How Do SMEs with Single and Multiple Owners Finance Their Operations Differently? Empirical Evidence from China

We study the impact of firm‐level characteristics on the capital structures of private small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as the differences between the capital structures adopted by SMEs with single and multiple owners in China. Our findings highlight the limited use of asset‐based financing by Chinese SMEs. We also find that the propensity of SMEs with single‐owners to use external debt was significantly less than those with multiple owners. Furthermore, our findings suggest that single‐owned firms are subject to a more constrained pecking order than those with multiple owners. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Relationship lending and SME financing in the continental European bank-based system

This paper analyzes the relationship between banks and SMEs in the continental European bank-based system. We find that SMEs with longer bank relationships have enhanced access to loans, but at the same time they bear a higher cost for their debt. We also find that firms maintaining two bank relationships get the cheapest debt, which establishes a limit for the degree of concentration of bank relationships. Our results also show that the existence of trust between firm and bank improves access to financing and reduces the borrowing costs, whereas it increases the likelihood that guarantees will have to be provided. As a consequence, it seems that a relationship based on trust is a better strategy to improve SMEs’ access to finance than the establishment of longer or more concentrated relationships.     

Credit Risk Assessment and Relationship Lending: An Empirical Analysis of German Small and Medium‐Sized Enterprises*

We estimate a logit scoring model for the prediction of the probability of default by German small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) using a unique data set on SME loans in Germany. Our scoring model helps SMEs to gain knowledge about their default risk, which can be used to approximate their risk adequate cost of debt. This knowledge is likely to lead to a detection of hold‐up problems that German SMEs might be confronted with in their bank relationships. Furthermore, it allows them to monitor their bank’s pricing behavior and it reduces information asymmetries between lenders and borrowers. Finally, it can influence their future financing decisions toward capital market‐based financing.     

The impact of firm and industry characteristics on small firms’ capital structure

We study the impact of firm and industry characteristics on small firms’ capital structure, employing a proprietary database containing financial statements of Dutch small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from 2003 to 2005. The firm characteristics suggest that the capital structure decision is consistent with the pecking-order theory: Dutch SMEs use profits to reduce their debt level, and growing firms increase their debt position since they need more funds. We further document that profits reduce in particular short-term debt, whereas growth increases long-term debt. We also find that inter- and intra-industry effects are important in explaining small firms’ capital structure. Industries exhibit different average debt levels, which is in line with the trade-off theory. Furthermore, there is substantial intra-industry heterogeneity, showing that the degree of industry competition, the degree of agency conflicts, and the heterogeneity in employed technology are also important drivers of capital structure.     

融资约束条件下我国中小板上市公司投资效率测度

文章以我国中小企业板上市公司为研究对象,从企业经理人追求利润最大化行为出发构建中小企业的投资支出模型。不同于已有文献仅从投资-现金流敏感性角度入手的实证研究,文章的研究方法无需对样本公司进行分组,而且可以定量测度融资约束条件下的公司投资效率问题。实证结果表明：由于融资约束的存在,使得我国中小板上市公司实际投资支出最优水平低;现金流的增加不仅可以缓解融资约束压力,还能够降低融资不确定性,债务融资比例越高,融资约束越大,进一步加剧了未来融资时的不确定性;我国中小板上市公司融资约束程度与企业规模呈负相关关系,且投资效率随时间呈现下降趋势,意味着近年来我国出台的一系列旨在改善中小企业融资难的政策措施,在实践中并没有起到有效缓解融资约束的作用。     

The Effects of Ownership Structure on Corporate Financing Decisions: Evidence from Stock Market Liberalization

We analyze the impact of firm‐specific stock market liberalization events on the capital structure and debt maturity decisions of firms from emerging market economies. We differentiate between firms based on their ownership structures at the time of liberalization and analyze their post‐liberalization behavior regarding corporate financing decisions. Our empirical results show that single–class‐share firms (typically with stronger corporate governance and better information environments) respond differently to their dual–class‐share counterparts. Liberalization results in lower debt reliance for the former group while the latter lengthen the maturity of their debt portfolios. Jel Classification: F30; G15; G32.     

Capital structure decision making: A model for family business

Most theoretical and empirical studies of capital structure focus on public corporations. Only a limited number of studies on capital structure have been conducted on small-to-medium size enterprises (SMEs), and this deficiency is particularly evident in investigations into factors that influence funding decisions of family business owners.Theory indicates that there is a complex array of factors that influence SME owner-managers' financing decisions. Recent family business literature suggests that these processes are influenced by firm owners' attitudes toward the utility of debt as a form of funding as moderated by external environmental conditions (e.g., financial and market considerations).A number of other factors have been shown to influence financing decisions including culture; entrepreneurial characteristics; entrepreneurs' prior experiences in capital structure; business goals; business life-cycle issues; preferred ownership structures; views regarding control, debt–equity ratios, and short- vs. long-term debt; age and size of the firm; sources of funding for growth; attitudes toward debt financing; issues relating to independence and control; and perceived risk and attitudes toward personal risk.Although these factors have been identified, until now there does not appear to have been any attempts to develop empirically-based models that show relationships between these factors and family business owners' financing decisions. Utilizing theories derived from divergent disciplines, this study develops an empirically tested structural equation model of financing antecedents of family businesses. Participants of our study involved a random sample of 5000 business owners who were mailed a 250-item Australian Family and Private Business questionnaire developed specifically for this investigation.Notably, our findings reveal that firm size, family control, business planning, and business objectives are significantly associated with debt. Small family businesses and owners who do not have formal planning processes in place tend to rely on family loans as a source of finance. However, family businesses in the service industry (e.g., retailers and wholesalers) are less likely to use family loans as are those owners who are planning to achieve growth through new products or process development. Use of capital and retained profits is likely for family businesses planning to achieve growth through an increase in sales but less is likely for family businesses in the manufacturing sector and lifestyle firms. In addition, debt and family loans are negatively related to capital and retained profits. Equity is a consideration for owners of large businesses, young firms, and owners who plan to achieve growth through increasing profit margins. However, equity is less likely to be a consideration for older family business owners and owners who have a preference for retaining family control.Our findings suggest that the interplay between multiple social, family, and financial factors is complex. In addition, our findings indicate the importance of utilizing theories that also help to explain behavioral factors (e.g., owners' needs to be in control) that affect financial structure decision-making processes. Practitioners and researchers should consider the dynamic interplay among business characteristics (e.g., size or industry), behavioral aspects of business financing (e.g., business objectives), and financial factors (e.g., gearing levels) when working with and researching family enterprises.     

非上市中小企业资本结构的决定因素分析

本文利用11723家非上市中小企业的财务数据,分析反映企业特征的因素与财务杠杆之间的关系。研究发现,在全体中小企业、国有中小企业以及民营中小企业,企业规模对长期负债率和总负债率产生正的影响,盈利性对长期负债率和总负债率产生负的影响,资产的有形性对长期负债率具有正的影响,而与总负债率之间呈负相关关系。成长性仅对全体企业和民营企业的资本结构具有一定的影响,而非债务税盾的影响较弱。企业规模、盈利性和资产的有形性是中小企业资本结构的重要影响因素。研究结果基本上支持权衡理论和优序融资理论的观点。     

How did the notional interest deduction affect Belgian SMEs’ capital structure?

The recently introduced risk capital allowance in Belgium, which allows a notional interest deduction (to be denoted NID hereafter) on a firm’s adjusted equity for tax purposes, has mitigated the tax discrepancy between equity and debt financing. To our knowledge, we provide the first empirical study of the extent to which this regulation has resulted in a strengthening of small and medium sized enterprises’ (to be denoted SMEs hereafter) solvency, which was one of its most prominent objectives. Results from logit regressions reveal that the probability of adopting the NID is higher for lowly leveraged SMEs, SMEs without experience with the tax-exempt investment reserve and SMEs with a sound knowledge of the notional interest deduction regulation. Results on the impact of the NID on the capital structure of SMEs based on panel and first differences regressions reveal that this measure did not result in a significant change of SMEs’ leverage. In view of the discussion regarding the optimal tax and legislative framework that governments should put in place (Poutziouris et al., J Small Bus Enterp Dev 6(1):7–25, 1999), these results cast doubt on the risk capital allowance, as it stands now, being the right government instrument to contribute—at least in the short term—to creating a pro-enterprising tax and legislative climate for SMEs. We conclude by providing some general suggestions for improving the effectiveness of the risk capital allowance.     

SMES' FINANCING, Hard Nut to Be Cracked?

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are a crucial driving force for innovation,employment and development and the engines of growth in an economy. But as the sector is characterized by information asymmetries and high processing costs, banks are reluctant to lend to SMEs, which have long faced difficulties in financing. Amid capital depletion, risk aversion and credit contraction in the current global economic crisis, the issue of financing for SMEs isa pressing issue for all nations, which isnot exceptional to China.     

Determinants of capital structure in Irish SMEs

This paper presents an empirical examination of determinants of the capital structure of a sample of 299 Irish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Results suggest that age, size, level of intangible activity, ownership structure and the provision of collateral are important determinants of the capital structure in SMEs. A generalisation of Zellner’s (Journal of the American Statistical Association 57, 348–368, 1962) seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) approach is used to examine industry effects and to test the stability of parameter estimates across sectors. We find that the influence of age, size, ownership structure and provision of collateral is similar across industry sectors, indicating the universal effect of information asymmetries. Firms overcome the lack of adequate collateralisable firm assets in two ways: by providing personal assets as collateral for business debt, and by employing additional external equity to finance research and development projects.     

Long-term debt maturity and financing constraints of SMEs during the Global Financial Crisis

We use the recent financial crisis to investigate financing constraints of private small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Belgium. We hypothesize that SMEs with a large proportion of long-term debt maturing at the start of the crisis had difficulties to renew their loans due to the negative credit supply shock, and hence could invest less. We find a substantial variation in the maturity structure of long-term debt. Firms which at the start of the crisis had a larger part of their long-term debt maturing within the next year experienced a significantly larger drop in investments in 2009. This effect is driven by firms which are ex ante more likely to be financially constrained. Consistent with a causal effect of a credit supply shock to corporate investments, we find no effect in “placebo” periods without a negative credit supply shock.     

资产规模、融资路径与商业信用供给

现有文献就企业规模对企业商业信用供给有不同的研究结论,说明这一方面的研究还有待完善。本文结合数理模型和实证研究,分析不同企业规模下,融资路径不同对企业商业信用供给的影响。研究发现,我国中小企业在发展未达到一定规模之前,受市场竞争劣势影响,需要提供大量商业信用来维持市场生存和发展,而此时由于我国金融系统对中小企业的信贷歧视,获得银行信贷支持比较少,因此需要大量的商业信用融资来支持商业信用提供。随着商业信用融资的增加,融资成本提高,最终导致商业信用提供力度逐步下降。当企业发展超出一定规模后,银行信贷支持逐步增强,企业可以用银行信用替代成本更高的商业信用融资,导致商业信用融资逐步下降,同时也使得企业提供商业信用的能力上升。文章研究结论表明,商业信用提供与企业规模之间的关系不是简单的线性关系,而是一个二次函数关系。     

Cost of Capital Under Local Constraint on Debt Financing:

A unique constraint on financing of direct foreign investment by MNCs IS a total or partial prohibition on debt financ- ing in many Islamic countries. This paper analyzes the implications of such a conslraint for an MNC's financing and investment deci- sions. The comparative investment levels under alternative financing instruments based on profit and loss sharing (PLS) contracts are examined considering the effects of market imperfections and secu- rity related differences with reference to the existing literature on capital structure. The analysis shows that when debt financing is constrained the cost of capital to a firm will be higher and the invest- ment levels lower.     

The influence of age on SMEs’ growth determinants: empirical evidence

This paper seeks to investigate whether age is a fundamental characteristic of the relationships between determinants and growth. The empirical evidence obtained allows us to conclude that: (1) age and size are restrictive factors of the growth of young SMEs, but they are not important for the growth of old SMEs; (2) cash flow and debt are of greater relative importance for growth in young SMEs than for growth in old SMEs; (3) R&D intensity and labour productivity are of greater relative importance for growth in old SMEs than for growth in young SMEs; (4) interest on debt is of greater relative importance for diminished growth in young SMEs than for diminished growth in old SMEs; and (5) R&D intensity in situations of financial deficit is of greater relative importance for diminished growth in young SMEs than for diminished growth in old SMEs, but only in context of high-tech SMEs.     

产品市场竞争与资本结构的战略决策

“有限负债效应”理论指出,企业提高财务杠杆导致了产出的增加,但很多实证研究却难以支持这一结论。本文分析了在上游企业外部规模效应较强的情况下,企业债务融资战略效应为负的理由,证明了不存在外部规模效应是债务融资战略的重要条件。企业的融资行为深受财务危机的影响,其中企业规模、产业集中度、产品专用性、R&D支出和行业前景是决定财务危机成本大小的关键变量,因此,以财务危机成本为依据进行决策,企业会自我限制债务水平。由此,企业资本结构的决策应从产品市场竞争状况去考虑,这对我国企业融资决策有重要意义。     

Financing the small firm

This study presents a framework to delineate financing the small firm. Special consideration is given to small firms' unique financing sources such as trade and bank credit, entrepreneur's own resources, informal investment, and venture capital. The small firm has limited or no access to many traditional debt and equity markets that supply long term financing to the corporate world, and therefore operates in segmented and imperfect financial markets. The links between small firms' financing opportunities and managerial goals are traced from the start-up stage through establishing a mature firm. As the small firm matures, it operates in a broader financial market. This study establishes the foundation for future empirical research.     

SMEs,foreign direct investment and financial constraints: The case of Belgium

This paper explores the problems experienced by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with international ambitions in gaining access to debt and equity finance for foreign direct investment (FDI) projects. We develop several arguments for why such small businesses are expected to face severe financing constraints for foreign investments and provide an explorative empirical study with both the demand and supply side of FDI finance. We have interviewed thirty-two Belgian SMEs that carry out FDI, five banks and five venture capitalists. Based on the SME discussions, we have composed a questionnaire that was sent to the interviewed SMEs. The information problems and lack of collateral that often characterize international investment, the home bias of financiers and the capital gearing method used by banks to evaluate small firms’ foreign projects give rise to financial constraints for SMEs’ FDI projects. The reported finance gap hinders small firms’ (international) development and leads to suboptimal home and FDI host country development.     

Top management team characteristics,R&;D investment and capital structure in the IT industry

This paper is based on agency theory, resource-based and upper-echelons perspectives to examine the relationship between R&D investment and capital structure and the moderating effects of top management team (TMT) characteristics on the financing decisions of R&D investment in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Using data for SMEs in Taiwan’s IT industry, we find that (1) SMEs involved in R&D activities tend to have lower debt levels and (2) TMT characteristics exert considerable influence on the R&D investment-financial leverage relationship in SMEs. One important implication of the empirical evidence is that for SMEs trying to compete on the basis of innovation, the TMT characteristics significantly influence financing decisions. As innovative activities increase, the selection and development of top executives, who are responsible for choosing an optimal capital structure that could keep financial costs low while providing sufficient financial resources for maintaining a continuous, uninterrupted rate of R&D, is crucial for SMEs.     

The capital structure and investment decisions of the small owner-managed firm: Some exploratory issues

In the burgeoning literature on small firm financing, the problem of underidentification in respect to the supply of, and demand for, capital has not been fully resolved. In an attempt to progress this issue, the current paper looks at some of the issues influencing the demand for finance in small firms which are owner-managed. The paper is primarily exploratory in nature and argues that a greater emphasis might usefully be placed on the cost of capital dimension in future research into small business financing. In particular, it is suggested that where the objective of an owner-manager is to maintain control of the firm, interdependent investment and financing strategies may be chosen to control the small firms cost of capital. This in turn indicates that the tendency for some small firms to invest sub-optimally and exhibit slower than average growth may not be primarily determined by limitations on their supplies of finance. On the demand side, it may well be that in addition to equity aversion, a suboptimal capital structure decision is made in the form of a reduced demand for debt. In other words, given the level of equity that an owner-manager chooses, debt may not be fully expanded to the capacity limit consistent with value maximisation.