Working capital as a firm performance savior? Evidence from Scandinavian countries

This study examined the relationship between working capital management (WCM) and firm performance in Scandinavian markets from 2007 to 2020. The initial data set comprised 8821 observations; only 5331 yearly observations remained after data filtration. The data are extracted from a reliable Bloomberg database. This empirical study adopts a multiple regression analysis for unbalanced panel data on Scandinavian markets, reporting an inverse relationship between WCM and firm performance measured through return on assets, gross operating income, and market-to-book value ratio. The control variables also showed a significant relationship order. To assess the robustness of our baseline regression results, we considered various indicators, (i) including alternative measures of firm performance, (ii) excluding the 2008 global financial crisis period, and (ii) running all countries in one equation as a group analysis. This study adds to the existing literature and outlines how efficient WCM can help managers to improve firm performance.     

Trade credit and financial crises in Kazakhstan

This paper studies the trade credit and delinquency behavior in Kazakhstan paying attention to the effects of two recent crises using a unique dataset of large firms and SMEs from the year 2009 to 2016. Our estimates suggest that the relationship between trade and bank credit is mainly substitutional except that it was complementary for large firms following the year 2014–5 crisis. This new piece of evidence on the non-uniform relationship between trade and bank credit during crisis might provide more insight into the mixed findings in the literature. We also discern that trade credit demand is more prevalent among capital-intensive firms. Kazakhstani firms pass along a sizeable portion of their delinquent receivable to their trade credit suppliers. The transmission of trade credit delinquency, additionally, is amplified during the year 2014–5 economic crisis but the year 2009 global financial crisis.     

Imitation,performance feedback,and outward foreign direct investments by emerging market firms

Extending the rational-based perspective of imitation, this study investigates how emerging market firms (EMFs) selectively imitate the frequency of outward foreign direct investment from two theoretically connected role models, i.e., large firms in an industry and board-interlocked firms. We posit that large and board-interlocked firms have differential values in endowing legitimacy and providing information because of their differences in terms of visibility to outsiders and value of acquired information. Using performance feedback as a moderator, we also indicate that EMFs performing above aspiration level decrease their imitation of large firms and board-interlocked firms. We also find that EMFs performing below aspiration level are more likely to imitate interlocked firms but less likely to imitate large firms.     

Interactive R&D spillovers: An estimation strategy based on forecasting-driven model selection

This paper proposes an estimation strategy that exploits recent non-parametric panel data methods that allow for a multifactor error structure and extends a recently proposed data-driven model-selection procedure, which has its roots in cross validation and aims to test whether two competing approximate models are equivalent in terms of their expected true error. We extend this procedure to a large panel data framework by using moving block bootstrap resampling techniques in order to preserve cross-sectional dependence in the bootstrapped samples. Such an estimation strategy is illustrated by revisiting an analysis of international technology diffusion. Model selection procedures clearly conclude in the superiority of a fully non-parametric (non-additive) specification over parametric and even semi-parametric (additive) specifications. This work also refines previous results by showing threshold effects, non-linearities, and interactions that are obscured in parametric specifications and which have relevant implications for policy.