Essays on corporate ownership and human capital

This thesis consists of three chapters and studies the firm's organizational structure at a different stage of its life cycle: early-stage, growth, business group. The first chapter investigates the underlying reasons for the gender funding gap in the venture capital industry. It highlights a significant role for investors' stereotypes that ultimately impedes minority-founded startups' growth. The second chapter identifies conditions under which firms choose to grow by buying an incumbent company as opposed to building on their pre-existing human capital resources. The third chapter focuses on large business groups. It provides evidence that investors are not always aware of the boundaries of the firm and miss predictive information released at another level of the group.