Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
960206 | Journal of Financial Economics | 2011 | 24 Pages |
Abstract
We investigate the stakeholder theory of capital structure from the perspective of a firm’s relations with its employees. We find that firms that treat their employees fairly (as measured by high employee‐friendly ratings) maintain low debt ratios. This result is robust to a variety of model specifications and endogeneity issues. The negative relation between leverage and a firm’s ability to treat employees fairly is also evident when we measure its ability by whether it is included in the Fortune magazine list, “100 Best Companies to Work For.” These results suggest that a firm’s incentive or ability to offer fair employee treatment is an important determinant of its financing policy.
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Social Sciences and Humanities
Business, Management and Accounting
Accounting
Authors
Kee-Hong Bae, Jun-Koo Kang, Jin Wang,