The signaling of CEO human capital in foreign-listed initial public offerings

Purpose – Foreign initial public offerings (IPOs) typically face capital market liability of foreignness (CMLOF) caused by factors such as institutional distance. Firms must overcome CMLOF by utilizing their resources, such as chief executive officer (CEO) human capital, to compete successfully in the global marketplace. Using signaling and human capital theories, this study examines how institutional distance and CEO human capital impact foreign IPO performance. Design/methodology/approach – We analyzed 318 foreign IPO firms from 43 different countries listed on ten stock exchanges using pooled hierarchical OLS regression. Findings – We found that the CEO’s general international experience, foreign education, and international experience in the host country are negatively related to IPO performance. Also, host country-specific experience was more negatively related to IPO performance than general international experience. The CEO’s functional background moderated the relationship between a CEO's international experience and IPO performance. Originality/value – The study contributes to the top management team and IPO research by demonstrating that previous findings on the role of CEO human capital on firm outcomes cannot be generalized to the foreign IPO context. The intriguing results raise critical questions regarding a CEO’s impact on foreign IPO performance, underscoring the need for further research.