The impact of trade credit use on firm profitability: empirical evidence from Sweden

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 116-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darush Yazdanfar ◽  
Peter Öhman
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Trade Credit ◽  
Set Covering ◽  
Funding Source ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Accounts Payable ◽  
Firm Profitability ◽  
Industry Sectors ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of trade credit as a funding source on profitability among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach – A large cross-sectional panel data set covering 15,897 Swedish SMEs in five industry sectors from 2009 to 2012 was analysed using several statistical techniques. Findings – The study provides empirical evidence that the use of trade credit significantly and negatively affects firm profitability, indicating that SMEs with lower accounts payable are more profitable. Furthermore, liquidity level and firm size are positively related to profitability, while firm age is negatively related to profitability. Practical implications – If firms rely, or are forced to rely, too heavily on accounts payable as a funding source, their long-term profitability could be jeopardized. An efficient financing policy should make the costs related to the use of trade credit more transparent. Thus, firm managers could explicitly use trade credit agreements with their suppliers to control the costs related to this particular financial source. Originality/value – To the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to focus on the impact of trade credit on profitability in the Swedish context, where SMEs are encouraged to use trade credit as a funding source. In addition, the study is based on an extensive sample of SMEs across several industry sectors.

scholarly journals The impact of cash conversion cycle on firm profitability

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 442-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darush Yazdanfar ◽  
Peter Öhman
Keyword(s):  
Firm Value ◽  
Seemingly Unrelated Regression ◽  
Set Covering ◽  
Level Control ◽  
Working Capital ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cash Conversion Cycle ◽  
Firm Profitability ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to seek to investigate the impact of cash conversion cycle (CCC) on performance (i.e. profitability) in Swedish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) over the 2008-2011 period. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses a seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) model to analyse cross-sectional panel data covering 13,797 SMEs operating in four industries. Findings – The study provides empirical evidence that CCC significantly affects profitability. In addition, the firm-level control variables size, age, and industry affiliation significantly affect firm profitability. These findings imply that managers could increase firm profitability by improving their working capital management. Research limitations/implications – The present study is limited to a sample of Swedish SMEs in four industries; further research could examine the generalizability of these findings to other countries and industries. Practical implications – Improved working capital policy could improve firm profitability by reducing the firm's CCC, thereby creating additional firm value. In addition, the results can be used for other purposes, including monitoring of firms by auditors, debt holders, and other stakeholders. Originality/value – The present study contributes to the literature by employing a SUR model to analyse a comprehensive cross-sectoral sample in a high-tax environment. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first empirical study to address this issue in the Swedish context based on a large data set covering SMEs in various industries.

The impact of credit supply on sales growth: Swedish evidence

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darush Yazdanfar ◽  
Peter Öhman
Keyword(s):  
Firm Growth ◽  
Trade Credit ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Set Covering ◽  
Sales Growth ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Accounts Receivable ◽  
Credit Supply ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the impact of credit supply on sales growth among small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach – The three-stage least square (3SLS) method was used to analyse a cross-sectional panel data set covering 13,548 Swedish SMEs across four industry sectors from 2009 to 2012. Findings – The study provides empirical evidence that trade credit in terms of accounts receivable significantly and positively affects sales growth, indicating that SMEs investing more in accounts receivable are more likely to achieve growth. Furthermore, lagged sales growth and firm size are positively, while firm age is negatively, related to growth. Practical implications – Managers can increase firm growth by efficiently managing the supply of credit to their customers, especially liquidity-constrained firms, thereby increasing sales growth. Originality/value – To the authors’ best knowledge, this is one of the first empirical studies of the impact of credit supply in terms of accounts receivable on sales growth. The study applies the 3SLS method to a comprehensive cross-sectoral sample.

Income and healthcare financing system in the United States: an asymmetric analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehdi Barati ◽  
Hadiseh Fariditavana
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Set Covering ◽  
Healthcare Financing ◽  
Financing System ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Funding Sources ◽  
Distributed Lag ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to first assess how the US healthcare financing system is influenced by income variation. Then, it examines whether or not the impact of income variation is asymmetric.Design/methodology/approachFor the analyses of this paper, the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model is implemented to a data set covering the period from 1960 to 2018.FindingsThe results provide evidence that major funding sources of aggregate healthcare expenditure (HCE) respond differently to changes in income. The results also imply that the effect of income is not always symmetric.Originality/valueMany studies have attempted to identify the relationship between income and HCE. A common feature of past studies is that they have only focused on aggregate HCE, while one might be interested in knowing how major funders of aggregate HCE would be affected by changes in income. Another common feature of past studies is that they have assumed that the relationship between income and HCE is symmetric.

Can BRICS and ASEAN-5 emerging economies benefit from bank diversification?

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syed Moudud-Ul-Huq
Keyword(s):  
Risk Taking ◽  
Generalized Method Of Moments ◽  
The Other ◽  
Set Covering ◽  
Diversification Strategy ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Diversification Benefit ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This paper aims to empirically investigate the impact of bank diversification on performance and risk-taking behavior. The analysis uses an unbalanced panel data set covering the period between 2007 and 2015 for a total of 1,397 banks from ASEAN-5 and BRICS economies. Design/methodology/approach Dynamic panel generalized method of moments (GMM) has been used primarily to examine the relationship between bank diversification on performance and risk-taking and later, validate the core results by incorporating two-stage least squares (2SLS). Findings Similar to the results of previous studies based on the developed economy, this study also confirms the hypothesis of the portfolio diversification. The key robust result is that the benefits from revenue and assets diversification are heterogeneous and the BRICS banks achieve higher benefit from using both diversification strategies. On the other hand, ASEAN-5 banks fail to show the significant advantage from assets diversification. Among the diverse sources of income, interest is not a major determinant of efficiency and bank’s stability, while ASEAN-5 banks should foster commission and others income as mechanisms for diversification benefit in the region. Originality/value A few studies are available in the current literature which examines the impact of revenue and assets diversification on either bank performance or risk-taking in the developed economy’s context. However, very few studies are found that examine the relationship between bank diversification, performance and risk-taking together. Moreover, to the best of the author’s knowledge, there is a dearth of literature on this topic that built on the comparative analysis between two regions, i.e. ASEAN-5 and BRICS. As a result, the empirical results of this research provide useful information to the stakeholders so that they can enhance bank diversification strategy and implement them successfully by considering the other factors.

Does corporate sustainability impact firm profitability? Evidence from India

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (8) ◽  
pp. 1734-1747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shernaz Bodhanwala ◽  
Ruzbeh Bodhanwala
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Thomson Reuters ◽  
Firm Profitability ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study whether corporate sustainability impacts profitability performance. Design/methodology/approach The sample under study consists of 58 Indian firms that are consistently a part of Thomson Reuters Asset 4 ESG database. An empirical multivariate panel data model is developed to analyse the impact of sustainability (environmental, social and governance) on firm profitability. Further, the study seeks to understand whether firms ranked high on sustainability parameters perform better compared to low-ranked firms. This has been tested by applying parametric t-test. Findings The study reveals a significant positive relationship between sustainability and firm performance measures (return on invested capital, return on equity, return on assets and earnings per share). Empirical evidence suggests that firms that practice remarkable sustainable development strategies report higher profitability and have substantially low gearing level. Research limitations/implications This study provides empirical support for the practitioners, policy makers and academicians emphasising strongly on the role played by deployment of sustainable environmental, social and governance efforts in enabling firms to achieve the profit maximisation objective. In the long term, strategies that take sustainability criteria into account have the capacity to create long-term value and provide firms with competitive advantage. The findings provide impetus to many mid- and large-capitalised Indian firms to initiate the adoption of sustainable measures in business policy formulation. The market valuation perception on sustainability practices followed by Indian firms leaves scope for future research. Originality/value Empirical evidence on the link between sustained sustainability efforts by corporates and their profitability from a developing nation context is limited. This paper provides much-needed evidence in the area of sustainability performance from India – one of the largest, rapidly developing economies in the world.

Profit sharing and firm profitability

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (2/3) ◽  
pp. 191-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Strifler
Keyword(s):  
Instrumental Variables ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Unobserved Heterogeneity ◽  
Profit Sharing ◽  
Set Covering ◽  
Theoretical Research ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Firm Profitability ◽  
Instrumental Variables Approach

Purpose This purpose of this paper to examine how profit sharing depends on the underlying profitability of firms. More precisely, motivated by theoretical research on fair wages and unionized labor markets, profit sharing is estimated for six different profitability categories: positive, increasing, positive and increasing, negative, decreasing and negative or decreasing. Design/methodology/approach The paper exploits a high-quality linked employer–employee data set covering the universe of Finnish workers and firms. Endogeneity of profitability and self-selection of firms in different profitability categories are accounted for by an instrumental variables approach. The panel-structure of the data is used to control for unobserved heterogeneity (spell and individual fixed effects). Findings Profits are shared if firms are profitable or become more profitable. The wage-profit elasticity varies between 0.03 and 0.13 in such firms. However, profits are not shared if firms make losses or become less profitable. There is no downward wage adjustment. Research limitations/implications Because of the instrumental variables approach the question of external validity arises. Further empirical research on profit sharing with an explicit focus on firm profitability is warranted. The results of the paper indicate a connection between rent sharing and wage rigidity, as suggested by union and fair wage theory. Originality/value This is the first paper to consistently estimate the extent of profit sharing depending on the underlying profitability of firms.

Growth and job creation at the firm level: Swedish SME data

2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 345-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darush Yazdanfar ◽  
Peter Öhman
Keyword(s):  
Job Creation ◽  
Sales Growth ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Employment Level ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Resource Based View ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Large Panel ◽  
Industry Sectors ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between firm sales growth and employment level as a proxy for job creation among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach The hypotheses were empirically examined by performing several univariate and multivariate regressions to investigate a large panel data set of 13,548 Swedish SMEs in four industry sectors in the four-year period from 2009 to 2012. Findings The results indicate that growth, in terms of sales, as a competitive advantage is positively related to the number of employees hired by the sampled firms. In addition, the size and age variables are also positively associated with the number of employees hired. The results support the suitability of implementing the resource-based view to explain job creation by SMEs. Originality/value While previous studies have mostly ignored the impact of these firm-level variables on job creation, the current study highlights the effect of firm-specific characteristics such as sales growth, size, age and industry. The authors use a combination of models to analyse a large cross-sectoral data set regarding the association, in SMEs, between the firms’ sales growth and job creation.

scholarly journals Does certified food production reduce agrochemical use in China?

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 386-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zihan Nie ◽  
Nico Heerink ◽  
Qin Tu ◽  
Shuqin Jin
Keyword(s):  
Food Production ◽  
Chemical Fertilizer ◽  
Set Covering ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Heterogeneous Effects ◽  
Environmental Goals ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of adopting certified food production on chemical fertilizer and pesticide use in China. Design/methodology/approach The authors estimate fixed effect models to track the changes in agrochemical consumption at household level over time and evaluate the effect of certified food production, using an unbalanced panel data set covering 4,830 households in six provinces over the period 2005–2013. Findings On average, the authors do not find significant effects of certified food production on either chemical fertilizer or pesticide consumption among Chinese farmers. The effects are heterogeneous across villages, but the heterogeneous effects show no clear pattern that is consistent with different types of certification. The findings are robust to the use of alternative panel structure and certification indicators. The lack of knowledge about certification among farmers, the price premium and differences in regulation enforcement across regions may explain why the authors do not find negative effects on agrochemical use. Practical implications This study suggests that careful inspections and strong enforcement of certified food production is needed to ensure that the environmental goals of certified food production can be achieved and the reputation of certification in China can be improved. The inspection of certification producers and the enforcement of current regulations should be stricter for the further healthy development of certified food production in China. Originality/value This study is the first attempt to systematically evaluate the impact of food certification on the use of agrochemicals in Chinese agriculture.

Corporate community involvement disclosures in annual report

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kemi Yekini ◽  
Kumba Jallow
Keyword(s):  
Community Involvement ◽  
Quality Score ◽  
Set Covering ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Total Quality ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Community Involvement ◽  
Corporate Community ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine whether corporate community involvement disclosures (CCID) in annual reports can be construed as a measure of corporate community development (CCD) or a mere signal of corporate social responsibility (CSR) observance.Design/methodology/approachUsing content analysis and a quality score index, the study examined a panel data set covering the period from 1999 to 2008. The data was collected from a sample of 270 annual reports of 27 UK companies taken from the top 100 companies for corporate responsibility (BITC ranking, 2008). The research framework involves the use of signalling theory to investigate the information content of CCID.FindingsIt is found that the volume of corporate community disclosure (CCID) has a significant association with its total quality score (TQS) although the impact was found to be very small. CCID was also found to be strongly and positively associated with the volume of total CSR disclosed in annual reports. Hence the quantity and quality of CCID in annual reports increased significantly as the quantity of CSR disclosure also increased. Furthermore, the TQS was found to respond to company size and Corporate Governance measures such as audit committee size and board composition, and the existence of standalone CSR Reports, while other measures of public pressure such as leverage, profitability and industrial sector were not statistically significantly related with TQS.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to CSR literature in general and CCID literature in particular. The originality stems from the fact that it employs a signalling framework and a panel study approach as opposed to cross‐sectional only or time‐series only data to examine a less researched social disclosure – corporate community involvement.

Ownership, risk-taking and performance of banks in emerging economies

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 282-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faizul Haque ◽  
Rehnuma Shahid
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Economies ◽  
Risk Taking ◽  
Default Risk ◽  
Set Covering ◽  
Bank Risk ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Results ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper examines the effect of ownership structure on bank risk-taking and performance in emerging economies by using India as a case study. Design/methodology/approach We use generalised method of moments (GMM) estimation technique to analyse an unbalanced panel data set covering 217 bank-year observations from 2008 to 2011. Findings Overall, our study results suggest that government ownership is positively associated with default risk and negatively related to bank profitability. Interestingly, we find foreign ownership having a positive effect on default risk and a negative effect on profitability among the listed commercial banks. The effect of ownership concentration on bank risk-taking and profitability appears to be statistically insignificant. Originality/value This study is among the first to consider the impact of ownership on bank risk-taking and profitability from an emerging economy perspective. It also addresses the problem of endogenous relationships among ownership, risk-taking and performance of a bank. This study is likely to have implications for policymakers in undertaking regulatory reforms relating to ownership, risk management and banking sector stability.

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