Dr Jialong Li

How does the socioemotional wealth (SEW) of a family firm affect its deal valuation in acquisition? Using a sample of 515 completed transactions of S&P 500 firms over the period 2003¿2016, we examine a number of contexts and find that SEW creates differential valuations of targets by family firms vis-à-vis non-family firms. Particularly from an internationalization perspective, acquisitions may be an ideal option for family firms because foreign acquisitions may be loosely coupled from the core firm. Post-hoc analyses on the heterogeneity in family governance reveal that founder and descendant board chairs may have different perceptions of SEW.

Small and medium-sized enterprises play important roles in modern business society but face difficulties in debt financing. The literature suggests that family involvement and external auditing can help small firms mitigate agency problems that impede access to loans. Our research examines how family involvement influences the effects of the cost of debt on different external auditing choices and how sending credible signals helps resolve the agency conflict between lenders and borrowers in small business financing. We find that when external auditing is used, family involvement does not significantly reduce the cost of debt for small firms. However, when external auditing is not used, family involvement has a significantly positive influence.

This study applies fsQCA to examine the effectiveness of government subsidies on the performance of high-tech start-ups under different configurations. We find that 1) selective subsidies can help ventures maintain high-performance regardless of the legal environment in which start-ups operate; and 2) start-ups with non-selective subsidies do not necessarily have high-performance if they operate in regions with weak legal protection and face strong market competition. We contribute to the literature by emphasizing that the effectiveness of government subsidies relies on the interplay of firm attributes and legal environment. Our findings also have practical implications for government support of sustainable entrepreneurs.