Testing the Pecking Order Theory: The Importance of Methodology
Qualitative Research in Financial Markets, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 85-96, 2009
12 Pages Posted: 26 Sep 2010
Date Written: 2009
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to show that different methodologies may lead to different implications about the validity of the pecking order theory. Using data from Greek firms as a starting-point, the paper first investigates whether they follow the financing pattern implied by the pecking order theory and then illustrates that conclusions concerning the pecking order should be carefully shaped by researchers, as the methodology used can be misleading. Two different information sources are used; the first is data derived from the financial statements of the Greek firms listed in the Athens Exchange, while the second comprises the answers to a detailed questionnaire. It is shown that a negative relationship between leverage and profitability does not necessarily mean that the pecking order financing hierarchy holds. Analysis should not rely solely on the mean-oriented regression quantitative analysis to test the pecking order theory, as it refers to a distinct hierarchy. Further research should focus on investigating the reasons that underlie actual firm financing. The fact that the pecking order is actually a hierarchy makes research in this field more complex. Analysts should consider this special feature of the pecking order approach when analyzing the existence of the pecking order financing pattern. The methodology followed is of crucial importance in the analysis of the existence of the pecking order financing pattern.
Keywords: Capital structure, Research methods, Financing, Greece
JEL Classification: G3, G32
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?
Recommended Papers
-
What Do We Know About Capital Structure? Some Evidence from International Data
By Raghuram G. Rajan and Luigi Zingales
-
The Theory and Practice of Corporate Finance: Evidence from the Field
By John R. Graham and Campbell R. Harvey
-
The Theory and Practice of Corporate Finance: The Data
By John R. Graham and Campbell R. Harvey
-
Market Timing and Capital Structure
By Malcolm P. Baker and Jeffrey Wurgler
-
Market Timing and Capital Structure
By Malcolm P. Baker and Jeffrey Wurgler
-
Testing Tradeoff and Pecking Order Predictions About Dividends and Debt
By Eugene F. Fama and Kenneth R. French
-
Testing Static Trade-Off Against Pecking Order Models of Capital Structure
-
Optimal Capital Structure Under Corporate and Personal Taxation
By Harry Deangelo and Ronald W. Masulis