Seller Responsiveness to the Need to Divest

Abstract

Little theoretical attention has been given to divestiture; that is, to the question of why two firms that face similar environments make different selling decisions and reap different performance outcomes from a sale. This article proposes a framework of divestiture built around the core concept of seller responsiveness, which is defined as the readiness of the management at the selling firm to respond to the need to divest. The data show how divestiture context, management characteristics, and governance attributes influence seller responsiveness and, in turn, the price the divesting firm receives. Finally, the framework’s implications for research and practice are discussed.