Effect of liability of foreignness and family ownership on cross-listing location choice

Abstract

Firms incur liability of foreignness (LOF) when they expand their businesses to foreign countries. This study examines the applicability of LOF in the context of financing in a foreign capital market. Using an alternative-specific conditional logit model, we investigate the cross-listing decisions of firms from 28 countries that select among eight target destinations from 1994 to 2008. These firms target capital markets with lower LOF, which is measured by institutional, economic, geographic, and cultural distance. Such preference is particularly stronger for firms with higher levels of family ownership, suggesting family owners’ tendency to be averse to risk is also manifested in financing context.