This study examines the effect of family management, ownership, and control on capital structure for 523
Colombian firms between 1996 and 2006. The study finds that debt levels tend to be lower for younger
firms when the founder or one of his heirs acts as manager, but trends higher as the firm ages. When family
involvement derives from direct and indirect ownership, the family–debt relationship is positive, consistent
with the idea that external supervision accompanies higher debt levels and reduces the risk of losing control.
When families are present on the board of directors (but are not in management), debt levels tend to be
lower, suggesting that family directors are more risk-averse. The results stress the tradeoff between two distinct
motivations that determine the capital structure of family firms: risk aversion pushes firms toward
lower debt levels, but the need to finance growth without losing control makes family firms to prefer higher
debt levels.