Summary: | 碩士 === 國立成功大學 === 國際企業研究所碩博士班 === 101 === The primary objective in this study is to examine the impact of religion on bidder returns. By using a sample of M&A announcements of public companies in America from January 1980 to December 2010, I find a consistent result that firms headquartered in areas with greater religious adherence are more likely to gain better returns upon M&A announcements. In addition, for cash rich firms, firms headquartered in area with greater religious adherence are more likely to gain better returns upon M&A announcement. Furthermore, if the target firms headquartered in areas with greater religious adherence, the acquiring firms are more likely to gain better returns upon M&A announcement. More importantly, this study also indicates that religious social norms act as an alternative monitoring mechanism over corporate M&A decision making and firms’ financial reporting quality. Thus, the problems of agency cost and the risk of overpayment for shareholders and managers of acquiring firms could be reduced.
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