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The choice of formal or informal finance: Evidence from Chengdu, China

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  • Zhang, Guibin

Abstract

China's economic development since 1978 has been fuelled largely by a new private sector which is supported by both formal and informal financing channels. Although there is still a debate on the role of alternative financing mechanisms, the existence of such practices in China is accepted in the literature. This paper looks into the socio-economic patterns of private entrepreneurs regarding the choice of formal or informal finance, using survey data from Chengdu, China. Both the logit and ordered logit model are employed to examine the hypothesised factors. The results show that reputation and relationships play important roles in formal financing of the small private firms in China.

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  • Zhang, Guibin, 2008. "The choice of formal or informal finance: Evidence from Chengdu, China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 659-678, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:chieco:v:19:y:2008:i:4:p:659-678
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    2. Esho, Ebes & Verhoef, Grietjie, 2018. "The Funding Gap and the Financing of Small and Medium Businesses: An Integrated Literature Review and an Agenda," MPRA Paper 90153, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 21 Nov 2018.
    3. Fungáčová, Zuzana & Weill, Laurent, 2015. "Understanding financial inclusion in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 196-206.
    4. Agyenim Boateng & Muhammad D. Abdulrahman, 2013. "Micro Small-sized Enterprises and Bank Credit," Journal of Emerging Market Finance, Institute for Financial Management and Research, vol. 12(2), pages 129-150, August.
    5. Cull,Robert J. & Gan,Li & Gao,Nan & Xu,L. Colin & Cull,Robert J. & Gan,Li & Gao,Nan & Xu,L. Colin, 2015. "Dual credit markets and household access to finance : evidence from a representative Chinese household survey," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7454, The World Bank.
    6. Wim Naudé & Melissa Siegel & Katrin Marchand, 2017. "Migration, entrepreneurship and development: critical questions," IZA Journal of Migration and Development, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 6(1), pages 1-16, December.
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    9. Elmas Yaldız Hanedar & Yener Altunbas & Flavio Bazzana, 2014. "Why Do SMEs Use Informal Credit? A Comparison between Countries," Journal of Financial Management, Markets and Institutions, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 1, pages 65-86, July.
    10. Xiangping Jia & Franz Heidhues & Manfred Zeller, 2010. "Credit rationing of rural households in China," Agricultural Finance Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 70(1), pages 37-54, May.
    11. Zhongming Tan & Krobea Asante Emmanuel & Guoping Ding, 2019. "Assessing Factors Affecting Formal Finance to Farmers in Ghana: Empirical Evidence of Sunyani West District," Business and Economic Research, Macrothink Institute, vol. 9(2), pages 169-181, June.
    12. Zhang, Heather Xiaoquan & Loubere, Nicholas, 2013. "Rural finance, development and livelihoods in China," Working Papers on East Asian Studies 94/2013, University of Duisburg-Essen, Institute of East Asian Studies IN-EAST.
    13. Jun Du & Alessandra Guariglia & Alexander Newman, 2015. "Do Social Capital Building Strategies Influence the Financing Behavior of Chinese Private Small and Medium–Sized Enterprises?," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 39(3), pages 601-631, May.
    14. Liming Zhou & Shujie Yao & Jinmin Wang & Jinghua Ou, 2016. "Global financial crisis and China’s pawnbroking industry," Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(2), pages 151-164, May.
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    17. Ha, Le Thanh & Dung, Hoang Phuong & Thanh, To Trung, 2023. "Bribery, global value chain decisions, and institutional constraints: Evidence from a cross-country firm-level data," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 119-142.
    18. Du, Julan & Li, Chang & Wang, Yongqin, 2023. "Shadow banking of non-financial firms: Arbitrage between formal and informal credit markets in China," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    C42 E26 O17 R51 Informal economy Formal and informal sectors Private businesses in China Informal finance;

    JEL classification:

    • C42 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Survey Methods
    • E26 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Informal Economy; Underground Economy
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements
    • R51 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Finance in Urban and Rural Economies

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