From diversification premium to diversification discount during institutional transitions

Recent development of an institution-based theory of corporate diversification has uncovered a diversification premium in emerging economies, suggesting that some business group-affiliated companies may outperform competing firms not affiliated with business groups. Is the diversification premium found in emerging economies likely to hold over time? This article extends the institution-based theory by arguing that as institutional transitions unfold, diversification premium in emerging economies is likely to dissipate over time and eventually become a diversification discount. We empirically draw on a data set from South Korea between 1984 and 1996 involving 84 business groups and 751 group-affiliated and independent firms to substantiate this claim via a “chop shop” method. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first study that documents the longitudinal process of how a diversification premium becomes a diversification discount during institutional transitions.