An Empirical Study of the Impact of CEO Characteristics on New Firms' Time to IPO
Document Type
Article
Publisher
Wiley Blackwell
Publication Source
Journal of Small Business Management
Abstract
An initial public offering (IPO) is one of the most critical events in the life of a firm. As the IPO market continues to attract attention from both entrepreneurs and investors, research examining the relationship between the firm's characteristics and its IPO performance is growing. In this paper, we use the upper echelon perspective to empirically examine the relationship between the firm's chief executive officer (CEO) and the firm's time to IPO, a relationship that has so far received little attention. Using data obtained from 237 IPOs in the U.S. software industry, we found that the CEO's prior executive experience, network, and age are significantly related to the new firm's time to IPO. This study extends the understanding of the important role of the CEO in the IPO and provides investors greater insight into those variables that influence the speed with which firms go public.
Comments
Published by Wiley-Blackwell in the Journal of Small Business Management, volume 49 issue 2, 2011. Bryant users may access this article here.