Performance effects of sell-offs and the role of sell-off experience

Abstract

Divestitures are complex events undertaken for various motives and structured in multiple ways. This paper analyzes the long-term effects of sell-offs and sell-off experience on firm performance considering divestiture programs (divestitures using multiple sell-offs, having strategic intent and divestitures explicitly linked to a strategic reorientation). Our analysis reveals a positive effect of sell-offs structured as a divestiture program. However, the results suggest that in the context of such programs, potential learning transfers are outweighed by a negative performance associated with years of restructuring or inherent to firms undergoing a program. This paper contributes to the knowledge on performance effects of divestiture experience and provides evidence of the importance of programs.