IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/col/000107/015482.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Does ownership structure affect trade credit policy in small- and medium-sized firms? Evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Pengxiang Zhai
  • Rufei Ma

Abstract

This paper examines whether and how ownership structure affects the trade credit policies in small- and medium-sized firms (SMEs) using a sample obtained from a survey of Chinese enterprises. Specifically, we examine how ownership concentration affects SMEs’ use of trade credit through influencing the availability of bank credit. We also examine whether the ownership of the ultimate controller influences the effect of ownership structure on trade credit. The results show that there is a significant negative relation between bank credit and trade credit when most of the firms’ shares are controlled by a dominant shareholder, indicating that concentrated ownership may lower firms’ ability to access bank credit, and SMEs use trade credit as a substitute for unavailable bank credit. The results also show that the effect of ownership concentration on the aforementioned relation is significant in private and state-controlled SMEs but not in foreign-controlled SMEs. Overall, our results suggest that ownership structure plays an important role in determining SMEs’ trade credit policies. ****** Resumen Este artículo analiza cómo afecta la estructura de propiedad las políticas de crédito comercial en las pequenas y medianas empresas (PYME) por medio de una muestra que se ha obtenido de una encuesta a empresas chinas. Específicamente se examina cómo la concentración de la propiedad afecta al uso del crédito comercial de las PYME al influir en la disponibilidad del crédito bancario. Asimismo, se estudia si la propiedad del controlador último influye en el efecto de la estructura de la propiedad en el crédito comercial. Los resultados revelan que existe una relación negativa significativa entre el crédito bancario y el crédito comercial cuando la mayoría de las acciones de la empresa son controladas por un accionista mayoritario, lo que indica que la propiedad concentrada podría reducir la capacidad de las empresas para acceder a créditos bancarios, y que las PYME utilizan el crédito comercial como sustituto del crédito bancario no disponible. Asimismo, se observa que el efecto de la concentración de la propiedad en esta relación es relevante en las PYME privadas y estatales, pero no en las PYME de control externo. En conjunto, los resultados sugieren que la estructura de propiedad desempena un papel importante para determinar las políticas de crédito comercial de las PYME.

Suggested Citation

  • Pengxiang Zhai & Rufei Ma, 2017. "Does ownership structure affect trade credit policy in small- and medium-sized firms? Evidence from China," Revista ESPE - Ensayos Sobre Política Económica, Banco de la República, vol. 35(83), pages 130-138, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:col:000107:015482
    DOI: 10.1016/j.espe.2017.01.001
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.espe.2017.01.001
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.espe.2017.01.001?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lin, Tsung-Te & Chou, Jian-Hsin, 2015. "Trade credit and bank loan: Evidence from Chinese firms," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 17-29.
    2. Casey, Eddie & O'Toole, Conor M., 2014. "Bank lending constraints, trade credit and alternative financing during the financial crisis: Evidence from European SMEs," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 173-193.
    3. Choi, Woon Gyu & Kim, Yungsan, 2005. "Trade Credit and the Effect of Macro-Financial Shocks: Evidence from U.S. Panel Data," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 40(4), pages 897-925, December.
    4. Petersen, Mitchell A & Rajan, Raghuram G, 1997. "Trade Credit: Theories and Evidence," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 10(3), pages 661-691.
    5. Fabbri, Daniela & Menichini, Anna Maria C., 2010. "Trade credit, collateral liquidation, and borrowing constraints," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(3), pages 413-432, June.
    6. Mike Burkart & Tore Ellingsen, 2004. "In-Kind Finance: A Theory of Trade Credit," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(3), pages 569-590, June.
    7. Garcia-Appendini, Emilia & Montoriol-Garriga, Judit, 2013. "Firms as liquidity providers: Evidence from the 2007–2008 financial crisis," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(1), pages 272-291.
    8. Shenoy, Jaideep & Williams, Ryan, 2017. "Trade credit and the joint effects of supplier and customer financial characteristics," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 68-80.
    9. Lin, Chen & Ma, Yue & Malatesta, Paul & Xuan, Yuhai, 2011. "Ownership structure and the cost of corporate borrowing," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(1), pages 1-23, April.
    10. O'Toole, Conor & Casey, Eddie, 2014. "Bank-lending Constraints, Trade Credit and Alternative External Finance since the Financial Crisis: Evidence from European SMEs," Papers RB2014/2/3, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    11. Robert C. Feenstra & Zhiyuan Li & Miaojie Yu, 2014. "Exports and Credit Constraints under Incomplete Information: Theory and Evidence from China," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 96(4), pages 729-744, October.
    12. Lee, Yul W. & Stowe, John D., 1993. "Product Risk, Asymmetric Information, and Trade Credit," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 28(2), pages 285-300, June.
    13. Meghana Ayyagari & Asli Demirgüç-Kunt & Vojislav Maksimovic, 2010. "Formal versus Informal Finance: Evidence from China," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 23(8), pages 3048-3097, August.
    14. Nilsen, Jeffrey H, 2002. "Trade Credit and the Bank Lending Channel," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 34(1), pages 226-253, February.
    15. repec:bla:jfinan:v:43:y:1988:i:5:p:1127-41 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Mariassunta Giannetti & Mike Burkart & Tore Ellingsen, 2011. "What You Sell Is What You Lend? Explaining Trade Credit Contracts," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 24(4), pages 1261-1298.
    17. Biais, Bruno & Gollier, Christian, 1997. "Trade Credit and Credit Rationing," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 10(4), pages 903-937.
    18. Leora Klapper & Luc Laeven & Raghuram Rajan, 2012. "Trade Credit Contracts," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 25(3), pages 838-867.
    19. Jain, Neelam, 2001. "Monitoring costs and trade credit," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 89-110.
    20. Kashyap, Anil K & Stein, Jeremy C & Wilcox, David W, 1993. "Monetary Policy and Credit Conditions: Evidence from the Composition of External Finance," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 83(1), pages 78-98, March.
    21. Love, Inessa & Preve, Lorenzo A. & Sarria-Allende, Virginia, 2007. "Trade credit and bank credit: Evidence from recent financial crises," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(2), pages 453-469, February.
    22. Pengxiang Zhai & Rufei Ma, 2017. "Does ownership structure affect trade credit policy in small- and medium-sized firms? Evidence from China," Revista ESPE - Ensayos sobre Política Económica, Banco de la Republica de Colombia, vol. 35(83), pages 130-138, June.
    23. Coulibaly, Brahima & Sapriza, Horacio & Zlate, Andrei, 2013. "Financial frictions, trade credit, and the 2008–09 global financial crisis," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 25-38.
    24. Vicente Cuñat, 2007. "Trade Credit: Suppliers as Debt Collectors and Insurance Providers," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 20(2), pages 491-527.
    25. Se-Jik Kim & Hyun Song Shin, 2012. "Sustaining Production Chains through Financial Linkages," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 102(3), pages 402-406, May.
    26. Martina Engemann & Katharina Eck & Monika Schnitzer, 2014. "Trade Credits and Bank Credits in International Trade: Substitutes or Complements?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(11), pages 1507-1540, November.
    27. Michael S. Long & Ileen B. Malitz & S. Abraham Ravid, 1993. "Trade Credit, Quality Guarantees, and Product," Financial Management, Financial Management Association, vol. 22(4), Winter.
    28. Petersen, Mitchell A & Rajan, Raghuram G, 1994. "The Benefits of Lending Relationships: Evidence from Small Business Data," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 49(1), pages 3-37, March.
    29. Rafael Bastos & Julio Pindado, 2007. "An agency model to explain trade credit policy and empirical evidence," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(20), pages 2631-2642.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Pengxiang Zhai & Rufei Ma, 2017. "Does ownership structure affect trade credit policy in small- and medium-sized firms? Evidence from China," Revista ESPE - Ensayos sobre Política Económica, Banco de la Republica de Colombia, vol. 35(83), pages 130-138, June.
    2. Abdulla, Yomna & Dang, Viet Anh & Khurshed, Arif, 2020. "Suppliers' listing status and trade credit provision," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    3. Hasan, Mostafa Monzur & Habib, Ahsan, 2019. "Social capital and trade credit," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 158-174.
    4. Mateut, Simona & Mizen, Paul & Ziane, Ydriss, 2015. "Inventory composition and trade credit," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 434-446.
    5. Altunok, Fatih & Mitchell, Karlyn & Pearce, Douglas K., 2020. "The trade credit channel and monetary policy transmission: Empirical evidence from U.S. panel data," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 226-250.
    6. Mateut, Simona & Chevapatrakul, Thanaset, 2018. "Customer financing, bargaining power and trade credit uptake," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 147-162.
    7. Nam, Hocheol & Uchida, Konari, 2019. "Accounts payable and firm value: International evidence," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 116-137.
    8. Tsuruta, Daisuke & Uchida, Hirofumi, 2019. "The real driver of trade credit," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    9. Abdulla, Yomna & Dang, Viet Anh & Khurshed, Arif, 2017. "Stock market listing and the use of trade credit: Evidence from public and private firms," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 391-410.
    10. Michael Machokoto & Daniel Gyimah & Boulis Maher Ibrahim, 2022. "The evolution of trade credit: new evidence from developed versus developing countries," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 59(3), pages 857-912, October.
    11. Cao, Zhangfan & Chen, Steven Xianglong & Lee, Edward, 2022. "Does business strategy influence interfirm financing? Evidence from trade credit," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 495-511.
    12. D'Mello, Ranjan & Toscano, Francesca, 2020. "Economic policy uncertainty and short-term financing: The case of trade credit," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    13. Pierluigi Murro & Valentina Peruzzi, 2022. "Relationship lending and the use of trade credit: the role of relational capital and private information," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 59(1), pages 327-360, June.
    14. Costello, Anna M., 2019. "The value of collateral in trade finance," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 134(1), pages 70-90.
    15. Maria Cristina Arcuri & Raoul Pisani, 2021. "Is Trade Credit a Sustainable Resource for Medium-Sized Italian Green Companies?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-19, March.
    16. Gonçalves, Adalto Barbaceia & Schiozer, Rafael F. & Sheng, Hsia Hua, 2018. "Trade credit and product market power during a financial crisis," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 308-323.
    17. Mateut, Simona, 2014. "Reverse trade credit or default risk? Explaining the use of prepayments by firms," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 303-326.
    18. Gyimah, Daniel & Machokoto, Michael & Sikochi, Anywhere (Siko), 2020. "Peer influence on trade credit," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    19. Liu, Qigui & Luo, Jinbo & Tian, Gary Gang, 2016. "Managerial professional connections versus political connections: Evidence from firms' access to informal financing resources," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 179-200.
    20. McGuinness, Gerard & Hogan, Teresa & Powell, Ronan, 2018. "European trade credit use and SME survival," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 81-103.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Ownership structure; Bank credit; Trade credit; Substitution;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • M21 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Economics - - - Business Economics

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:col:000107:015482. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Espe (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/brcgvco.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.