Uma análise da tomada de risco em firmas familiares

Abstract

The present work analyses the relationship between family firms and risk-taking. It seeks to contribute to the growing literature on family firms by reviewing the literature on the characteristics that distinguish them from non-family firms, aiming to innovate by approaching a less-used construct for this type of firm: risk-taking. The literature on both constructs is reviewed, using theoretical and empirical works to develop the research hypothesis: family firms are more averse to risk-taking than non-family firms. This hypothesis is tested empirically through econometrics procedures in a sample with 1188 observations. A sample with relevant particularities is used, consisting in the firms listed in the Brazilian stock market, which is one of the biggest markets in the world with shareholder concentration. Two testes are performed to test if the average of the variables behave differently between family and non-family firms: T and Mann-Whitney. After verifying that there is a statistical difference between the two types of firm, it is tested the hypothesis using a Ordinary Least Squares test. For robustness, random effects tests with panel data are performed. In all regressions the presence of family firms negatively affect risk-taking. Thus, it can be concluded that family firms seem to be less prone to risk-taking than non-family firms