The influence of religion on the determinants of capital structure: the case of Saudi Arabia

Purpose: This study aims to investigate whether a religious environment affects a firm capital structure. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use data from Saudi Arabia with a highly Islamic religious environment. The authors use an extreme bounds analysis (EBA), which provides a reliable analysis of the determinants of capital structure and aids the process of selecting explanatory variables when there is model uncertainty. Findings: The authors find that firms in such an Islamic environment are relatively less leveraged compared to firms in a non-Islamic environment. The authors also find that firms located in an Islamic environment have different determinants of capital structure than firms located in a non-Islamic environment. Specifically, the Islamic society creates decision makers who are more risk averse, thus leading to a preference for corporate financing using internal funds. Practical implications: The results imply a potential challenge for growth-seeking firms located in religious Islamic societies. Originality/value: This study is one of the first to examine the determinants of corporate capital structure in Saudi Arabia using EBA.