John Becker-Blease

People and Faculty

John Becker-Blease

Overview

Publications

Academic Journal

Finance

“The Effects of Executive, Firm, and Board Characteristics on Executive Exit”

We estimate a hazard model of the probability of top corporate executives exiting their firms over the period 1996–2010. Our main findings are that: (1) female executives have greater likelihoods of exit than males, (2) the likelihood of exit increases with the independence of the board and decreases with the fraction of the board that is female and the average age of board members, and (3) a higher percentage of independent directors on the board lowers the probability of exit more for females than for males. Further, controlling for exit risk reduces the well-documented compensation differential between men and women.

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Academic Journal

Finance

“New venture legitimacy: the conditions for angel investors”

Favorable legitimacy judgments by potential resource providers are critical for the survival and growth of new ventures. We examine which aspects of a venture’s activities, structures, and outcomes, as conveyed by its narrative, are associated with legitimacy judgments by potential angel investors in a sample of 176 new venture proposals. We find that entrepreneurial ventures with quality top management teams, advisors, and developed products are viewed more favorably by angel investors and likely have better access to these investors. This research provides new insights into the establishment of legitimacy within the economically important angel capital market.

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Book

Finance

“Stakeholder-Focused Corporate Investment”

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Academic Journal

Finance

“Governance and Innovation”

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Academic Journal

Finance

“The Effect of Gender Diversity on Angel Group Investment”

We examine the impact that gender diversity has on angel group investment behavior for a sample of 183 group-years between 2000 and 2006. Our evidence suggests that gender diversity is a significant predictor of group investment behavior, and that the proportion of women angels in the group has a negative though nonlinear effect on investment likelihood. These data are most consistent with a situational interpretation that women invest differently when they are in the small minority compared with other situations. These results have important implications for the availability of funds for women entrepreneurs and call for greater participation of women investors in the angel marketplace.

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Academic Journal

Finance

“The Impact of Gender on Voluntary and Involuntary Executive Departure”

We examine the frequency and conditions of executive departure from S&P 1500 firms. Based upon published news reports, we find that female executives are more likely than male executives to depart their positions voluntarily and involuntarily in the presence of controls for firm performance, firm governance, and human capital. We also find that women are less likely than men to depart voluntarily as firm size increases or board size decreases but more likely to be dismissed as the board becomes more male dominated

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Academic Journal

Finance

“Does Inclusion in a Smaller S&P Index Create Value?”

This study finds overall increases in equity value surrounding addition to the S&P SmallCap and MidCap indexes from 1996 to 2003 and investigates sources of the value gains. Following addition, there are significant increases in proxy variables for stock liquidity and investor recognition, and changes in these variables are impounded into the permanent component of announcement share price revisions. We also find that changes in capital investment intensity are increasing in changes in stock liquidity, consistent with a reduction in the cost of capital following index addition.

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Academic Journal

Finance

“Employees, Firm Size, and Profitability in U.S. Manufacturing Industries”

This study examines the relation between firm size and profitability within 109 SIC four-digit manufacturing industries. Depending on our measure of profitability, we find that profitability increases at a decreasing rate and eventually declines in up to 47 of our industries. No relation between profitability and size is found in up to 52 of our industries. These two categories account for 97 of our 109 industries. Profitability continues to increase as firms become larger in up to 11 industries. Hence, the relation between size and profitability is industry specific. But, regardless of the shape of the size profitability function, we find that profitability is negatively correlated with the number of employees for firms of a given size measured in terms of total assets and sales.

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