Sebastian Frericks examines based on a qualitative content analysis the factors that lead
large German listed companies to downfall. He finds factors and motives uncaredfor as well as
new interrelations between variables that can be used to develop a future-looking risk
sensitivity based on a going-concern-principle. Therefore he first works out latent factors
that are primarily responsible for not preventing a firm from losing its independency. In a
second step the motives of sellers in a company sale process are examined. Within the following
comprehensive cross-study the author presents relations between motives factors field of
business and type of downfall. The results provide new insights for any organization to address
the probabilities of failure and downfall and to think beyond about securing the company's
existence.
