Strategic and financial factors in business failure, bankruptcy and reorganization
Moulton, Wilbur Norton
This item is only available for download by members of the University of Illinois community. Students, faculty, and staff at the U of I may log in with your NetID and password to view the item. If you are trying to access an Illinois-restricted dissertation or thesis, you can request a copy through your library's Inter-Library Loan office or purchase a copy directly from ProQuest.
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/20429
Description
Title
Strategic and financial factors in business failure, bankruptcy and reorganization
Author(s)
Moulton, Wilbur Norton
Issue Date
1989
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Thomas, Howard
Department of Study
Business Administration
Discipline
Business Administration
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Business Administration, Management
Economics, Finance
Language
eng
Abstract
This is a study of financial and strategic factors relating to the failure and bankruptcy of 73 firms that went bankrupt from 1980 to 1986. The characteristics of the bankrupt firms were compared with those of a matching sample of nonbankrupt firms. On average the bankrupt firms were weaker than the comparison firms six years before bankruptcy, but they pursued more aggressive growth strategies. The firms were approximately equally divided between four groups based on firm sales growth or decline and industry growth or decline. The typical decline pattern observed was asset and debt growth followed by decline in profitability. Some firms declined slowly over the entire study period and others collapsed rapidly following a short expansionary period. Of the 73 bankrupt firms, 40 firms were reorganized, but only 12 emerged from bankruptcy at least half their prebankruptcy size. The only significant predictor of successful reorganization was prebankruptcy size. In the course of the study bankruptcy prediction models and statistical classification techniques were extensively reviewed. The Altman bankruptcy model was tested and recalibrated. A new model using only two of the Altman variables, retained earnings as a fraction of total assets and the market value of equity to total liabilities ratio, proved to be an equally powerful predictor of bankruptcy. Theoretical and practical applications of the results are discussed.
Use this login method if you
don't
have an
@illinois.edu
email address.
(Oops, I do have one)
IDEALS migrated to a new platform on June 23, 2022. If you created
your account prior to this date, you will have to reset your password
using the forgot-password link below.
