An Empirical Analysis of the Financing Behavior of Listed Construction Firms in Korea Stock Market - focused on Testing Two Capital Structure Theories -

The purpose of this study is identifying the relationship among the business strategy, order receiving capability and leverage variables of a construction company using industry characteristic variables, in addition to the explanation variables used in the previous studies. The samples of this study were limited to the construction companies listed in Korean stock market. This study built multiple regression analysis models, which have been frequently used in traditional previous studies, in the explanation of company capital structure. Empirical analysis on Static Trade-off Theory and Pecking Order Theory was done by the built model. The study results suggested that the capital structure determination behavior of a construction company generally follows Static Trade-off Theory; however, profitability was found to follow Pecking Order Theory. The explanation variables used in the previous capital structure studies mostly produced significant results; however, the variables, which this study experimentally used, did not produce significant results. It is believed that it implies that additional studies are required in the selection of variables and study methodology. Consequently, a case that unconditionally supports a particular theory is scarce. It has been also found that a case can support both theories at the same time. Therefore, it is believed that development study methodology or introduction of new study methodology that can identify the dynamic characteristic of construction company capital structure formation is required.