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Article
Publication date: 27 October 2021

Nuno Azevedo, Márcio Mateus and Álvaro Pina

The linkages between credit allocation and productivity have particular relevance in Portugal. This study aims to investigate whether credit extended by the Portuguese banking…

Abstract

Purpose

The linkages between credit allocation and productivity have particular relevance in Portugal. This study aims to investigate whether credit extended by the Portuguese banking system has been allocated to the most productive firms within each sector.

Design/methodology/approach

With a data set covering 95% of total outstanding credit to non-financial corporations recorded in the Portuguese credit register, the authors investigate whether outstanding loans by resident banks to 64 economic sectors have been granted to the most productive firms. First, the authors estimate a baseline, reduced-form model of credit reallocation, where the parameter of interest gives the response of total credit granted to each firm to its level of productivity. Second, the authors assess how this response is affected by the share of credit allocated to unproductive firms. Third, the authors redo the analysis with credit granted to each firm by each banking group, instead of by the entire banking system, so that bank indicators can be taken on board.

Findings

The authors find evidence of misallocation, which reflects the joint effects of credit supply and credit demand decisions taken over the course of time, and the adverse cyclical developments following the accumulation of imbalances in the Portuguese economy for a protracted period. In 2008–2016, the share of outstanding credit granted to firms with very low productivity (measured or inferred) was always substantial, peaking at 44% in 2013, and declining afterwards with the rebound in economic activity and the growing allocation of new loans towards lower risk firms and away from higher risk firms. Furthermore, the authors find that misallocation is associated with slower reallocation. The responsiveness of credit growth to firm relative productivity is much lower in sectors with relatively more misallocated credit and when banks have a high share of such credit in their portfolios.

Originality/value

Banking system distortions are often mentioned as potential or likely culprits for capital misallocation, but they are not empirically analysed with credit data. The ability to explicitly analyse bank credit and link it to variables pertaining to both firms and banks is a novel feature relative to most previous studies, which largely rely on firm-level or sectoral data alone.

Details

Studies in Economics and Finance, vol. 39 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1086-7376

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 August 2012

Ying Xu

In spite of being the second largest recipient of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the world, China shows limited evidence of considerable FDI benefits on growth (Fan and Hu;…

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Abstract

Purpose

In spite of being the second largest recipient of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the world, China shows limited evidence of considerable FDI benefits on growth (Fan and Hu; Luo; Ran et al.). Motivated by Alfaro et al.'s model, the purpose of this study is to test whether poor financial market development might be responsible for the relatively low benefits of FDI on growth in China.

Design/methodology/approach

The author applies Blundell‐Bond system GMM estimators to a panel of Chinese provinces.

Findings

The results indicate that poor financial intermediation does indeed limit the transmission of FDI benefits within the Chinese economy. Moreover, the study reveals preliminary evidence that banks' credits to unproductive state‐owned enterprises (SOEs) constitute poor financial intermediation with negative growth implications. In contrast, credits to small private enterprises are associated with a positive impact of FDI on growth.

Research limitations/implications

The study is constrained by data availability especially for private credit data across provinces.

Practical implications

Two policy implications can be drawn from the empirical findings. First, the direct policy implication is that to ensure positive benefits from FDI in China, domestic financial reforms are crucial. This is an important perspective for making FDI policies. The results also reveal some key priorities of financial reforms. More credits to small private enterprises are an indication of good financial intermediation, while more loans extended to unproductive SOEs signal poor financial intermediation. The priority of reform comes down to tackling the difficult problem of credit misallocation.

Originality/value

This paper provides an alternative perspective to address the weak FDI‐growth relationship found in China. Inspired by Alfaro et al.'s model and the understanding of the problem of Chinese financial markets, the study examines the role of the financial system in the FDI‐growth linkage and reveals how financial market conditions could influence FDI benefits in China.

Details

China Finance Review International, vol. 2 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-1398

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 30 October 2023

Arjun Pratap Upadhyay and Pankaj Kumar Baag

This paper reviews the literature on zombie firms to provide a holistic view by delineating their formation, impact, widespread nature, prevention and policy implications.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper reviews the literature on zombie firms to provide a holistic view by delineating their formation, impact, widespread nature, prevention and policy implications.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses a systematic literature review methodology, in which 76 papers published in journals ranked on the Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) 2022 list were reviewed. The study period was from 2000 to 2022.

Findings

Among the main findings, the widespread problems of zombie firms were evident. The authors found that consistent support, either in the form of government grants or a weak financial framework, was responsible for their formation. The suboptimal performance of factors of production, depressed job creation, low innovation and overall negative impact on economic activity are the consequences of zombification. This can be controlled by ensuring better bankruptcy codes, focused on government assistance, technology use and better due diligence by banks.

Practical implications

This review serves as a reference point for future researchers as a cohesive and holistic study presenting a full picture of the problem, so that the proposed solutions are robust and tenable.

Originality/value

This review is among the initial attempts to comprehensively study published work on zombie firms in terms of analyzing their region-specific nature, with an emphasis on definition, causes, impact and prevention.

Details

China Accounting and Finance Review, vol. 26 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1029-807X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 January 2024

Takehide Ishiguro and Akihiro Yamada

This study investigates the relationship between foreign ownership, earnings quality and overinvestment in Japanese zombie firms.

Abstract

Purpose

This study investigates the relationship between foreign ownership, earnings quality and overinvestment in Japanese zombie firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The study makes use of data from Japanese firms listed on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange from 2009 to 2019. The study employs logistic and multinomial logistic models to test whether the overinvestment behavior of zombie firms is mitigated by foreign shareholdings and earnings quality.

Findings

The results show that (1) zombie firms tend to overinvest; (2) an increase in foreign ownership mitigates the overinvestment of zombie firms and (3) the mitigation of zombie firms' overinvestment by foreign ownership is stronger with higher earnings quality.

Originality/value

This study extends the discussion of earnings quality and investment efficiency to the zombie firm setting. Previous studies in accounting suggest that high earnings quality enhances firms' investment efficiency. The findings suggest that both a change in ownership structure and high-quality accounting information are necessary to mitigate the inefficiency of zombie firms.

Details

Asian Review of Accounting, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1321-7348

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 August 2018

Phuong Thi Nguyen and Minh Khac Nguyen

The purpose of this paper is to examine resource misallocation among Vietnam’s small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing sector. The paper also aims to…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine resource misallocation among Vietnam’s small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing sector. The paper also aims to consider selective factors on reducing the level of resource misallocation in SMEs.

Design/methodology/approach

Resource misallocation and efficiency gains in total factor productivity (TFP) are assessed using Vietnam’s annual enterprise survey data for the period 2000–2015 and an appropriate productivity decomposition framework.

Findings

Resource misallocation is found to be higher among SMEs than large scale enterprises. TFP is found to 116.3 per cent greater if there is no resource misallocation among SMEs. Smaller scale, lower market concentration, trade liberalisation and corruption control are found to be associated with lower level of resource misallocation in SMEs.

Research limitations/implications

The major limitation of this study is that it has only decomposed misallocation of resources arising from output and capital distortions and that it focusses on selective factors contribution to reducing misallocation level in SMEs.

Originality/value

Resource misallocation is attracting attention in both developed and developing countries. However, knowledge about resource misallocation among SMEs is limited, particularly in the context of developing countries. This paper assesses the level of resource misallocation among SMEs in Vietnamese manufacturing sector.

Details

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol. 26 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1462-6004

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 December 2022

Phuong Thi Nguyen, Hung Viet Nguyen and Hoa Quynh Ha

This research identifies the level of labor misallocation in Vietnamese manufacturing sector for the period 2005–2019. The paper also examines the effects of labor misallocation

Abstract

Purpose

This research identifies the level of labor misallocation in Vietnamese manufacturing sector for the period 2005–2019. The paper also examines the effects of labor misallocation on productivity in Vietnamese manufacturing firms controlled by industry- and firm-level factors.

Design/methodology/approach

The level of labor misallocation and efficiency gains in total factor productivity (TFP) are assessed using Vietnam's annual enterprise survey data for the period 2005–2019 and Hsieh and Klenow (2009) productivity decomposition framework.

Findings

The results indicate four main points. Firstly, labor misallocation tends to increase from 2005 to 2019. Secondly, labor misallocation by firm ownership and technology level is found to be highest in state-owned enterprise and low-tech industries, whereas foreign direct investment and high-tech firms have lowest labor misallocation. Labor misallocation in small- and medium-sized enterprises is higher than in large-sized enterprises and is equivalent to overall sample. Thirdly, labor misallocation decreases productivity in manufacturing firms. The firm-level factors such as bigger technology gap, external capital, firm scale and poor liquidity ratio decrease productivity in manufacturing firms. Whereas firm-level factors such as Vietnam's accession to the WTO, reasonable corporate tax structure, capital intensity, human capital and firm age increase productivity of manufacturing firms. The industry-level factors such as FDI horizontal, forward and supply backward spillovers promote productivity from foreign firms to domestic ones. Meanwhile, only backward linkages reduce productivity of firms. Finally, by difference-in-differences (DID) method, the result indicates foreign firms have higher average labor productivity than domestic firms before or after Vietnam's accession to the WTO. After joining WTO, the average labor productivity of foreign firms is increased by 854 million VND while the average labor productivity of domestic firms is increased by 895 million VND. The DID between the two groups (domestic firms and foreign firms) before and after Vietnam's accession to WTO is 41 million dong.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation of the study is that the market is assumed perfectly competitive. The model focuses on selective factors affecting labor productivity.

Originality/value

The focus of many previous international research papers was generally to look at the level of labor misallocation in developed countries. However, knowledge about labor misallocation is limited, particularly in the context of developing countries. This paper examines the level of labor misallocation by region, ownership, level of technology and firm size on productivity and the effect of misallocation on productivity in Vietnamese manufacturing firms.

Peer review

The peer-review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-09-2021-0552.

Details

International Journal of Social Economics, vol. 50 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0306-8293

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 June 2020

Mark Heil

This paper reviews economic studies on the effects of various aspects of finance on labour market outcomes.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper reviews economic studies on the effects of various aspects of finance on labour market outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is a systematic literature review that reviews the weight of the evidence on the relationships between specific elements of finance and labour outcomes. The review is divided into three major sections: (1) job quantity and job quality; (2) distributional effects; and (3) resilience and adaptability.

Findings

Finance interacts with labour market institutions to jointly determine labour outcomes. Firm financial structures influence their labour practices – highly leveraged firms show greater employment volatility during cyclical fluctuations, and leverage strengthens firm bargaining power in labour negotiations. Bank deregulation has mixed impacts on labour depending upon the state of prior bank regulations and labour markets. Leveraged buyouts tend to dampen acquired-firm job growth as they pursue labour productivity gains. The shareholder value movement may contribute to short-termism among corporate managers, which can divert funds away from firm capital accumulation toward financial markets, and crowd out productive investment. Declining wage shares of national income in most OECD countries since 1990 may be driven in part by financial globalisation. The financial sector contributes to rising income concentration near the top of the distribution in developed countries. The availability of finance is associated with increased reallocation of labour, which may either enhance or impede productivity growth. Finally, rising interest rate environments and homeowners with mortgage balances that exceed their home's value may reduce labour mobility rates.

Originality/value

This review contributes to the understanding of the effects of finance on labour by reviewing and synthesising a large volume of literature.

Details

Journal of Economic Studies, vol. 47 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3585

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 November 2020

Hamad Omar Bakar, Zunaidah Sulong and Mohammad Ashraful Ferdous Chowdhury

This paper aims to investigate the effect of financial development (FD) on economic growth and growth-enhancing transmission channels for the sub-Saharan African (SSA) region in…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the effect of financial development (FD) on economic growth and growth-enhancing transmission channels for the sub-Saharan African (SSA) region in three different periods: the pre-Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) era (1990–1999), during the MDGs (2000–2017) era and the main period (1990–2017).

Design/methodology/approach

The study used the system generalized method of moments (SGMM) approach on 45 SSA countries from 1990 to 2017, using the data collected from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Findings

The long-run effect of the study showed mixed results in pre-MDGs and during MDGs periods but was positive in the main period. For growth-enhancing transmission channels, the results were mixed, although in many cases, institutional (INST) quality, human capital (HC) and foreign direct investment (FDI) were the main transmission channels.

Research limitations/implications

Some of the countries were dropped from the analysis due to data inadequacy.

Practical implications

The empirical results of this study provide evidence that the financial sector has robust positive effect throughout 1990–2017. Furthermore, the financial sector depends on several factors to improve economic growth. The SSA region has to focus on improving HC, INST quality in terms of good governance and create environment that is attractive to FDI since they were the main growth-enhancing channels.

Originality/value

Most of the studies in SSA countries assessed the direct effect of FD on economic growth without considering its transmission channels in different time frames. Moreover, they often used specific variables but not the financial index. This study extended the scope by considering various financial sector transmission channels, in different time periods and the financial index.

Details

International Journal of Emerging Markets, vol. 17 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-8809

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 1 October 2014

Ike Mathur and Isaac Marcelin

Pledging collateral to secure loans is a prominent feature in financing contracts around the world. Existing theories disagree on why borrowers pledge collateral. It is even more…

Abstract

Pledging collateral to secure loans is a prominent feature in financing contracts around the world. Existing theories disagree on why borrowers pledge collateral. It is even more challenging to understand why in some countries collateral coverage exceeds, for example, 300% of the value of a loan. This study looks at the association between collateral coverage and country-level governance and various institutional proxies. It investigates the economic implications of steep collateral coverage and sketches policy options to lower ex-ante asymmetric information and ex-post agency problems. Within this framework, should a lender collect the debt forcibly on default and liquidated assets fetch prices below outstanding loan values, the lender’s loss is covered through credit insurance, which would significantly reduce the need for steep collateral coverage. This proposal may increase level of private credit, investment and growth; particularly, in a number of developing countries where collateral spread is the main inhibitor of finance.

Details

Risk Management Post Financial Crisis: A Period of Monetary Easing
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78441-027-8

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 4 October 2018

Soumya Bhadury and Bhanu Pratap

In the economic literature, a crisis has been thematically defined around bank runs, failure of large financial corporations, and financial distress. Section 1 summarizes our…

Abstract

In the economic literature, a crisis has been thematically defined around bank runs, failure of large financial corporations, and financial distress. Section 1 summarizes our learnings about international banking crisis, in terms of the origin and impact of such crises. This provides us an international benchmark before we delve deeper into India's banking distress, its size and trends. Section 2 focuses on the twin-balance-sheet crisis in India. On one side, corporate firms recklessly overleveraged, resulting in excess capacities and business diversification. On the other side, banks, both private and public, fell prey to excessive and procyclical credit lending and improper monitoring. Overall, too many projects were left too weakly monitored. Separately, we have focused on two subsections, first, how the financial institutions in India have overstretched their credit-disposal limit during market upturns. Second, we found absence of any theoretically grounded approaches to determine the capital-adequacy ratios (CARs) for the banks. In Section 3, we have identified the steps taken so far by the Banking regulator and the Government to resolve the crisis. Further, we critically examine the role of Korea Asset Management Corporation (KAMCO) towards a successful non-performing assets (NPAs) resolution in South Korea. Few key takeaways include, (1) establishing a public asset-management company (AMC) focused on maximization of recoveries and resolution of stressed assets, (2) well-defined governance structure for the AMC ensuring it works on market principles, shielded from political interferences, and (3) realistic asset valuation and transfer price that ensures limited downside risks for the public AMC.

Details

Banking and Finance Issues in Emerging Markets
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78756-453-4

Keywords

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