scholarly journals Market power and cost efficiency in the African banking industry

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 1247-1264
Author(s):  
Simplice Asongu ◽  
Rexon Nting ◽  
Joseph Nnanna
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Market Power ◽  
Cost Efficiency ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Unobserved Heterogeneity ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Availability Constraints

PurposeIn this study, we test the so-called “Quiet Life Hypothesis” (QLH), which postulates that banks with market power are less efficient.Design/methodology/approachWe employ instrumental variable Ordinary Least Squares, Fixed Effects, Tobit and Logistic regressions. The empirical evidence is based on a panel of 162 banks consisting of 42 African countries for the period 2001–2011. There is a two-step analytical procedure. First, we estimate Lerner indices and cost efficiency scores. Then, we regress cost efficiency scores on Lerner indices contingent on bank characteristics, market features and the unobserved heterogeneity.FindingsThe empirical evidence does not support the QLH because market power is positively associated with cost efficiency.Originality/valueOwing to data availability constraints, this is one of the few studies to test the QLH in African banking.

Competition and bank efficiency in emerging markets: empirical evidence from Ghana

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 268-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdul Latif Alhassan ◽  
Kwaku Ohene-Asare
Keyword(s):  
Cost Efficiency ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Banking Industry ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Convergence Theory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Growth Convergence ◽  
Interest Rate Spread ◽  
Lower Interest Rate

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between competition and efficiency in the Ghanaian banking industry. Design/methodology/approach – Data on 26 banks from 2004 to 2011 is used to estimate technical and cost-efficiency scores by the data envelopment analysis while the Boone indicator is employed to proxy for competition. Controlling for bank size, lending, income diversification, tangibility, leverage and profitability, ordinary least squares, instrumental variables and fixed effects estimations are used to estimate the panel regression model. The authors also apply the growth convergence theory to examine the existence of efficiency convergence. Findings – The results points to improvements in cost efficiency (CE) and competition within the banking industry. From the empirical estimations, the findings suggest that competition exerts a positive influence on CE. The authors also find evidence of convergence in both technical and CE. Research limitations/implications – The study recommends that efforts at improving competitiveness of the banking industry will translate into lower interest rate spread through improved CE. This will ultimately improve access to bank credit and impact positively on economic growth. Future studies could also examine productivity changes and scale economies in the banking industry. Originality/value – To the authors best knowledge, this is the first study to apply the Boone (2001) indicator in assessing the competitiveness of the Ghanaian banking industry. This is also the first study to examine efficiency convergence within the banking industry in Ghana.

Investigating the role of disaggregated economic freedom measures and FDI on human development in Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 303-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kofi Korle ◽  
Anthony Amoah ◽  
George Hughes ◽  
Paragon Pomeyie ◽  
Godson Ahiabor
Keyword(s):  
Property Rights ◽  
Human Development ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Economic Freedom ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Series Data ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Absorptive Capacities

PurposeThe purpose of the study is to investigate the role of disaggregated economic freedom measures in the foreign direct investment (FDI) and human development nexus.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a panel data of 32 selected African countries from 1996 to 2017. A dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) with fixed effects and instrumental variable (IV) econometric techniques was used to address issues of endogeneity and serial correlation commonly associated with panel time series data.FindingsThe Results indicate that FDI without accounting for absorptive factors has a positive but insignificant effect on human development for the selected African countries. However, FDI has a positive and significant effect on human development when interacted with measures of economic freedom such as investment freedom, business freedom and financial freedom. In contrast, yet plausible, FDI has a negative influence when interacted with property rights, trade freedom, government integrity and tax burden.Practical implicationsThe study posits that to attract FDI into Africa with the purpose of improving human development, relevant absorptive capacities such as business, investment and financial freedom environment are critical. However, excessive capital flight and government interference through taxation and abuse of property rights should be controlled if the continent seeks to promote human development through FDI.Originality/valueThe novelty and originality of the study, are evident in the use of disaggregated measures of economic freedom as comprehensive absorptive capacities to examine how they complement FDI to impact on human development in Africa.

Freedom, competition and bank efficiency in Sub-Saharan Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (6) ◽  
pp. 1359-1380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Sarpong-Kumankoma ◽  
Joshua Abor ◽  
Anthony Q.Q. Aboagye ◽  
Mohammed Amidu
Keyword(s):  
Market Power ◽  
Cost Efficiency ◽  
Stochastic Frontier ◽  
Banking System ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Tobit Regression ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Bank Efficiency ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sub Saharan

Purpose This study aims to consider the effect of financial (banking) freedom and competition on bank efficiency. Design/methodology/approach With data from 11 Sub-Saharan African countries over the period 2006-2012, the study estimates both competition (market power) and bank cost efficiency using the same stochastic frontier framework. Subsequently, Tobit models, including instrumental variable Tobit regression, are used to assess how financial freedom affects the relationship between competition and bank efficiency. Findings The results show that increase in market power (less competition) leads to greater bank cost efficiency, but the effect is weaker with higher levels of financial freedom. This is not consistent with the quiet life hypothesis. Practical implications Policymakers usually take the view that opening up banking markets to greater competition may lead to higher efficiency. However, the results have shown that allowing banks to maintain some level of market power may be necessary to ensure banking system efficiency. Originality/value This study deepens the understanding of the inconsistent relationship between competition and bank efficiency, by using the same framework to measure both competition and efficiency, and by providing new empirical evidence on how the level of financial freedom affects this relationship.

Impact of trade facilitation reforms on tax revenue

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 765-780 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sena Kimm Gnangnon
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Tax Revenue ◽  
Trade Facilitation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The World ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the empirical literature of the macroeconomic effect of trade facilitation reforms by examining the impact of the latter on tax revenue in both developed and developing countries. The relevance of the topic lies on the fact that at the Bali Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2013, Trade Ministers agreed for the first time since the creation of the WTO (in 1995) on an Agreement to facilitate trade around the world, dubbed Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). The study considers both at-the-border and behind-the border measures of Trade Facilitation. Design/methodology/approach To conduct this study, the authors rely on the literature related to the structural factors that explain tax revenue mobilization. The authors mainly use within fixed effects estimator. The analysis relies on 102 countries (of which 23 industrial countries) over the period 2004-2007 (based on data availability). A focus has also been made on African countries, within the sample of developing countries. Findings The empirical analysis suggests evidence of a positive and significant effect of trade facilitation reforms on non-resources tax revenue, irrespective of the sample of countries considered in the analysis. Research limitations/implications This finding should contribute to dampening the fear of policymakers in developing countries, including Africa that the implementation of the TFA would entail higher costs, without necessarily being associated with higher benefits. An avenue for future research would be to extend the period of the study when data would be available. Originality/value To the best of the authors knowledge, this study had not been performed in the literature of the determinants of tax revenue mobilization, although fact-based analysis was performed.

Teacher-principal race and teacher satisfaction over time, region

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 624-639
Author(s):  
Samantha L. Viano ◽  
Seth B. Hunter
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
White Teachers ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Teacher Job Satisfaction ◽  
Southern Region ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Black Principals ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Over Time

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to replicate prior findings on teacher-principal race congruence and teacher job satisfaction and extend the literature by investigating trends over time and if the relationship between race congruence and teacher job satisfaction differs by principal race and region. Design/methodology/approach The study sample comes from four waves of cross-sectional data, the nationally representative Schools and Staffing Survey, administered between 2000 and 2012. The analysis is conducted using ordinary least squares and school-year fixed effects with a comprehensive set of covariates. Findings The relationship between race congruence and teacher job satisfaction is attenuating over time and is likely explained by the lower job satisfaction of white teachers who work for black principals. Some evidence indicates teacher-principal race congruence has greater salience in the Southern region of the country. Find evidence that teachers with race-congruent principals report more workplace support than their non-race congruent colleagues. Research limitations/implications Future studies should investigate why racial congruence has more salience in the Southern region of the country and for white teachers who work with black principals. At the same time, results indicate that teacher-principal race congruence might no longer be a determinant of teacher job satisfaction, although further studies should continue investigating this relationship. Originality/value Findings on the changing nature of the relationship between principal-teacher race congruence and teacher job satisfaction over time as well as the differing nature of race congruence in the Southern region of the country are both novel findings in the literature.

The effects of absent fathers on adolescent criminal activity: an economic approach

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
David M. Zimmer
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Behavior ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Unobserved Heterogeneity ◽  
Criminal Activity ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Absent Fathers ◽  
Lagged Dependent Variable ◽  
Criminal Behaviors ◽  
Least Squares Estimates

Abstract Simple ordinary least squares estimates indicate that absent fathers boost probabilities of adolescent criminal behavior by 16–38%, but those numbers likely are biased by unobserved heterogeneity. This paper first presents an economic model explaining that unobserved heterogeneity. Then turning to empirics, fixed effects, which attempt to address that bias, suggest that absent fathers reduce certain types of adolescent crime, while lagged-dependent variable models suggest the opposite. Those conflicting conclusions are resolved by an approach that combines those two estimators using an orthogonal reparameterization approach, with model parameters calculated using a Bayesian algorithm. The main finding is that absent fathers do not appear to directly affect adolescent criminal activity. Rather, families with absent fathers possess traits that appear to correlate with increased adolescent criminal behaviors.

Threat of hostile takeover and the cost of seasoned equity offerings

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Sheikhbahaei ◽  
Syed Shams
Keyword(s):  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Seasoned Equity Offerings ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Legal Environment ◽  
Hostile Takeover ◽  
Governance Mechanism ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Market Reactions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Equity Offering

PurposeThis paper investigates the relationship between a firm's susceptibility to a hostile takeover and investors' reactions to a seasoned equity offering (SEO).Design/methodology/approachThe study applies ordinary least squares (OLS) with fixed effects regression analyses to a sample of 2,517 observations from US listed companies. Event study methodology was employed to capture market reactions to the announcement of newly issued stocks. To achieve cross-sectional analyses, time variations in takeover laws allowed us to perform the desired tests across two decades of data.FindingsThe results suggest that investors react positively to the announcement of an equity offering when the threat of hostile takeover is higher. The magnitude of positive stock market reactions varies over two decades due to time series variations in takeover laws. Furthermore, the findings show that a higher hostile takeover index (HTI) score reduces investors' concerns about the inefficient usage of proceeds in acquisitions.Practical implicationsThe results demonstrate that the corporate takeover legal environment provides an important external governance mechanism through which investors' confidence increases during an SEO event. The study's empirical evidence implies that the extent of external disciplinary mechanism plays a significant role in reducing investors' uncertainty about the misuse of raised capital.Originality/valueThe exogenous fast-evolving legal environment surrounding the takeover market in the United Status allowed our study to bypass the endogeneity concerns in measuring governance strength. From the review of prior literature, this paper appears to be the first to use HTI scores to examine investors' reactions to a corporate announcement.

The effects of corporate disclosure on firm value and firm performance: evidence from Turkey

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hüseyin Temiz
Keyword(s):  
Firm Performance ◽  
Firm Value ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Corporate Disclosure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Regulatory Bodies ◽  
Transparency And Disclosure ◽  
The Cost

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of firms’ disclosure practices on firm value and firm performance. Design/methodology/approach Firms’ disclosure scores were calculated based on unique hand-collected data by using the S&P transparency and disclosure index (S&P TD index). Ordinary least squares with year/firm fixed effects and two-stage least square methods were used to test the hypothesis. Findings It is observed that firms’ disclosure scores have positive and statistically significant effects on firm value. However, firms’ disclosure scores do not have significant effects on firm performance. This result is mostly observed in sub-categories of the index. Practical implications Results show that disclosed information has an impact on firm value. Therefore, standardization and increasing the reliability of this information are necessary for both information users and firms. It is important to standardize the information published by the firms and to increase their reliability by implementing new regulations by regulatory bodies in Turkey. Social implications Firms bear the costs due to their disclosure practices. However, the benefits derived from this situation may be higher than the cost incurred. Hence, it is suggested that firms that are traded in Turkey consider this in the determination of their disclosure policy. Originality/value This is the first study that investigates the effects of firms’ disclosure scores on both firm value and firm performance by using the S&P TD index in the Turkish context.

scholarly journals The state of business sustainability reporting in sub-Saharan Africa: an agenda for policy and practice

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol A. Tilt ◽  
Wei Qian ◽  
Sanjaya Kuruppu ◽  
Dinithi Dissanayake
Keyword(s):  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
New Institutional Economics ◽  
The State ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Sub Saharan

Purpose Developing countries experience their own social, political and environmental issues, but surprisingly limited papers have examined sustainability reporting in these regions, notably in sub-Saharan Africa. To fill this gap and understand the state of sustainability reporting in sub-Saharan Africa, this paper aims to investigate the current state of reporting, identifies the major motivations and barriers for reporting and suggests an agenda of future issues that need to be considered by firms, policymakers and academics. Design/methodology/approach This paper includes analysis of reporting practices in 48 sub-Saharan African countries using the lens of New Institutional Economics. It comprises three phases of data collection and analysis: presentation of overall reporting data collected and provided by Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). analysis of stand-alone sustainability reports using qualitative data analysis and interviews with key report producers. Findings The analysis identifies key issues that companies in selected sub-Saharan African countries are grappling within their contexts. There are significant barriers to reporting but institutional mechanisms, such as voluntary reporting frameworks, provide an important bridge between embedding informal norms and changes to regulatory requirements. These are important for the development of better governance and accountability mechanisms. Research limitations/implications Findings have important implications for policymakers and institutions such as GRI in terms of regulation, outreach and localised training. More broadly, global bodies such as GRI and IIRC in a developing country context may require more local knowledge and support. Limitations include limited data availability, particularly for interviews, which means that these results are preliminary and provide a basis for further work. Practical implications The findings of this paper contribute to the knowledge of sustainability reporting in this region, and provide some policy implications for firms, governments and regulators. Originality/value This paper is one of only a handful looking at the emerging phenomenon of sustainability reporting in sub-Saharan African countries.

Determinants of IFRS compliance in Africa: analysis of stakeholder attributes

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 573-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Tawiah ◽  
Pran Boolaky
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
Corporate Boards ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Significant Positive Association ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Compliance ◽  
Chartered Accountants

Purpose This paper aims to examine the drivers of companies’ compliance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) using the stakeholder salience theory. Design/methodology/approach The authors have used panel data from 205 companies to examine the IFRS compliance level across 13 African countries. This study has also established the relationship between stakeholders’ attributes and firms’ compliance with IFRS. Findings On IFRS compliance, the authors found that the average compliance score among the companies over the period was 73.09 per cent, with a minimum score of 62.86 per cent and a maximum of 85.61 per cent. The authors found a significant positive association between audit committee competence and compliance, as well as among chartered accountants on board. There is less compliance with the latest standards, such as IFRS 3, 7 and 13. Also, IAS 17, 19, 36 and 37 are problematic across the sample. The authors also found that compliance has been increasing over the years. Practical implications For companies, this study provides empirical evidence on the importance of having chartered accountants’ corporate boards, as well as competent audit committees involved in ensuring high compliance with IFRS. The findings also provide valuable information for professional accounting organizations on the role of their members (chartered accountants) in the effectiveness of IFRS compliance. Originality/value This study complements and updates prior studies on IFRS compliance with findings from Africa, a region that has been neglected in the literature. It provides empirical evidence on the importance of chartered accountants sitting on corporate boards in ensuring high compliance with IFRS.

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