Dai Yi. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 79-82). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.i / ACKNOWLEDGEMENT --- p.iii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iv / LIST OF TABLES --- p.vi / CHAPTER / Chapter ONE --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Background / Purpose / Summary of hypotheses and results / Organization / Chapter TWO --- REVIEW OF THEORIES AND LITERATURE --- p.5 / The Literature on ownership structure / Theoretical explanations for capital structure / The Literature on investment-cash flow sensitivities / Chapter summary / Chapter THREE --- DATA COLLECTION --- p.15 / Sample selection / Ownership and control definition / Patterns of the East Asian Firm Ownership / Country characteristic variables / Chapter summary / Chapter FOUR --- THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OWNERSHIP STRUCTURES AND FIRM LEVERAGE --- p.23 / Rationale for the study / Hypothesis / Description of regression variables / The Heteroscedasticity problem and solution / Regression results / Accounting for country effects / Chapter summary / Chapter FIVE --- THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OWNERSHIP STRUCTURES AND INVESTMENT-CASH FLOW SENSITIVITY --- p.42 / Theoretical framework / Hypothesis / Regression specification / Summary statistics / Empirical findings / Country characteristic control / Chapter summary / Chapter SIX --- CONCLUSION --- p.52 / TABLES --- p.54 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.79