What Drives Overseas Acquisitions by Indian Firms? A Behavioral Risk-Taking Perspective

Overseas acquisitions as a mode of international expansion entail a high level of risk, especially for firms from emerging economies which face considerable liabilities of foreignness and newness in international markets. Building on the behavioral risk-taking perspective, we examine the role of ownership characteristics on the propensity of Indian firms to make foreign acquisitions. Empirical results from a sample of BSE 500 Indian firms during the 2002-2011 period show that after controlling for firm level resources and capabilities identified in the prior literature, international experience of firm CEOs, promoter shareholding, and ownership share of foreign institutional investors positively influence firms' acquisition propensities in foreign markets. Furthermore, our results show that the effects of these determinants on overseas acquisitions are stronger for stand-alone independent firms than for those affiliated to business groups.