Skip to main content

Corporate Diversification: The Costs and Benefits of Synergy

  • Chapter
  • 1154 Accesses

Part of the book series: Finance and Capital Markets Series ((FCMS))

Abstract

In this chapter I take up the question of why some firms pursue diversifycation strategies that are value-decreasing while others engage in strategies that are value-increasing. Two basic diversification strategies are contrasted: the first is a focused strategy in which each firm is run as a stand-alone firm; and the second is a diversified strategy in which two firms are merged and become different divisions of the same firm. The main goal is to understand why some value-decreasing mergers occur, and why some value-increasing mergers do not take place.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Aghion, P. and Tirole, J. (1997) “Formal and Real Authority in Organization”, Journal of Political Economy, 105 (11): 1–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amihud, Y. and Baruch, Lev, (1981) “Risk Reduction as a Managerial Motive for Conglomerate Mergers”, Bell Journal of Economics, 12: 605–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, R. C., Bates, T. W., Bizjak, J. M. and Lemmon, M. L. (1998) “Corporate Governance and Firm Diversification” (August 23, 1998). Available at SSRN:http://ssrn.com/abstract=121013orDOI:10.2139/ssrn.121013 (http://www.ssrn.com)

    Google Scholar 

  • Argyres, N. S. (1995) “Technology Strategy, Governance Structure and Interdivisional Coordination”, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 28: 337–358.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berger, P. G. and Ofek, E. (1995) “Diversification Effect on Firm Value”, Journal of Financial Economics, 37 (1): 39–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berger, P. G. and Ofek, E. (1999) “Causes and Effects of Corporate Refocusing Programs”, Review of Financial Studies 12 (2): 311–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burkart, M., Gromb, D. and Panunzi, F. (1997) “Large Shareholders, Monitoring and the Value of the Firm”, Quarterly Journal of Economics, August: 693–728.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campa, J. M. and Kedia, S. “Is There a Diversification Discount”, (1994) Journal of Finance

    Google Scholar 

  • Chevalier, J. (2000) “What Do We Know About Cross–Subsidization: Evidence from the Investment Policies of Merging Firms”, GSB working paper, University of Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Comment, R. and Jarrel, G. (1995) “Corporate Focus and Stock Return”, Journal of Financial Economics, 37 (1): 67–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Copeland, T. E. and F. J. Weston (1988) Financial Theory and Corporate Policy, 3rd edn ( New York: Addison–Wesley).

    Google Scholar 

  • Dennis, D. J., D. K. Denis and A. Sarin (1997) “Agency Problems, Equity Ownership, and Corporate Diversification”, Journal of Finance, 52(1), March: 135–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fulghieri, P. and Hodrick, L. S. (2002) “Synergies and Internal Agency Conflicts: The Double–edged Sword of Mergers”, Working paper, Columbia University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Graham, John R., Michael Lemmon and Jack Wolf (2002) “Does Corporate Diversification Destroy Value?”, Journal of Finance, 57: 695–720.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hart, O. and Holmstrom, B. (2002) “Vision and Firm Scope”, Working paper, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hubbard, R. G. and Palia, D. (1999) “A Reexamination of the Conglomerate Merger Wave in the 1960s: An Internal Capital Market View”, Journal of Finance, 54 (1): 1131–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hyland, D. C. (1997) “Why Firms Diversify: An Empirical Examination”, unpublished doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hyland, D. (1999) “Why Do Firms Diversify? An Empirical Examination”, Working paper, University of Texas, Arlington.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jensen, M. C. (1986) “Agency Cost of Free Cash Flow, Corporate Finance, and Takeovers”, American Economic Review, 76(2), May: 328–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jensen, M. C. and Meckling, W. H. (1976) “Theory of the Firm: Managerial Behavior,Agency Costs and Ownership Structure”, Journal of Financial Economics, 3 (4): 305–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jensen, M. C. and Murphy, K. J. (1990) “Performance Pay and Top Management Incentives”,Journal of Political Economy 98(2): 225–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • John, K. and Ofek, E. (1995) “Asset Sales and Increase in Focus”, Journal of Financial Economics, 37 (1): 105–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan, S. N. and Weisbach, M. S. (1992) “The Success of Acquisitions: Evidence from Divestitures”, Journal of Finance, 47 (1): 107–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lamont, O. and Polk, V. (2001) “The Diversification Discount: Cash Flows vs. Returns”, Journal of Finance, 52: 83–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lamont, O. and Polk, V. (2002) “Does Diversification Destroy Value? Evidence from Industry Shocks”, Journal of Financial Economics, January: 51–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lang, L. and Stulz, R. M. (1994) “Tobin s q, Corporate Diversification, and Firm Performance”, Journal of Political Economy, 102 (6): 1248–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, John D. and Akin Sayrak (2003) “Corporate Diversification and Shareholder Value”, Journal of Corporate Finance, 9: 37–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matsusaka, J. G. (1993) “Takeover Motives during the Conglomerate Merger Wave”, Rand Journal of Economics, 24 (3), pp. 357–79.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matsusaka, J. G. (2001) “Corporate Diversification, Value Maximization and Organizational Capabilities”, Journal of Business, 74 (3): 409–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matsusaka, J. G. and Nanda, V. (1999) “Internal Capital Markets and Corporate Refocusing” Working paper, University of Southern California.

    Google Scholar 

  • May, D. O. (1995) “Do Managerial Motives Influence Firm Risk Reduction Strategies”, Journal of Finance, 50: 1291–308.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, M., Milgrom, P. and Roberts, J. (1992) “Organizational Prospects, Influence Costs and Ownership Changes”, Journal of Management Strategy, 1: 9–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morck, R., Shleifer, A. and Vishny, R. (1990) “Do Managerial Objectives Drive Bad Acquisitions?”, Journal of Finance, 45: 31–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Palia, D. (1999) “Corporate Governance and the Diversification Discount: Evidence from Panel Data” Unpublished manuscript, University of Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Panzar, J. C. and Willig, R. D. (1979), “Economies of Scale and the Profitability of Marginal–Cost Pricing: Reply”, Quarterly Journal of Economics, 93 (4): 743–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Panzar, John C. and Willig, Robert D. (1981) “Economies of Scope”, American Economic Review, 71, 268–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Penrose, Edith T. (1959) The Theory of the Growth of the Firm ( New York: Wiley).

    Google Scholar 

  • Prahalad, C. K., and Hamel, G. (1990) “The Core Competence of the Corporation”, Harvard Business Review, May–June,: 79–93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rajan, R., Servaes, H. and Zingales, L. (2000) “The Cost of Diversity: The Diversification Discount and Inefficient Investment”, Journal of Finance, 55: 35–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rotemberg, J. and Saloner, G. (1995) “Benefits of Narrow Business Strategy”, American Economic Review, 84(2), May: 1330–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rumelt, Richard P. (1974) “Strategy, Structure, and Economic Performance”, Division of Research, Harvard Business School, Boston, Mass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scharfstein, D. S. and Stein, J. C. (2000) “The Dark Side of Internal Capital Markets: Divisional Rent Seeking and Inefficient Investment”, Journal of Finance, 55: 2537–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Servaes, H. (1996) “The Value of Diversification During the Conglomerate Merger Wave”, Journal of Finance, 51: 1201–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shleifer, A. and Vishny, R. (1989) “Managerial Entrenchment: The Case of Manager–Specific Investments”, Journal of Financial Economics, 25: 123–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stein, J. C. (1997) “Internal Capital Markets and the Competition for Corporate Resources”, Journal of Finance, 52: 111–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stulz, R. M. (1990) “Managerial Discretion and Optimal Financing Policies”, Journal of Financial Economics, 26: 3–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teece, David J. (1980) “Economies of Scope and the Scope of the Enterprise”, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 1: 223–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teece, David J. (1982) “Toward an Economic Theory of the Multiproduct Firm”, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 3: 39–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Villalonga, B. (2003) “Research Roundtable Dicussion: The Diversification Discount”, Mimeo, Harvard Business School.

    Google Scholar 

  • Villalonga, Belén (2004) “Diversification discount or premium? New evidence from BITS Establishment–level Data”, Journal of Finance, 59 (2): 475–502.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wernerfelt, B. and Montgomery, C. A. (1988) “Tobin s q and the Importance of Focus in Firm Performance”, American Economic Review, 78(2), May: 246–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whited, T. (2001) “Is It Inefficient Investment That Causes the Diversification Discount?”, Journal of Finance, 56: (5) 1667–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williamson, O. E. (1975) Markets and Hierarchies: Analysis and Antitrust Implications ( New York: Free Press).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Copyright information

© 2007 Felipe Balmaceda

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Balmaceda, F. (2007). Corporate Diversification: The Costs and Benefits of Synergy. In: Gregoriou, G.N., Neuhauser, K.L. (eds) Mergers and Acquisitions. Finance and Capital Markets Series. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230589681_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics