from S&P 1500 firms, Essays 2 and 3 are quantitative studies that focus on firm performance following acquisitions as well as ownership exit routes for family owners. Specifically, in Essay 2, I focus on acquisition deals and investigate situations in which two governance forms (family and non-family) interact within a single transaction. Lastly, in Essay 3, I investigate the factors that may influence family business owners’ exit choice between an outright sale or a gradual exit from the business.
Recommended Citation
Sherlock, Chelsea, "Three Essays Exploring Diversification Strategies in Family Firms: Evidence from the S&P 1500 on Acquisitions and Exits." (2021). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2056.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/2056