Consolidating corporate control

Abstract

Dual-class recapitalizations and leveraged buyouts have similar effects on ownership of corporate voting rights but very different effects on ownership of residual claims. We predict that firms with greater growth opportunities, lower agency costs, and lower tax liability are more likely to consolidate control through dual-class recapitalizations. We find strong support for the growth hypothesis and weaker support for the other hypotheses. These results increase our understanding of the causes of change in organizational form by illustrating that the method and effects of consolidating corporate control are systematically related to firm attributes.