Published Online:July 2025
Product Name:The IUP Journal of Accounting Research & Audit Practices
Product Type:Article
Product Code:IJARAP010725
DOI:10.71329/IUPJARAP/2025.24.3.8-43
Author Name:Malaya Prakash Behera and Ajay Kumar Mishra
Availability:YES
Subject/Domain:Finance
Download Format:PDF
Pages:8-13
The paper examines how firms’ access to finance influences the share pledging behavior of controlling shareholders, using panel data from Indian listed firms between 2009 and 2023. Drawing on resource dependence, agency, and signaling theories, the paper assesses whether limited financial access—measured through debt heterogeneity and financial constraint indices such as the Kaplan-Zingales (KZ) and Whited-Wu (WW) indices—drives promoters to pledge shares as an alternative liquidity source. The analysis shows that financially constrained firms are significantly more likely to engage in share pledging, highlighting its role as a liquidity-enhancing mechanism under limited financing conditions. The paper further explores how this relationship varies across ownership structures. The findings reveal that group firms, compared to stand-alone firms, show a stronger positive association between financial constraints and pledging activity, indicating a calculated use of pledged shares to manage liquidity needs. Additionally, it is found that foreign institutional investors (FIIs) moderate this relationship. Overall, the findings suggest that share pledging is not merely a response to financial distress but a strategic financing decision shaped by firm structure, ownership context, and investor presence.
Access to finance is vital for a firm’s operations and strategic development. It empowers businesses to invest in new projects, innovate, hire talent, and compete effectively. However, numerous firms, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), encounter significant obstacles in accessing sufficient funding.