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This paper aims to investigate the possible non-linear effect of net working capital (NWC) level on profitability for Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region listed companies. Furthermore, the study tests the possible interactive effect of cash levels on the relationship between NWC and profitability.

NWC level is the independent variable and profitability is the dependent variable using two proxies, return on assets (ROA) and returns on equity (ROE). Control variables are size, leverage, gross domestic product growth and sales revenue growth. The generalized method of moments was used to analyze the data of 134 consumer-goods listed firms in 12 MENA countries for the period 2013–2019.

The results demonstrate that NWC levels had a non-linear effect on profitability using ROA as a profitability proxy while results were insignificant using ROE as a profitability proxy. Furthermore, results show the absence of interactive effects between NWC, cash levels and both profitability proxies.

The study fills a gap in the working capital management (WCM) literature by providing new evidence on WCM’s non-linear effect of corporate performance in the MENA region emerging markets using the consumer-goods industry sample. The study contributes to the financial managers’ working capital optimization efforts in the MENA region by providing evidence on the usefulness of WC optimization efforts in the region from a financial performance point of view. According to the researchers’ knowledge, a few studies attempted to investigate this non-linear relationship for neither MENA region countries nor the consumer-goods industry.

The purpose of this paper is to report the results of an investigation of the relationship between working capital level, measured by the cash conversion cycle (CCC) and profitability of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

The paper employs panel data regression analysis on a sample of 160 Alternative Investment Market (AIM)-listed SMEs for the period from 2005 to 2010.

The empirical results show that there is a concave relationship between working capital level and firm profitability and that there is an optimal working capital level at which firms’ profitability is maximised. Furthermore, an examination as to whether or not deviations from the optimal working capital level reduce firm profitability indicate that deviations above or below the optimum decrease profitability.

The sample is limited to AIM-listed SMEs, and therefore the findings cannot be generalised to all firms.

Overall, the evidence suggests that firms should strive and attain the optimal working capital level in order to maximise their profitability.

The results are of importance to both SMEs and policy makers providing insight into the nature of CCC and its relationship to SMEs profitability.

This study examines investigating the relationship between cash flows, working capital ratios and firm performance during the global financial crisis.

To examine the relationship between cash flow, working capital ratios and firm performance for EU-28 or Western European Countries (Norway, Turkey and Switzerland) listed firms, both panel and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression model are used to analyze the data obtained from sample.

The study empirical findings suggest that global financial crisis has negative effect on firm performance for all sample. In addition, our interaction term result shows that cash flows variables such as cash holding level (CHL) × Crisis, cash interactive effect (CIE) × Crisis and gross working capital ratio (GWC) × Crisis not contributed to firm performance for EU-28 listed firms. However, the authors find that net working capital ratio (NWC) × Crisis have statistically significant and positive effects on firm performance with return on assets (ROA).

The findings of the study provide evidence for managers that listed firms have reduced working capital expenditures to increase cash holdings level during the financial crisis. The authors find that cash flow variables with CHL have positive effect on firm performance with return on equity (ROE) in Western European Countries and these results are consistent with Opler et al. (1999)'s empirical results, while CIE have a negative impact on firm performance such as ROE and earnings before interest tax margin (EBITM).

Global financial crisis emphasizes the importance of working capital and liquidity that suggests an efficient cash holdings policy in response to the uncertainty following the crisis.

This study examines the effect of working capital management and board diversity on firm profitability and firm value for a sample of Indonesian firms listed in the LQ45 index. The interaction of board diversity components with working capital management adds a comprehensive discussion to enhancing working capital management efficiency.

This study engages a panel multiple regression method. Data from a sample of LQ45 companies from 2010 to 2016 are analysed using a fixed and a common effect model. Board diversity is further analysed in interaction variables, whether it holds the moderating role in the relationship of working capital and firm performances. This study operates return on capital employed (ROCE) as the proxy of profitability performance and EVA-Spread for the firm's value performance. The simultaneous effect test is used for the robustness test.

The results indicate that working capital management and board diversity have no significant impact towards profitability. However, they significantly positively impact firm value, meaning that the market is attracted by effective working capital management and board diversity. However, the interaction variable analysis shows that gender diversity and education level diversity weaken the impact of working capital management towards firm value.

This study is not limited to one industry; therefore, future studies may focus on one industry and detect the pattern of working capital components in the particular industry. This study focuses on quantitative numbers to explain board diversity's interaction in working capital management to maximise shareholders' wealth. Future studies may consider a qualitative discussion to describe the quality of women's presence on the board, education level and educational background of board members.

Unlike most studies in which authors relate working capital and board diversity to firm performances separately, this study combines both components and analyses whether board diversity can act as a moderator effect. As part of corporate governance, it is expected that board diversity can enhance working capital management efficiency.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between working capital management and corporate performance with financial constraints.

This study uses large panel sample of Chinese listed firms over the period 2005–2015 using system generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator that controls unobserved heterogeneity of individual firms well and GMM methodology is robust to address endogeneity issues.

Empirical evidence finds inverted U-shaped relationship between working capital and corporate performance and exhibits similar evidence for financially constrained firms. Evidence shows impact of high sales and discounts on early payments at low level of working capital and dominance of opportunity cost and cost of external finance at high level of working capital. The findings of the results show that optimal working capital level of financially constrained firms is relatively lower due to high cost of external capital and debt rationing. The results also indicate that on average NET is significantly lower for firms with Tobin’s Q>1 than firms with Tobin’s Q=1, and suggest that aggressive working capital management is significantly and positively associated with higher corporate values.

This paper is among few that complement the existing literature by providing evidence that inverted U-shaped relationship between working capital management and corporate performance also exists in the context of Chinese listed non-financial firms. Exclusively, the relationship of working capital and corporate performance with linkage of financial constraints is scant in the context of Chinese listed non-financial firms.

This study aims to primarily investigate two vital questions: First, the authors examine whether group-affiliated firms are more (less) financially constrained vis-à-vis standalone firms. The authors estimate working capital investment (WCI) to cash flow sensitivity to understand the nature of financial constraints. Second, the authors further investigate the impact of working capital level on firm values and risks between group-affiliated and standalone firms.

This paper uses balanced panel data set from the year 2012–2019. The authors employ propensity score matching to ascertain comparable firm attributes from business group and standalone firms. This process yields 280 firms (140 in each group) after controlling the firm heterogeneity between these two groups. All the models are estimated using fixed-effect regression.

The authors find that group affiliated firms are less financially constrained than standalone firms. The results show that WCI to cash flow sensitivity is higher in standalone firms vis-a-vis group-affiliated firms, implying that standalone firms are more financially constrained than group-affiliated firms. Second, the authors find that firm values are more sensitive to working capital level in standalone firms versus group-affiliated firms. Furthermore, the authors document that the risk of the standalone firms is less sensitive to working capital level than that of group-affiliated firms.

Most recent studies exploring the role of group affiliation in financing constraints have not controlled for heterogeneity among group-affiliated firms vis-à-vis standalone firms, which may arise due to variation in firm characteristics. Unlike prior studies, this research design ascertains comparable firm attributes between business group and standalone firms, implying firms belonging to these two groups differ by the exogeneous affiliation (business group and standalone firms). The authors document that group-affiliated firms are less financially constrained than standalone firms controlling firm-level heterogeneity between group-affiliated and standalone firms. To the best of the authors' knowledge, no such work has been previously done in general (specifically in India).

The article analyses the “pros” and “cons” of different strategies to be adopted to manage and avoid working capital crisis situations in any organisation. The working capital position depends on many organisational parameters which are interrelated and interdependent, and also vary over time. In such a situation, the use of a system dynamics approach has been advocated to reflect the relevant dynamic cause‐and‐effect relationships for the development of appropriate long‐term and short‐term strategies.

This paper evaluates the working capital management (WCM) efficiency of the Indian manufacturing industries through data envelopment analysis (DEA) and empirically investigates the influence of several exogenous variables on the WCM efficiency.

WCM efficiency was calculated using BCC input-oriented DEA model. Further, the panel data fixed effect model was used on a sample of 1391 Indian manufacturing firms spread across nine industries, covering the period from 2008 to 2019.

Firstly, the WCM efficiency of Indian manufacturing industries has been stable over the analysis period. Secondly, the capacity to generate internal resources, size, age, productivity, gross domestic product and interest rate significantly influence WCM efficiency.

First, the selected study period has observed various economic uncertainties including demonetization and recession, so the scenario might differ in normal conditions or country-wise. Second, the findings might not be generalizable to the developed economies, since the current study sample belongs to a developing economy, which further provides scope for comparative study.

An efficient model for managing the working capital comprising most vital determinants could enhance the firms' valuation and goodwill. Also, this study would be helpful for financial executives, manufacturers, policymakers, investors, researchers and other stakeholders.

This study estimates the industry-wise WCM efficiency of the Indian manufacturing sector and suggests measures to the concerned parties on areas to focus on and provide evidence on the estimated relationships of firm-level and macroeconomic determinants with WCM efficiency.

Sees the objective of teaching financial management to be to help managers and potential managers to make sensible investment and financing decisions. Acknowledges that financial theory teaches that investment and financing decisions should be based on cash flow and risk. Provides information on payback period; return on capital employed, earnings per share effect, working capital, profit planning, standard costing, financial statement planning and ratio analysis. Seeks to combine the practical rules of thumb of the traditionalists with the ideas of the financial theorists to form a balanced approach to practical financial management for MBA students, financial managers and undergraduates.

This study examines the impact of firm-specific and macroeconomic factors on the working capital behavior of firms listed in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region.

This study is based on a panel data analysis of 687 firms listed on 11 MENA markets, carried out using the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) approach.

The results of this study reveal that profitable firms with high levels of operating cash flows adopt a conservative working capital management. Young firms with rapid growth rates, highly leveraged firms and firms with large investments in fixed assets have higher liquidity needs, which explains their tendency to pursue aggressive working capital strategies. Similarly, large firms exercise their bargaining power over their clients and suppliers to implement an aggressive approach of working capital management. Finally, firms do not have the luxury to decide how working capital should be managed when they are subject to outside macroeconomic forces that affect their stakeholders as well.

The findings of this study can help managers adopt efficient practices and identify optimal working capital levels. Firms in the MENA region maintain excess reserves of cash, which causes under-investment and inefficient allocation of resources in the economy. Improving working capital management practices can allow firms to regain operational efficiency, enhance financial performance and support economic growth.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study investigates this topic in MENA emerging markets and contributes to enriching the existing corporate finance literature in emerging markets.