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1 – 10 of 956Shan Jin, Christopher Gan and Dao Le Trang Anh
Focusing on micro-level indicators, we investigate financial inclusion levels in rural China, examining its determinants and impact on household welfare. We construct a financial…
Abstract
Purpose
Focusing on micro-level indicators, we investigate financial inclusion levels in rural China, examining its determinants and impact on household welfare. We construct a financial inclusion index of four essential financial services: savings, digital payments, credit and insurance. We identify factors influencing financial inclusion among Chinese rural households and assess the effects of financial inclusion on household welfare.
Design/methodology/approach
With the entropy method, we use data from the 2019 China Household Finance Survey to assess financial inclusion levels in rural China. Determinants and their impact on welfare are analyzed through probit and ordinary least squares models, respectively. Propensity scoring matching is applied to address potential endogeneity.
Findings
We reveal that rural households exhibit limited usage of formal financial services, with notable regional disparities. The eastern region enjoys the highest financial inclusion and the central region lags behind. Household characteristics such as family size, education level of the household head, income, employment status and financial literacy significantly influence financial inclusion. Financial inclusion positively impacts household welfare as indicated by household consumption expenditure. The use of different types of financial services is crucial with varying but significant effects on household welfare.
Originality/value
This study offers valuable insights into China’s rural financial inclusion progress, highlighting potential barriers and guiding government actions.
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Josephine Ofosu-Mensah Ababio, Eric B. Yiadom, Emmanuel Sarpong-Kumankoma and Isaac Boadi
This study aims to examine the relationship between financial inclusion and financial system development in emerging and frontier markets.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the relationship between financial inclusion and financial system development in emerging and frontier markets.
Design/methodology/approach
Using data across 35 countries over 19 years (2004–2022), the improved GMM estimation technique reveals that financial inclusion significantly contributes to the development of financial systems.
Findings
The study uses a segmented approach, dividing financial development indices into subindices: financial depth, financial access and financial efficiency. Indicators of bank financial inclusion show a positive and highly significant relationship with bank depth and access but a negative relationship with bank efficiency. Similarly, indicators of the debt market and stock market financial inclusion demonstrate positive relationships with market depth and access but negative relationships with debt and stock market efficiency. The study further examines composite indexes of financial inclusion for bank, debt and stock market segments, finding strong and highly significant relationships with market development. These results underscore the importance of promoting financial inclusion across all segments of the financial sector to achieve an inclusive financial system.
Practical implications
The implications of this research highlight the need for policymakers and practitioners to implement policies and regulations that enhance financial inclusion and foster the development of robust financial systems. By extending access to mainstream financial instruments and services, financial institutions can stimulate financial intermediation and support, thereby accelerating the development of the banking, debt and stock markets.
Originality/value
The study is robust to the use of several indicators of financial inclusion and financial development, and it forms part of the early studies that examine the close relationship between the two variables.
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Masah Alomari and Ibrahim Aladi
Financial inclusion is considered one of the strategic tools for sustainable development and one of the types of corporate social responsibility disclosures. This study aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
Financial inclusion is considered one of the strategic tools for sustainable development and one of the types of corporate social responsibility disclosures. This study aims to focus on the association between the disclosure of financial inclusion activities and Syrian banking companies’ performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Different regression models were suggested to examine the hypotheses leading to a better understanding of the relationship between financial inclusion and Syrian banking performance for the period 2005 to 2020 using the STATA 17.
Findings
The results showed a positive association between financial inclusion disclosure and Syrian bank performance, with low participation in financial inclusion activities (8%).
Research limitations/implications
The study recommends that the Central Bank of Syria work on developing an index of financial inclusion for the Syrian environment, with the issuance of legislation and laws that obligate all listed banks to disclose their financial inclusion activities as a part of their social responsibility.
Originality/value
This study incorporates the relationship between the disclosure of financial inclusion activities and the performance of Syrian banking companies, which has been neglected by most studies on financial inclusion. Therefore, this study sheds light on this positive relationship, which could have important repercussions in reviving the deteriorating Syrian economy following the crisis it went through, which, in turn, led to Syria’s high inflation affecting the poor and vulnerable disproportionately.
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Can digital financial inclusion (DFI) as an emerging and innovative financial service encourage economic development?
Abstract
Purpose
Can digital financial inclusion (DFI) as an emerging and innovative financial service encourage economic development?
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a Bayesian macroeconomic investigation framework, this research study presents the level of internet growth as a threshold variable and examines the influence of DFI on economic development based on state panel data from 2008 to 2021 in India.
Findings
The outcome of DFI on economic development through various mediation models. The results illustrate that DFI growth substantially contributes to economic development.
Originality/value
Encouraging small and medium-sized enterprise entrepreneurship and motivating populations’ utilization are two significant networks through which DFI progress affects economic growth.
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Feng Liu, Qizheng Wang, Zhihua Zhang, Mingjie Fang and Shufeng (Simon) Xiao
For decades, financing constraints have been a major obstacle to corporate performance. Volumes have been written about the probable factors that can help firms alleviate such…
Abstract
Purpose
For decades, financing constraints have been a major obstacle to corporate performance. Volumes have been written about the probable factors that can help firms alleviate such financial constraints. Nonetheless, empirical evidence concerning the various perspectives on how inventory control may influence financing constraints has been surprisingly scant. Using the resource- and region-based view as theoretical lenses, this study seeks to estimate the relationship between lean inventory, regional financial technology (fintech) and financing constraints.
Design/methodology/approach
Utilizing a large-scale sample of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in China's manufacturing sector, the authors empirically test their hypotheses by using hierarchical linear regression models with multiple high-dimensional fixed effects.
Findings
Results indicate that firms with higher levels of inventory leanness and those located in more fintech-developed regions are less likely to encounter financing constraints. Furthermore, inventory leanness and regional fintech ecosystem development interact with each other to mitigate financing constraints. Moreover, inventory leanness significantly decreases firms' financing constraints when the regional fintech ecosystem is highly developed.
Originality/value
The present research contributes to the literature on the interface of supply chain management and financial management. It also provides managerial implications for policymakers and SME stakeholders.
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This study intends to explore the relationship between digital finance and the vertical specialization of firms. The following questions are discussed: (1) As a representative new…
Abstract
Purpose
This study intends to explore the relationship between digital finance and the vertical specialization of firms. The following questions are discussed: (1) As a representative new financial development model, what is the role of digital finance in the vertical specialization of firms? (2) If digital finance improves the level of vertical specialization of firms, what is the mechanism behind such improvement? (3) How does digital finance impact the vertical specialization of firms in different regions, industries, and firms?
Design/methodology/approach
A two-way fixed-effect model of panel data is proposed to verify the relationship between digital finance and the vertical specialization of firms. This model is constructed by matching the city-level data of digital finance with the data of China's A-share listed companies from 2011 to 2018. Meanwhile, the instrumental variable (IV) method and difference-in-difference (DID) method are adopted to deal with the endogeneity problem of the model.
Findings
The authors' study finds that digital finance has significantly improved the level of vertical specialization of firms. The result is robust under the endogeneity consideration and a series of robustness tests. After the dimensionality of the index is reduced, the depth of digital finance usage is more conducive to the improvement of the vertical specialization of firms compared with the width of digital finance coverage and the level of financial digitization. Digital finance mainly improves the level of vertical specialization of firms by reducing transaction costs and increasing the market thickness of the intermediate products. Moreover, digital finance has certain heterogeneity in promoting the vertical specialization of firms, an effect that is more significant in the eastern region, manufacturing industry and state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
Research limitations/implications
The first limitation is the mechanism test. This research only analyzes the mechanism from transaction cost and the market thickness of the intermediate products. With the rapid development of information technology, digital finance will be further integrated into people's production and life. There will then be more mechanisms that should be explored between digital finance and the vertical specialization of firms. Another limitation is the data sample of this paper. The conclusions of this research are based only on the data of listed companies. However, in the authors' opinion, the specialization level of small and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) should be higher. Therefore, the conclusions of this work are underestimated, which can be considered as the lower limit of digital finance for enterprise specialization.
Social implications
As a favorable financing channel to supplement traditional financial service functions, digital finance plays a critical role in the operating efficiency of enterprises and the effective allocation of macro resources. The authors' research shows that digital finance has significantly improved the vertical specialization of firms. This conclusion provides guides to improve the production efficiency of enterprises and the quality of economic development.
Originality/value
This paper has three main contributions. (1) The relationship between financial development and the vertical specialization of firms is innovatively discussed from the perspective of digital finance, which implies that digital finance can effectively promote the level of vertical specialization of firms. (2) This paper provides new perspectives and ideas to reveal the impact mechanism of digital finance on the real economy by systematically analyzing the mechanism of digital finance on the vertical specialization of firms from the perspectives of transaction costs and financing constraints. (3) The regional differences in the development of digital finance, industry differences in the vertical specialization of firms and differences in the nature of enterprise property rights are all under consideration, which improves the effectiveness and pertinence of digital finance in promoting the vertical specialization of firms.
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This study aims to investigate the influence of the financial system (financial development and financial structure) on firms' innovation efficiency in China.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the influence of the financial system (financial development and financial structure) on firms' innovation efficiency in China.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employs country level data of capital markets and financial institutions along with innovation data from 18 high-tech industries in China spanning the 2009–2016 period, and the stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) is applied to explore how financial development and financial structure affect the innovation efficiency of these industries.
Findings
Results show that financial development influences firms' innovation efficiency positively and the capital-market-based financial structure has a positive impact on innovation efficiency of high-tech industries. Furthermore, when the high-tech industries are grouped into five sub-industries, the results show that financial structure had different effects on the innovation efficiency in each sub-industry.
Originality/value
This work contributes to the empirical research on considering the influential factors of innovation efficiency from the perspective of financial system. This paper also extends the existing literature by the different influences of financial system on innovation efficiency in each sub-industry of Chinese high-tech industries.
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Pramath Ramesh Hegde and Leena S. Guruprasad
This study aims to investigate the relationship between digital financial inclusion and economic growth in specific Asian countries, emphasizing the exploration of how digital…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the relationship between digital financial inclusion and economic growth in specific Asian countries, emphasizing the exploration of how digital financial inclusion dynamics impact gross domestic per capita income.
Design/methodology/approach
The study creates a digital financial inclusion composite index (DFII) by incorporating essential metrics from the Global Findex report. Economic growth is measured using Gross Domestic Product per capita income in its natural logarithmic form (LnPCI), with three control variables– employment-to-population ratio; population growth and inflation. The analysis utilizes a fixed-effect dummy variable model to examine the relationship, considering unobserved country-specific heterogeneity. 30 Asian countries have been selected for the study for the periods 2014, 2017 and 2021 based on their availability, as outlined in Table 4.
Findings
The research revealed a robust positive correlation between the Digital Financial Inclusion Index (DFII) and logarithmic GDP per capita income (LnPCI), indicating higher per capita income with enhanced digital financial inclusion. Employment and population exhibited minimal influence, whereas inflation had a notable negative effect on per capita income. Population growth showed a limited impact. The model demonstrated a high explanatory power for the dependent variable (high R-squared), and the residuals displayed low autocorrelation (Durbin–Watson of 1.96).
Originality/value
This study adds to the existing literature by examining the intricate connection between digital financial inclusion (DFI) and economic growth in 30 Asian countries, employing a comprehensive composite index for analysis.
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Jabir Ali and Archana Kumari Ghildiyal
This paper aims at analysing the socio-economic characteristics, mobile phone ownership and banking behaviour as key determinants of digital financial inclusion in India.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims at analysing the socio-economic characteristics, mobile phone ownership and banking behaviour as key determinants of digital financial inclusion in India.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is based on the Global Findex Survey of the World Bank covering 3,000 adult individuals in India. Simple statistical tools such as descriptive statistics, chi-square test and regression analysis with a marginal effect have been used for the data analysis.
Findings
About 35.2% of respondents have reported using digital financial services in the country. There is a significant association between the socio-economic profiles of individuals with the adoption of digital financial services in terms of gender, age, education, occupation and income. The marginal effect indicates that socio-economic factors, mobile phone ownership and banking behaviour of individuals towards borrowings and savings have indicated significant influence on digital financial inclusion. The analysis depicts that male with higher age, education, working status and higher income are more likely to adopt digital financial services. Further, individuals with mobile phone ownership and utilising banking in terms of borrowings and savings are more likely to adopt digital financial services.
Practical implications
As digital banking services have emerged as a preferred channel for financial service delivery, this study provides timely insights on developing user driven-strategies for promoting digital financial services.
Originality/value
Socio-economic characteristics, mobile phone ownership and banking behaviour are critical determinants of financial inclusion, so assessing its implications in the era of digitisation becomes imperative.
Peer review
The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-10-2022-0673.
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Yunping Hao and Wei Zhao
This study aims to empirically examine the impact of digital finance on spatial urbanization and elucidate its underlying mechanisms.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to empirically examine the impact of digital finance on spatial urbanization and elucidate its underlying mechanisms.
Design/methodology/approach
Using panel data of Chinese prefecture-level cities from 2011 to 2021, and using a spatial dynamic panel model, the authors analyzed the effects of digital finance on spatial urbanization and the mechanism of its action.
Findings
The findings of the study reveal that digital finance, along with its sub-dimensions, namely coverage breadth, usage depth and digitization degree, all contribute to the enhancement of spatial urbanization. The information channel effect generated by the development of postal and telecommunication businesses, the goods delivery effect generated by the development of retail businesses and the wealth accumulation effect generated by the accumulation of household wealth are all important channels through which digital finance promotes spatial urbanization. Digital finance exerts a significant promotional effect on spatial urbanization in second-tier cities, third-tier cities and their subsequent tiers. This observation alludes to the regionally inclusive nature of spatial urbanization promotion facilitated by digital finance.
Originality/value
The present study endeavors to fill this void by employing empirical analysis to investigate the ramifications of digital finance on spatial urbanization, thereby shedding light on the pivotal role played by digital finance in expediting the progression of spatial urbanization. This study undertakes an examination of the spatial spillover effects, thus providing a comprehensive exposition of the influence of digital finance on spatial urbanization. This study introduces this crucial dimension, and the empirical findings elucidate that digital finance fosters the evolution of spatial urbanization by broadening the coverage of information channels, augmenting the efficiency of goods distribution and enhancing wealth accumulation efficacy.
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