3. What theories are able to explain 
companies’ decisions regarding capital structure 
in the LQ45 index during the post-crisis period 
(2010–2015)? 
2   LITERATURE REVIEW 
2.1   Pecking Order Theory 
Pecking order theory is one of theories relating to 
capital structure. It was proposed by Myers and 
Majluf (1984, as cited in Husnan, 2000, p. 324) and 
explains why a company determines a particular 
source of funding order to fund corporate activities. 
Pecking order theory states that companies prefer to 
use internal funding, and if companies need external 
funding to fulfil their operational activities, then 
they will use the lowest risk form of borrowing 
(Husnan, 2000, p. 324). 
This theory relies on two factors: information 
asymmetry and adverse asymmetry selection cost 
(Myers & Majluf, 1984). Information asymmetry is 
where those internal to a company are considered 
more informed about the company’s situation than 
external parties who have an interest in the 
company’s activities (e.g. investors). Adverse 
selection cost relates to the consequences arising 
from information asymmetry between management 
and investors, where investors assume that managers 
are likely to publish shares if they are confident that 
the stock price is overvalued. Therefore, investors 
often interpret the announcement of the issuance of 
shares as a negative signal, i.e. bad news about the 
company’s prospects, thus resulting in a declining 
share price. 
On the other hand, investors assume that debt 
issuance reflects the managers’ belief that the future 
prospects of the company are very good and that the 
market (as stated in the stock price) is not entirely 
appreciative of the actual value of the company. In 
this sense, the issuance of debt provides a positive 
signal that the manager believes the stock price is 
undervalued. 
This problem can be solved by the company 
through using securities that have the lowest adverse 
selection risk. Retained earnings is the best choice 
for management to avoid such problems because the 
use of internal funds does not incur costs or require 
information to investors (Ross, Westerfield & Jaffe, 
2010, p. 539). This theory can explain why firms 
with a high level of profitability will have low debt 
levels. In addition, pecking order theory is able to 
explain the interrelation between the selection of 
sources of funding and the market response in 
relation to the issuance of securities by the company. 
2.2   Hypotheses Development 
2.2.1  The Effect of Institutional Ownership 
on Capital Structure  
Ownership represents a source of power that can be 
used to support, or otherwise, the existence of 
management, and so the concentration/distribution 
of power becomes relevant. In this regard, 
institutional investors, such as insurance companies, 
banks, investment companies, and ownership by 
other institutions in the form of companies, will 
encourage a more optimized oversight of insider 
performance. Research by Chung and Wang (2014), 
Indahningrum (2009), and Primadhanny (2016) 
found that institutional ownership has a negative 
effect on companies’ capital structure, which 
illustrates that the presence of institutional owners 
can reduce companies’ debt and thus minimize the 
agency cost of debt. 
Research by Agyei and Owusu (2014), Hasan 
(2009), Laksana and Widyawati (2016), Larasati 
(2011), Maftukhah (2013), and Nuraina (2012) 
found opposing results, in that institutional 
ownership positively affects companies’ capital 
structure. This means that the greater the 
involvement of institutional investors in monitoring, 
the greater the use of debt. 
H1: Institutional ownership has a positive 
relationship with companies’ capital structure. 
2.2.2  Profitability Effect on Capital 
Structure 
Profitability is the result of a series of policies and 
activities conducted by management. Through 
pecking order theory, Myers and Majluf (1984) 
conclude that, in funding its investment activities, a 
company will follow a hierarchy of risk, meaning 
that a company with a high level of profitability 
tends to use internal funds as opposed to external 
funds, which is also in line with research conducted 
by Agha (2015), Agyei and Owusu (2014), and 
Indahningrum (2009). 
On static trade-off theory, companies with a high 
profitability rate prefer debt to fund their business 
activities. This is done in order to get tax shielding 
benefits, which are produced by debt, so as to 
increase company value (Seftianne, 2011). 
H2: Profitability has a positive relationship with 
companies’ capital structure.