Pub Date : 2025-11-17DOI: 10.1016/j.jcae.2025.100525
Daeun Lee
Using data on undisclosed SEC investigations, this study distinguishes between the SEC’s decision to select investigative targets (investigation decision) and its decision to pursue enforcement actions against those firms (enforcement decision). Then, it investigates how corporate lobbying relates to the different stages of the SEC enforcement process. First, this study finds that firms habitually engaged in lobbying activities are more likely to be investigated by the SEC. The association is pronounced for firms that lobby directly with the SEC. However, firms that increase lobbying expenditures, especially toward SEC-relevant committees in Congress, during an ongoing investigation are less likely to face enforcement actions. Further analysis suggests that the SEC is more likely to open investigations against lobbying firms during periods of resource constraints. Overall, the findings have implications for understanding resource allocation and regulatory dynamics within SEC enforcement.
{"title":"SEC enforcement and corporate lobbying","authors":"Daeun Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.jcae.2025.100525","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcae.2025.100525","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Using data on undisclosed SEC investigations, this study distinguishes between the SEC’s decision to select investigative targets (<em>investigation decision</em>) and its decision to pursue enforcement actions against those firms (<em>enforcement decision</em>). Then, it investigates how corporate lobbying relates to the different stages of the SEC enforcement process. First, this study finds that firms habitually engaged in lobbying activities are more likely to be investigated by the SEC. The association is pronounced for firms that lobby directly with the SEC. However, firms that increase lobbying expenditures, especially toward SEC-relevant committees in Congress, during an ongoing investigation are less likely to face enforcement actions. Further analysis suggests that the SEC is more likely to open investigations against lobbying firms during periods of resource constraints. Overall, the findings have implications for understanding resource allocation and regulatory dynamics within SEC enforcement.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":46693,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Contemporary Accounting & Economics","volume":"22 1","pages":"Article 100525"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145624489","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-08DOI: 10.1016/j.jcae.2025.100516
Ethan Xin Liu , Chenxi Du
CEO narcissism, as a prevalent trait among top leaders, has witnessed burgeoning scholarly attention. However, the CEO narcissism research is dominated by the Upper Echelons Theory and calls on other novel theoretical perspectives. In addition, the association between CEO narcissism and companies’ debt maturity selection remains unexplored. To address the research gaps, this study draws upon the Upper-Echelon Theory and the Status Pursuit in Narcissism (SPIN) model deriving from personality psychology to explore the predictive impact of CEO narcissism on corporate debt maturity and examine the moderating effect of interlocking directors and directors with financial experience on the relationship. The study leverages text analysis to measure narcissism of CEOs in the non-financial listed companies in China, spanning from 2015 to 2022. Regression results demonstrate that CEO narcissism is negatively associated with corporate debt maturity. In addition, the relationship is reinforced by the presence of interlocking directors and directors with financial experience within the board. The study not only introduces the SPIN model to enrich the theoretical lens of CEO narcissism research but also sheds light on the nuanced dynamics of CEO narcissism and its interplay with board governance. In addition, the study provides managerial implications for companies to bolster board governance and counterbalance the potential risk-taking behavior of narcissistic CEOs, thereby ensuring financial stability and risk mitigation.
{"title":"How do narcissistic CEOs decide their firms’ debt maturity? An analysis based on the SPIN model","authors":"Ethan Xin Liu , Chenxi Du","doi":"10.1016/j.jcae.2025.100516","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcae.2025.100516","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>CEO narcissism, as a prevalent trait among top leaders, has witnessed burgeoning scholarly attention. However, the CEO narcissism research is dominated by the Upper Echelons Theory and calls on other novel theoretical perspectives. In addition, the association between CEO narcissism and companies’ debt maturity selection remains unexplored. To address the research gaps, this study draws upon the Upper-Echelon Theory and the Status Pursuit in Narcissism (SPIN) model deriving from personality psychology to explore the predictive impact of CEO narcissism on corporate debt maturity and examine the moderating effect of interlocking directors and directors with financial experience on the relationship. The study leverages text analysis to measure narcissism of CEOs in the non-financial listed companies in China, spanning from 2015 to 2022. Regression results demonstrate that CEO narcissism is negatively associated with corporate debt maturity. In addition, the relationship is reinforced by the presence of interlocking directors and directors with financial experience within the board. The study not only introduces the SPIN model to enrich the theoretical lens of CEO narcissism research but also sheds light on the nuanced dynamics of CEO narcissism and its interplay with board governance. In addition, the study provides managerial implications for companies to bolster board governance and counterbalance the potential risk-taking behavior of narcissistic CEOs, thereby ensuring financial stability and risk mitigation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":46693,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Contemporary Accounting & Economics","volume":"22 1","pages":"Article 100516"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145527918","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-06DOI: 10.1016/j.jcae.2025.100514
Fang Wang , Yichen Jiang , Zhe Li
We identify a significant correlation between the Chinese calendar (Huangli) during analyst site visits and subsequent earnings forecasts by analysts. After controlling for individual and firm characteristics, when site visits occur on “not suitable for visit” in Huangli, analysts’ forecast optimism exhibits a significant decrease. We further investigate the varying severity of “not suitable for visit” during these visits, finding that “strictly forbidden by Huangli” has a more pronounced effect on analysts’ pessimism than “moderately forbidden by Huangli.” This suggests a cultural influence. Additionally, we consider the forecast horizon to better understand the underlying mechanism. Huangli has a greater impact on analysts when there is a long interval between the forecast date and the actual earnings announcement day, or when religious culture in the analysts’ hometown is prominent, indicating a magnifying effect on forecasting bias. Finally, analysts’ skill may mitigate this bias.
{"title":"Visiting in the wrong time: Huangli and analysts’ bias","authors":"Fang Wang , Yichen Jiang , Zhe Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jcae.2025.100514","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcae.2025.100514","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We identify a significant correlation between the Chinese calendar (Huangli) during analyst site visits and subsequent earnings forecasts by analysts. After controlling for individual and firm characteristics, when site visits occur on “not suitable for visit” in Huangli, analysts’ forecast optimism exhibits a significant decrease. We further investigate the varying severity of “not suitable for visit” during these visits, finding that “strictly forbidden by Huangli” has a more pronounced effect on analysts’ pessimism than “moderately forbidden by Huangli.” This suggests a cultural influence. Additionally, we consider the forecast horizon to better understand the underlying mechanism. Huangli has a greater impact on analysts when there is a long interval between the forecast date and the actual earnings announcement day, or when religious culture in the analysts’ hometown is prominent, indicating a magnifying effect on forecasting bias. Finally, analysts’ skill may mitigate this bias.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":46693,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Contemporary Accounting & Economics","volume":"22 1","pages":"Article 100514"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145493016","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
We examine a critical aspect of economic policy uncertainty (EPU) that has been largely overlooked – the diversity of uncertainty (or EPU diversity). Firms experience greater diversity of uncertainty when faced with multiple areas of uncertainty simultaneously, whereas a concentration of uncertainty in few areas results in lower EPU diversity. Dealing with multiple distinct areas of uncertainty is inherently more complex and riskier. Supporting this notion, our extensive analysis based on nearly 300,000 observations reveals that firms exercise greater caution and significantly reduce corporate investments and R&D intensity when confronting multiple sources of EPU. Notably, the impact of EPU diversity on corporate investments persists even after accounting for the overall level of EPU, indicating its separate and distinct significance. Importantly, we find that the negative effect of EPU diversity on corporate investments is significantly alleviated in firms with a greater presence of independent and female directors, implying that the reduction in investments that can be attributed to EPU diversity is at least partially motivated by agency conflicts.
{"title":"EPU diversity, corporate investments, and corporate governance","authors":"Sirimon Treepongkaruna , Pornsit Jiraporn , Khine Kyaw","doi":"10.1016/j.jcae.2025.100515","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcae.2025.100515","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We examine a critical aspect of economic policy uncertainty (EPU) that has been largely overlooked – the diversity of uncertainty (or EPU diversity). Firms experience greater diversity of uncertainty when faced with multiple areas of uncertainty simultaneously, whereas a concentration of uncertainty in few areas results in lower EPU diversity. Dealing with multiple distinct areas of uncertainty is inherently more complex and riskier. Supporting this notion, our extensive analysis based on nearly 300,000 observations reveals that firms exercise greater caution and significantly reduce corporate investments and R&D intensity when confronting multiple sources of EPU. Notably, the impact of EPU diversity on corporate investments persists even after accounting for the overall level of EPU, indicating its separate and distinct significance. Importantly, we find that the negative effect of EPU diversity on corporate investments is significantly alleviated in firms with a greater presence of independent and female directors, implying that the reduction in investments that can be attributed to EPU diversity is at least partially motivated by agency conflicts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":46693,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Contemporary Accounting & Economics","volume":"21 3","pages":"Article 100515"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145465712","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-24DOI: 10.1016/j.jcae.2025.100513
Peng Liang , Qihang Zhao , Lin Liang
Digital mergers and acquisitions (M&A), characterized by efficiency, have become a crucial strategic approach for enterprises seeking to enhance digital competitiveness. This paper investigates the relationship between digital M&A and technological innovation among China’s A-share listed companies from 2010 to 2020. We find that, through the “talent synergy effect” and “knowledge synergy effect”, digital M&A can bolster corporate technological innovation. Further research finds that digital M&A significantly improves firms’ innovation efficiency, innovation quality, and digital technology innovation. The heterogeneity analysis reveals that the positive impact of digital M&A on technological innovation is more pronounced among firms with lower M&A premiums, traditional manufacturing firms, asset-intensive firms, non-digital firms, those with lower levels of digital investment, firms operating in highly competitive markets, and those located in eastern regions. This study enriches the literature on M&A and technological innovation, offering valuable insights for accelerating corporate digital transformation, optimizing resource allocation, and enhancing firms’ innovation capabilities.
{"title":"Digital mergers and acquisitions and corporate technological innovation: An analysis of innovation scale, efficiency and quality","authors":"Peng Liang , Qihang Zhao , Lin Liang","doi":"10.1016/j.jcae.2025.100513","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcae.2025.100513","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Digital mergers and acquisitions (M&A), characterized by efficiency, have become a crucial strategic approach for enterprises seeking to enhance digital competitiveness. This paper investigates the relationship between digital M&A and technological innovation among China’s A-share listed companies from 2010 to 2020. We find that, through the “talent synergy effect” and “knowledge synergy effect”, digital M&A can bolster corporate technological innovation. Further research finds that digital M&A significantly improves firms’ innovation efficiency, innovation quality, and digital technology innovation. The heterogeneity analysis reveals that the positive impact of digital M&A on technological innovation is more pronounced among firms with lower M&A premiums, traditional manufacturing firms, asset-intensive firms, non-digital firms, those with lower levels of digital investment, firms operating in highly competitive markets, and those located in eastern regions. This study enriches the literature on M&A and technological innovation, offering valuable insights for accelerating corporate digital transformation, optimizing resource allocation, and enhancing firms’ innovation capabilities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":46693,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Contemporary Accounting & Economics","volume":"21 3","pages":"Article 100513"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145415154","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-12DOI: 10.1016/j.jcae.2025.100512
Stephanie J. Rasmussen , Suye Wang
A firm’s top in-house legal executive acts as a trusted advisor to top management and the board of directors, and the top legal executive role has become more prominent in recent years due to heightened regulatory focus on business compliance. In this study, we develop a measure of the top legal executive’s influence in the acquiring firm and examine whether top legal executive influence is associated with merger and acquisition (M&A) outcomes. We find that top legal executive influence is associated with shorter public process length (merger announcement to deal resolution), higher likelihood of deal completion, and lower likelihood of acquirer-protective contract terms. These associations exist after controlling for potential endogeneity of top legal executive influence. Cross-sectional tests also provide some evidence that the top legal executive emphasizes a monitoring role in M&A deals involving high uncertainty and when independence concerns should be more prevalent.
{"title":"Acquirers’ top legal executives and merger and acquisition outcomes","authors":"Stephanie J. Rasmussen , Suye Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.jcae.2025.100512","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcae.2025.100512","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A firm’s top in-house legal executive acts as a trusted advisor to top management and the board of directors, and the top legal executive role has become more prominent in recent years due to heightened regulatory focus on business compliance. In this study, we develop a measure of the top legal executive’s influence in the acquiring firm and examine whether top legal executive influence is associated with merger and acquisition (M&A) outcomes. We find that top legal executive influence is associated with shorter public process length (merger announcement to deal resolution), higher likelihood of deal completion, and lower likelihood of acquirer-protective contract terms. These associations exist after controlling for potential endogeneity of top legal executive influence. Cross-sectional tests also provide some evidence that the top legal executive emphasizes a monitoring role in M&A deals involving high uncertainty and when independence concerns should be more prevalent.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":46693,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Contemporary Accounting & Economics","volume":"21 3","pages":"Article 100512"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145319781","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-05DOI: 10.1016/j.jcae.2025.100510
Neerav Nagar , Avinash Arya
The rising pay inequality between CEO and rank and file employees has attracted considerable attention from the public, activists, regulators, and academic researchers. Using a large sample of 1,581 Indian firms during 2017–2023 period, we find that pay inequality leads to better future performance as measured by the ROA, providing prima facie support for tournaments and talent assignment. However, an analysis of drivers of ROA using extended DuPont decomposition reveals that the source of ROA improvement is better profit margins (PM) and asset utilization (ATO). Further decomposition of ATO reveals that pay inequality leads to a significant decrease in labor productivity consistent with inequity aversion. The decline in productivity is more pronounced in poorly governed firms facing low competition. On the other hand, labor intensity increases significantly and is the sole driver of gains in asset utilization. In other words, at least a portion of the gains observed in ROA can be ascribed to the act of hiring more employees.
{"title":"Pay inequality and firm performance","authors":"Neerav Nagar , Avinash Arya","doi":"10.1016/j.jcae.2025.100510","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcae.2025.100510","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rising pay inequality between CEO and rank and file employees has attracted considerable attention from the public, activists, regulators, and academic researchers. Using a large sample of 1,581 Indian firms during 2017–2023 period, we find that pay inequality leads to better future performance as measured by the ROA, providing prima facie support for tournaments and talent assignment. However, an analysis of drivers of ROA using extended DuPont decomposition reveals that the source of ROA improvement is better profit margins (PM) and asset utilization (ATO). Further decomposition of ATO reveals that pay inequality leads to a significant decrease in labor productivity consistent with inequity aversion. The decline in productivity is more pronounced in poorly governed firms facing low competition. On the other hand, labor intensity increases significantly and is the sole driver of gains in asset utilization. In other words, at least a portion of the gains observed in ROA can be ascribed to the act of hiring more employees.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":46693,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Contemporary Accounting & Economics","volume":"21 3","pages":"Article 100510"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145264873","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-04DOI: 10.1016/j.jcae.2025.100511
Tuba Toksoz , Sebahattin Demirkan Seb , Irem Demirkan , Birendra K. Mishra Barry
This study explores the relationship between CEO overconfidence and firm performance across different stages of the firm life cycle. Previous research has shown that an overconfident CEO’s personality can influence key decisions related to investments, financial reporting, and broader corporate policies. A firm’s evolution is shaped by shifts in both internal factors, such as investment and managerial choices, and external factors like industry trends and economic conditions. The existing literature suggests that the various stages of a firm’s life cycle significantly affect decision-making processes and profitability. Our findings indicate that firms led by overconfident CEOs exhibit varying performance outcomes and abnormal returns depending on the firm’s life cycle stage. Notably, firms tend to outperform and achieve positive future performance (abnormal stock market returns) during the growth mature and shakeout (growth and mature) stages. However, they experience weaker accounting performance during the decline stage. In addition, cross-sectional tests reveal that, in the decline stage, firms with a better information environment do not experience the negative impact of CEO overconfidence on future accounting performance.
{"title":"CEO overconfidence across the firm lifecycle: effects on accounting outcomes and stock market reactions","authors":"Tuba Toksoz , Sebahattin Demirkan Seb , Irem Demirkan , Birendra K. Mishra Barry","doi":"10.1016/j.jcae.2025.100511","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcae.2025.100511","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study explores the relationship between CEO overconfidence and firm performance across different stages of the firm life cycle. Previous research has shown that an overconfident CEO’s personality can influence key decisions related to investments, financial reporting, and broader corporate policies. A firm’s evolution is shaped by shifts in both internal factors, such as investment and managerial choices, and external factors like industry trends and economic conditions. The existing literature suggests that the various stages of a firm’s life cycle significantly affect decision-making processes and profitability. Our findings indicate that firms led by overconfident CEOs exhibit varying performance outcomes and abnormal returns depending on the firm’s life cycle stage. Notably, firms tend to outperform and achieve positive future performance (abnormal stock market returns) during the growth mature and shakeout (growth and mature) stages. However, they experience weaker accounting performance during the decline stage. In addition, cross-sectional tests reveal that, in the decline stage, firms with a better information environment do not experience the negative impact of CEO overconfidence on future accounting performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":46693,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Contemporary Accounting & Economics","volume":"21 3","pages":"Article 100511"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145264874","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-26DOI: 10.1016/j.jcae.2025.100509
Suvra Roy, Ben R. Marshall, Hung T. Nguyen, Nuttawat Visaltanachoti
We show that firm systematic risk increases following stock price crashes. This occurs in both low- and high-beta companies and is robust to alternate proxies of systematic risk. Crashed firms face difficulty raising capital or obtaining loans, exacerbating default risk. Our results indicate that the increased systematic risk is due to increased default risk. There is no evidence to support information asymmetry as a channel for higher beta following crashes. We show that the increase in systematic risk results in higher costs for equity financing.
{"title":"Stock price crashes and systematic risk","authors":"Suvra Roy, Ben R. Marshall, Hung T. Nguyen, Nuttawat Visaltanachoti","doi":"10.1016/j.jcae.2025.100509","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcae.2025.100509","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We show that firm systematic risk increases following stock price crashes. This occurs in both low- and high-beta companies and is robust to alternate proxies of systematic risk. Crashed firms face difficulty raising capital or obtaining loans, exacerbating default risk. Our results indicate that the increased systematic risk is due to increased default risk. There is no evidence to support information asymmetry as a channel for higher beta following crashes. We show that the increase in systematic risk results in higher costs for equity financing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":46693,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Contemporary Accounting & Economics","volume":"21 3","pages":"Article 100509"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145219390","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-25DOI: 10.1016/j.jcae.2025.100508
Omer Unsal
This study explores how CEOs with medical degrees (M.D.) impact mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the U.S. pharmaceutical industry. We discover that doctor CEOs tend to engage in fewer M&A deals, but when they do, these transactions show better outcomes. Investors respond positively to mergers led by M.D. CEOs, signaling confidence in their decisions. Similarly, target firms led by doctor CEOs experience positive market reactions, lasting up to 20 %. Rather than engaging in frequent mergers, doctor CEOs form a greater number of strategic alliances, expand their businesses, and produce more medical innovation. Overall, this study sheds light on the distinctive strategies employed by doctor CEOs in the pharmaceutical industry, providing valuable insights for ever-changing landscape of healthcare business.
{"title":"From stethoscopes to boardrooms: CEOs’ medical degree and merger performance","authors":"Omer Unsal","doi":"10.1016/j.jcae.2025.100508","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jcae.2025.100508","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study explores how CEOs with medical degrees (M.D.) impact mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the U.S. pharmaceutical industry. We discover that doctor CEOs tend to engage in fewer M&A deals, but when they do, these transactions show better outcomes. Investors respond positively to mergers led by M.D. CEOs, signaling confidence in their decisions. Similarly, target firms led by doctor CEOs experience positive market reactions, lasting up to 20 %. Rather than engaging in frequent mergers, doctor CEOs form a greater number of strategic alliances, expand their businesses, and produce more medical innovation. Overall, this study sheds light on the distinctive strategies employed by doctor CEOs in the pharmaceutical industry, providing valuable insights for ever-changing landscape of healthcare business.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":46693,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Contemporary Accounting & Economics","volume":"21 3","pages":"Article 100508"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145219389","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}