Off-balance sheet activities and cost inefficiency in Taiwan's Banks

In this study, we adopt a stochastic cost frontier method to investigate the influence of off-balance sheet (OBS) activities on the cost efficiency of Taiwan's banks. We estimate and compare cost inefficiency with or without OBS outputs of 46 Taiwanese commercial banks during the period, 1998 through 2001. The conclusions of this empirical study are as follows. First, omitting off-balance sheet outputs in estimating the cost frontier function of banks results in an underestimation of bank efficiency by approximately 5 per cent. Second, large banks are associated with a higher cost efficiency and have an increased ability to develop OBS activities. This is consistent with Taiwan's regulatory policies, which focus on promoting efficiency in the banking industry of emerging markets. Banks with higher employee productivity are also more cost efficient. Finally, we observe evidence of economies of scale in both models with or without OBS specification in Taiwan's bank industry. Economies of scope between loans and OBS outputs are also observed.     

Efficiency of service delivery systems in large commercial banks

This article provides novel empirical evidence on the cross-sectional variation of the productive efficiency of large banks relative to their service delivery systems. The analysis is conducted using data drawn from a sample of 118 large U.S. commercial banks for the years 1989 through 1991. The analysis reveals that centralized service delivery systems increase bank costs significantly. In no case was it found that centralized service delivery systems reduce costs, as is often envisioned by proponents of centralization. It is also found that centralized back-office operations tend to reduce costs significantly and are consistent with the existence of scale economies in bank back-office operations. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Cost efficiency and the effect of mergers on the Taiwanese banking industry

This study addresses the cost efficiency, economies of scale and scope of the Taiwanese banking industry, specifically focusing on how bank mergers affect cost efficiency. Adopting stochastic frontier analysis, we employ a translog cost function for efficiency estimation. Composite error terms are used to account for managerial inefficiency and environmental effects. Empirical results suggest that economies of scale and scope exist at small and medium-sized banks. Meanwhile, government-owned or -controlled banks are the most cost efficient. Non-performing loans increase the inefficiency of the banking sector by just under 10 per cent. Further analysis reveals that bank merger activity is positively related to cost efficiency. Mergers can enhance cost efficiency, even though the number of bank employees does not decline. The banks involved in mergers are generally small and were established after the banking sector was deregulated.     

Non-Interest Income and Bank Efficiency in Ghana: A Two-Stage DEA Bootstrapping Approach

This paper examines the effect of the inclusion of non-interest income on efficiency and economies of scale of Ghanaian banks in a two-stage analysis. The data envelopment analysis technique is employed to estimate efficiency scores with and without non-interest income of 26 Ghanaian banks from 2003 to 2011 in the first-stage analysis. In the second stage, a truncated bootstrapped regression is estimated to examine the effect of contextual variables on bootstrapped efficiency scores. The findings indicate that the exclusion of non-interest income as output variable leads to the under-estimation of efficiency scores. From the second-stage regression analysis, we find a curve-linear relationship between bank size and efficiency to suggest that bank efficiency increases as size also increase due to economies of scale but only up to an optimal point after which inefficiency sets. Market concentration, leverage, and loan loss provisions are also identified as the other significant determinants of efficiency. Policy implications for improving bank efficiency are discussed.     

The impact of scale effects on the prevailing internet-based banking model in the US

Internet-based banks use a technology-intensive production process that may benefit from scale effects as they grow larger. This article analyzes whether the predominant Internet-primary bank in the USA generates technology-based economies of scale in the period 2002–2010. There is evidence of both favorable and adverse technology-based scale effects. As the leading Internet-primary bank gets larger, the financial performance gap with traditional banks shrinks while some of its critical competitive advantages wear down. The results suggest that unless the prevailing Internet-primary bank preserves the distinctive advantages of the Internet-based business model as it improves financial performance, it might end up converging with its branching competitors.     

全能银行范围经济的实证分析

从实证角度分析全能银行范围经济的存在。通过收入增长模型实证并回归检验了全能银行的范围经济特性,并计量出其范围经济系数,得到全能银行存在范围经济的有力证据。实践中对全球著名五家全能银行进行回归分析,并拟合中国自己的全能银行进行回归验证,得到拟合程度非常高的回归检验结果。由此得出结论:中国是可以发展自己的全能银行的,不仅具有现实基础且可产生显著的范围经济。     

Foreign Exchange Intervention in Emerging Markets: A Survey of Empirical Studies

Nowadays foreign exchange interventions occur in emerging market economies, whereas empirical studies on interventions mainly refer to advanced economies. However, interventions in emerging markets are different from those in advanced economies: they occur ‘regularly’ and central banks have considerable leverage, derived from relatively high reserves, some non‐sterilisation, the central bank’s information advantage and capital controls. Consequently, these interventions often successfully impact the level and volatility of exchange rates. Nevertheless, more research on interventions in emerging markets is needed analysing the influence of heterogeneous institutional circumstances, examining the role of central bank communication and using high‐frequency data.     

Bank Performance and Credit Availability in the Bulgarian Banking Sector, 1997-2001

Abstract

The 1997 financial crisis wiped out 30% of the Bulgarian banking sector and created severe strains on corporations. With the establishment of the currency board in 1997 and the new Banking Law, which set the legal framework for proper bank supervision, major Bulgarian banks were rapidly privatized through sales to foreigners, now controlling around 80% of bank assets. Since 1997, the Bulgarian banking sector has recovered from the crisis by improving its profitability and efficiency and adopted a legal framework compatible with the European Union standards. Based on a regression analysis of bank balance sheets and income statements, this paper shows that low level of credit volume during 1997-1999 derived from banks' cautious stance towards credit making reflecting both the ongoing risks in the real sector, and the stringent new banking regulations. Large banks, however, benefited from scale economies in improving profitability in the same period.     

Efficiency,scale and scope economies in the Ukrainian banking sector in 1998

This paper evaluates the current development of the Ukrainian banking system. The research was concentrated on the evaluation of cost and profit efficiency and scale and scope economies for 79 from 168 Ukrainian commercial banks in 1998. There is evidence that small banks operate more efficiently in cost terms but are less efficient in profit terms and furthermore, there is a substantial difference in scale economies between small and large banks. Large banks show significant diseconomies of scale while small ones show significant scale economies. This result could suggest that current technology in the financial sector does not allow efficient growth and concentration of the financial sector in Ukraine.     

Diversification,efficiency and risk of banks: Evidence from emerging economies

This paper examines the impact of business diversification of banks on their risk, with efficiency taken into consideration as a conduit. Using bank-level data from more than 1000 commercial banks in 39 emerging economies during the period of 2000–2016, we find that increased business diversification exerts two competing effects on bank risk. The direct effect of increased diversification bolsters the stability of banks, but it is offset by the indirect effect whereby lowered efficiency, which is resulted from higher diversification, increases the riskiness of banks. Thus, the overall benefits from bank business diversification on bank stability rely on the trade-off of the two competing forces.     

Bank competition in Russia: An examination at different levels of aggregation

We analyze bank competition in Russia at different levels of aggregation. First, we compute a country-level measure of competition and compare it to that for similar-sized economies. Second, we contrast competition across different groups of banks in Russia. Third, we analyze bank competition across Russian regions. We find that banks in Russia are less competitive than those in Brazil, but more so than those in China and India. Large and state-owned banks exert more market power than others. Finally, competition is stronger in regions where there is less bank concentration, greater presence of banks, and greater financial and/or economic development.     

Political Connection,Bank Credits and Growth: Evidence from Turkey

The pervasive existence of government‐owned banks in emerging economies is often justified by their provision of access to credit in remote and underdeveloped regions that are ignored by private banks. This paper analyses whether credits provided by government‐owned and private banks have a significant role in regional growth and whether this role changes in politically connected areas in Turkey. Our findings imply that private banks significantly improve the economic well‐being in all Turkish provinces regardless of their development level or their political connection with the ruling party. However, credits by government‐owned banks are found to be positively related to the per capita growth rate only in the less developed provinces that are advocates of the ruling political party and also developed but not politically connected provinces. These results suggest that government‐owned bank credits, as implied by the political view, are used for funding politically desirable projects or politically connected borrowers.     

Retail bank selection in developed and developing countries: A cross‐national study of students' bank‐selection criteria

This exploratory research article is concerned with students' selection of retail banks in the United States and Ghana. It is a comparative cross‐national study aimed at revealing the factors determining retail bank selection among students in different environmental settings. The key objective is to establish if there are any significant differences and/or similarities in students' selection of retail banks in developed and developing economies. A similar data‐collection method was employed in the United States and Ghana to facilitate constructive comparison. The results identified four key factors—convenience, competence, recommendation by parents, and free banking and/or no bank charges—to be consistent across the two economies. The recommendation of the study is that in the context of an open and liberalized market environment, retail bank marketing strategies should be standardized irrespective of the national development stage. It concludes that retail bank managers particularly in developing countries should learn to provide consistent and good customer care. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Impact of the Financial Crisis on Cross‐Border Mergers and Acquisitions and Concentration in the Global Banking Industry

The global banking industry has seen dramatic changes in the past 40 years. Most recently, the financial liberalization of emerging markets and the global financial crisis have significantly impacted the market share of banks worldwide. This article investigates the impact of the 2007–2008 financial crisis on cross‐border mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in the banking sector and emphasizes the role of emerging‐market banks in the postcrisis consolidation trend. Using M&A data and concentration data over the period 2000–2013, our analysis indicates that the financial crisis had a significant impact on worldwide M&As, especially on the direction of the transactions. Emerging‐market banks appear to be major acquirers in the postcrisis period, targeting both neighboring countries and developed economies in Europe. We also observe an increase in bank concentration in developed markets most hit by the financial crisis, especially in the United States and the United Kingdom, whereas bank concentration decreased in emerging markets. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Financial openness,disclosure and bank risk-taking in MENA countries

In this paper, we analyze the risk-taking behavior of banks in emerging economies in a context of international capital mobility. Our paper highlights a new channel through which depositors can exercise pressure to control risk-taking. Depositors can reallocate their savings away from their home country to the more protective system of a developed economy. We recover a classical result according to which increased competition resulting from more international financial openness induces banks to take excessive risks. We find however that sufficiently high financial openness is necessary for a positive link between financial transparency and safe risk management. Finally, we test the relationship between disclosure, financial openness and bank risk-taking for a panel of 258 banks from the MENA region and Turkey.     

信用证项下受益人面临来自银行的风险分析

信用证结算方式中,开证行以其自身信用担保,极大地减少了付款不确定性,是出口商获取货款的一种较为安全和稳妥的方式。但由于银行所处的环境、本身的资信、技术的操作等问题,受益人经常遭遇偿付风险。通过案例,分析受益人面临来自银行的具体风险,按性质可分为基本风险和特定风险,特定风险又可分为欺诈性风险和非欺诈性风险。     

Accounting Frauds and Main-Bank Monitoring in Japanese Corporations

This study examines whether the delegated monitoring of main banks effectively decreases severe agency problems. For example, this includes accounting fraud in bank-dominated corporate governance. In this context, the fraud triangle specifies the three main factors of opportunity, incentive, and rationalization. Main banks may reduce the factor of opportunity through actions such as monitoring, which plays a moderating role by reducing the potential for managerial misconduct, whereas, the incentive factor may be enhanced through the subsequent pressure that influences managers to force turnover when they do not repay debts. The potential influence that the main banks have on the fraud rationalization factor may be stronger in firms that are more dependent on main-bank borrowing. This study analyzed data from publicly listed firms in Japan for the period between 2008 and 2016 to determine how main-bank relationships affected accounting fraud, thus allowing an assessment of delegated monitoring practices. Findings showed that main-bank relationships were helpful for reducing accounting fraud, suggesting its overall effectiveness in delegated monitoring. Results also showed that large audit firms did not necessarily prevent accounting fraud, which implies that main banks can employ their own monitoring as a substitute for the roles typically played by these firms. Here, the main policy implication is that main-bank relationships may strengthen business ethics in the context of bank-dominated corporate governance. In conclusion, the continued analysis of bank monitoring may benefit stakeholders while strengthening business ethics in bank-centered economies.

     

Surviving the transition: Central European bank executives’ view of environmental changes

Executives of ten large banks in three Central European transition economies were interviewed concerning their views of environmental changes. The study sought to identify environmental sectors that were important and uncertain for the bank executives. Central European bankers perceived customers, competitors, economic, and regulatory environmental sectors more uncertain than international and technological factors, sociocultural issues, and new entrants. We found that executives of banks with poor prior performance viewed environmental changes as threats rather than as opportunities.     

Capital adequacy and asset securitization: an assessment of the world's central banks

National banking systems around the world are subject to disruption through the failure of a single institution. To lessen this risk, regulations governing bank definition, capital adequacy, overdraft operations, and asset securitization are needed. This article reports on these four issues and concludes that (1) the definition of a bank varies widely between nations; (2) some central banks do not require that sufficient capital be maintained to attenuate the effect of internal or external shocks; (3) overdraft operations, where allowed, often result in a high degree of system risk; and (4) off-balance sheet financing operations may not be as risky as first was reported.     

我国商业银行并购前景与机制完善

并购是商业银行实现规模经营增强竞争能力的重要手段.面对全球银行业并购浪潮和2006年底我国金融业开放时间表的临近,涉及我国商业银行的并购案在过去几年已经明显增加.本文以我国近年来银行业并购现状为切入点,总结当前我国商业银行并购的特征,分析展望我国银行业并购前景,指出要加快我国银行业并购步伐,有关部门还需创造更加有利的条件,从外部环境和内部条件两方面共同完善我国商业银行并购机制.