studies showed that institutional ownership has a significant impact on performance
for both casinos and restaurants. They also showed that institutional investors tend to
invest in better performing, larger, and more profitable firms with low financial
leverage. Furthermore, they argued that institutional investors and creditors could
substitute for each other in their monitoring roles with respect to management in
corporate governance.
Kim et al. (2007) found that the profit margin in restaurant firms depends on the
level of ownership percentage and management type. Profit margin decreases as the
level of primary ownership of the owner-manager decreases; however, it is higher for
owner- than outside-manager firms. Profit margin is lower for owner-managed firms
when the primary ownership percentage is under 50 percent. Skalpe (2003) argued that
accommodation providers and restaurant keepers have aims other than maximizing
returns, such as social prestige. Owners-managers’ personal values influence their
strategies and ultimately their firms’ performance.
The ownership structure of a firm is a complicated issue. The level of various
ownership types might affect corporate governance and the involvement of owners in
firm management. This could influence a firm’s strategic direction and its long-term
bottom line. Of particular interest is institutional shareholding in the casino industry
due to its strict regulation of significant shareholdings and the potential influence on
corporate governance. Ownership-related issues such as block holdings, family
holdings, and stock options could be interesting research topics in this field. Another
market worth investigating is China. A number of state-owned enterprises in China
underwent privatization through share reform since the late 1990s, and there are now
more types of ownership in Chinese corporations than in their Western counterparts.
Despite their privatized status, these corporations are still significantly influenced by
the state. Future studies could investigate the interplay of privatized enterprises with
the state and the implications for firm performance and corporate governance.
2.4 Capital structure
From a financial perspective, capital structure is one of the most important
determinants of a firm’s sustainable growth (Madan, 2007) because it relates to the cost
of capital or the required rate of return for the firm. Chathoth and Olsen (2007b) showed
that capital structure, along with environment risk and corporate strategy, helps
explain a significant amount of the variance in firms’ performance. Facing high
financial risks and volatile operating environments, it is important for lodging firms to
determine the composition of their capital structure and the factors affecting leverage
decisions and debt ratios (Karadeniz et al., 2009). A disadvantage of high financial
leverage is the higher borrowing cost associated with debt facilities and the resulting
default risk. If a firm’s profits are low, the high risk of default pushes up the lending
rate higher while increasing the interest costs (Madan, 2007). Madan (2007) also argued
that firms with low share capital but high reserves and debt should either use their
accumulated profits or issue fresh capital when contemplating expansion. The latter
approach should help control their gearing ratio and reduce investors’ perception of
risk, which could help improve ROE.
In comparing the determinants of capital structure between US software and
lodging firms, Tang and Jang (2007) showed that lodging firms’ leverage behavior did
not significantly respond to earning volatility, firm size, free cash flow, or profitability