IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/wdevel/v52y2013icp19-33.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Is Small Beautiful? Financial Structure, Size and Access to Finance

Author

Listed:
  • Beck, Thorsten
  • Demirgüç-Kunt, Asli
  • Singer, Dorothe

Abstract

Combining two unique data sets, this paper explores the relationship between financial structure and firms’ access to financial services. Specifically, it considers the importance of three different types of financial institutions: low-end financial institutions, specialized lenders, and banks. Two findings stand out. First, dominance of the financial system by banks is associated with lower use of financial services by firms of all sizes, while low-end financial institutions and specialized lenders seem particularly suited to ease access to finance in low-income countries. Second, there is no evidence that smaller institutions are better in providing access to finance.

Suggested Citation

  • Beck, Thorsten & Demirgüç-Kunt, Asli & Singer, Dorothe, 2013. "Is Small Beautiful? Financial Structure, Size and Access to Finance," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 19-33.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:52:y:2013:i:c:p:19-33
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2013.05.014
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X13001356
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.worlddev.2013.05.014?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version below or search for a different version of it.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. de la Torre, Augusto & Martínez Pería, María Soledad & Schmukler, Sergio L., 2010. "Bank involvement with SMEs: Beyond relationship lending," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(9), pages 2280-2293, September.
    2. Allen Berger & Iftekhar Hasan & Leora Klapper, 2004. "Further Evidence on the Link between Finance and Growth: An International Analysis of Community Banking and Economic Performance," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 25(2), pages 169-202, April.
    3. Rajan, Raghuram G & Zingales, Luigi, 1998. "Financial Dependence and Growth," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 88(3), pages 559-586, June.
    4. Berger, Allen N. & Udell, Gregory F., 2006. "A more complete conceptual framework for SME finance," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 30(11), pages 2945-2966, November.
    5. Thorsten Beck & Asli Demirguc-Kunt & Luc Laeven & Ross Levine, 2008. "Finance, Firm Size, and Growth," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 40(7), pages 1379-1405, October.
    6. Antonio Ciccone & Elias Papaioannou, 2010. "Estimating cross-industry cross-country models using benchmark industry characteristics," Economics Working Papers 1235, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, revised Jun 2016.
    7. Thorsten Beck & Samuel Munzele Maimbo & Issa Faye & Thouraya Triki, 2011. "Financing Africa : Through the Crisis and Beyond," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 2355.
    8. Levine, Ross, 2002. "Bank-Based or Market-Based Financial Systems: Which Is Better?," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 11(4), pages 398-428, October.
    9. Rousseau, Peter L. & D’Onofrio, Alexandra, 2013. "Monetization, Financial Development, and Growth: Time Series Evidence from 22 Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 132-153.
    10. repec:zbw:bofrdp:2004_008 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Ai, Chunrong & Norton, Edward C., 2003. "Interaction terms in logit and probit models," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 80(1), pages 123-129, July.
    12. Beck, T.H.L. & Demirgüc-Kunt, A. & Martinez Peria, M., 2011. "Banking financing for SME's : Evidence across countries and bank ownership types," Other publications TiSEM c4d491c9-2cc6-40f6-ad55-a, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    13. Beck, Thorsten & Cull, Robert & Fuchs, Michael & Getenga, Jared & Gatere, Peter & Randa, John & Trandafir, Mircea, 2010. "Banking sector stability, efficiency, and outreach in Kenya," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5442, The World Bank.
    14. Demirguc-Kunt, Asli & Maksimovic, Vojislav, 2002. "Funding growth in bank-based and market-based financial systems: evidence from firm-level data," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(3), pages 337-363, September.
    15. Beck, Thorsten & Demirgüç-Kunt, Asli & Maksimovic, Vojislav, 2008. "Financing patterns around the world: Are small firms different?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(3), pages 467-487, September.
    16. Beck, Thorsten & Levine, Ross, 2002. "Industry growth and capital allocation:*1: does having a market- or bank-based system matter?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(2), pages 147-180, May.
    17. Levine, Ross, 2005. "Finance and Growth: Theory and Evidence," Handbook of Economic Growth, in: Philippe Aghion & Steven Durlauf (ed.), Handbook of Economic Growth, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 12, pages 865-934, Elsevier.
    18. Meghana Ayyagari & Thorsten Beck & Asli Demirguc-Kunt, 2007. "Small and Medium Enterprises Across the Globe," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 29(4), pages 415-434, December.
    19. Beck, Thorsten & Demirguc-Kunt, Asli & Maksimovic, Vojislav, 2006. "The influence of financial and legal institutions on firm size," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 30(11), pages 2995-3015, November.
    20. Thorsten Beck & Asli Demirgüç‐Kunt & Vojislav Maksimovic, 2005. "Financial and Legal Constraints to Growth: Does Firm Size Matter?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 60(1), pages 137-177, February.
    21. Beatriz Armendariz & Jonathan Morduch, 2007. "The Economics of Microfinance," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262512017, December.
    22. Thorsten Beck & Asli Demirgüç-Kunt & María Pería, 2011. "Bank Financing for SMEs: Evidence Across Countries and Bank Ownership Types," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 39(1), pages 35-54, April.
    23. Kraemer-Eis, Helmut & Lang, Frank, 2012. "The importance of leasing for SME finance," EIF Working Paper Series 2012/15, European Investment Fund (EIF).
    24. Ayyagari, Meghana & Beck, Thorsten & Demirguc-Kunt, Asl, 2003. "Small and medium enterprises across the globe : a new database," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3127, The World Bank.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Wignaraja, Ganeshan & Jinjarak, Yothin, 2015. "Why Do SMEs Not Borrow More from Banks? Evidence from the People's Republic of China and Southeast Asia," ADBI Working Papers 509, Asian Development Bank Institute.
    2. Ggombe Kasim Munyegera & Tomoya Matsumoto, 2015. "ICT for Financial Inclusion: Mobile Money and the Financial Behavior of Rural Households in Uganda," GRIPS Discussion Papers 15-20, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies.
    3. Jean-Christophe Statnik & Thi-Le-Giang Vu & Laurent Weill, 2023. "Does Corruption Discourage More Female Entrepreneurs from Applying for Credit?," Comparative Economic Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Association for Comparative Economic Studies, vol. 65(1), pages 1-28, March.
    4. Méndez, Lizethe & Ongena, Steven, 2018. ""Finance and growth" re-loaded," CFS Working Paper Series 604, Center for Financial Studies (CFS).
    5. Allen, Franklin & Bartiloro, Laura & Gu, Xian & Kowalewski, Oskar, 2018. "Does economic structure determine financial structure?," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 389-409.
    6. Kim, Dong-Hyeon & Lin, Shu-Chin & Chen, Ting-Cih, 2016. "Financial structure, firm size and industry growth," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 23-39.
    7. Iris Kruja, 2014. "Impact of Firm Specific Charachteristics in the Access to External Finances of SMEs," Proceedings of FIKUSZ '14, in: Pál Michelberger (ed.),Proceedings of FIKUSZ '14, pages 135-160, Óbuda University, Keleti Faculty of Business and Management.
    8. Brixiová, Zuzana & Kangoye, Thierry & Yogo, Thierry Urbain, 2020. "Access to finance among small and medium-sized enterprises and job creation in Africa," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 177-189.
    9. Nguepi Tsafack Elvis & Hua Cheng & Buregeya Ingabire Providence, 2022. "The Illustrative Understanding on the Informal Sector and Its Influence in Firm Productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA): Evidence from Cameroon," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-22, August.
    10. Thomas Poufinas & Maria Polychronou, 2018. "Alternative investments as a financing tool for small and medium enterprises," Bulletin of Applied Economics, Risk Market Journals, vol. 5(2), pages 13-44.
    11. Fan, Yaoyao & John, Kose & Liu, Frank Hong & Tamanni, Luqyan, 2019. "Security design, incentives, and Islamic microfinance: Cross country evidence," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 264-280.
    12. Castro, Fernanda & Kalatzis, Aquiles E.G. & Martins-Filho, Carlos, 2015. "Financing in an emerging economy: Does financial development or financial structure matter?," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 96-123.
    13. Martin Andersson & Johan E. Eklund & Alexandra Tsvetkova, 2023. "Spatial variations in financial constraints of SMEs—evidence from firm-level estimates of investment-cash flow sensitivities in Sweden," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 60(4), pages 1683-1698, April.
    14. Stephany Griffith-Jones, 2014. "Pour une libéralisation prudente du secteur financier : implications en matière de politique économique," Revue d’économie du développement, De Boeck Université, vol. 22(2), pages 81-112.
    15. Aysan, Ahmet Faruk & Babacan, Mehmet & Gür, Nurullah & Süleyman, Selim, 2023. "Firm Size and Financing Behavior during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from SMEs in Istanbul," MPRA Paper 116300, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2023.
    16. Markus Mättö & Mervi Niskanen, 2021. "Role of the legal and financial environments in determining the efficiency of working capital management in European SMEs," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(4), pages 5197-5216, October.
    17. Stephan Heblich & Alex Trew, 2019. "Banking and Industrialization," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 17(6), pages 1753-1796.
    18. Sriyono & Sarwendah Biduri & Bayu Proyogi, 2021. "Acceleration of performance recovery and competitiveness through non-banking financing in SMEs based on green economy: impact of Covid-19 pandemic," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, December.
    19. Anoosheh Rostamkalaei & Mark Freel, 2017. "Business advice and lending in small firms," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 35(3), pages 537-555, May.
    20. Nguyen, Bach, 2021. "Local institutions, external finance and investment decisions of small businesses in Vietnam," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 45(3).
    21. Stephan Heblich & Alex Trew, 2019. "Banking and Industrialization," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 17(6), pages 1753-1796.
    22. Disli, Mustafa & Jalaly, Shakir, 2024. "The performance of Islamic and conventional microfinance loans in Afghanistan: The Taliban and beyond," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    23. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Wang, Chih-Wei & Ho, Shan-Ju, 2020. "Financial inclusion, financial innovation, and firms’ sales growth," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 189-205.
    24. Doojav, Gan-Ochir & Luvsannyam, Davaajargal & Sukhbaatar, Bilguun & Sodnomdarjaa, Bilguunzul & Otgonbat, Tsolmon & Batmunkh, Khuslen & Gantumur, Munkhbayar & Enkh-Amgalan, Elbegjargal, 2019. "Development and access to finance of small and medium-sized enterprises in Mongolia," MPRA Paper 106454, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    25. Muhammad Mehedi Masud & Abu Hanifa Md. Noman & Rulia Akhtar & Sonia Kumari A/P Selvarajan & Abdullah Al‐Mamun, 2024. "Does credit growth mitigate emission intensity in ASEAN countries?," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(2), pages 1324-1349, March.

    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. Singer, D.E.M., 2013. "The role of institutions in international finance," Other publications TiSEM 28cd8e4c-3d06-499a-b37b-a, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    2. Popov, Alexander, 2017. "Evidence on finance and economic growth," Working Paper Series 2115, European Central Bank.
    3. Beck, Thorsten & Cull, Robert, 2014. "SME finance in Africa," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7018, The World Bank.
    4. Ramcharran, Harri, 2017. "Bank lending to small business in India: Analyzing productivity and efficiency," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 16-24.
    5. Kim, Dong-Hyeon & Lin, Shu-Chin & Chen, Ting-Cih, 2016. "Financial structure, firm size and industry growth," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 23-39.
    6. Didier, Tatiana & Levine, Ross & Llovet Montanes, Ruth & Schmukler, Sergio L., 2021. "Capital market financing and firm growth," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    7. Beck, Thorsten, 2006. "Creating an efficient financial system : challenges in a global economy," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3856, The World Bank.
    8. Bernini, Michele & Montagnoli, Alberto, 2017. "Competition and financial constraints: A two-sided story," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 88-109.
    9. Demirguc-Kunt, Asli, 2006. "Finance and economic development : policy choices for developing countries," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3955, The World Bank.
    10. Beck Thorsten & Büyükkarabacak Berrak & Rioja Felix K. & Valev Neven T., 2012. "Who Gets the Credit? And Does It Matter? Household vs. Firm Lending Across Countries," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 12(1), pages 1-46, March.
    11. James R. Brown & Gustav Martinsson & Bruce C. Petersen, 2013. "Law, Stock Markets, and Innovation," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 68(4), pages 1517-1549, August.
    12. Lin, Pei-Chien & Huang, Ho-Chuan (River), 2012. "Banking industry volatility and growth," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 1007-1019.
    13. Williams, Kamilah & Brown, Leanora, 2021. "Does information sharing matter? Cross-country evidence on foreign bank presence," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    14. Huang, Ho-Chuan (River) & Fang, WenShwo & Miller, Stephen M., 2014. "Does financial development volatility affect industrial growth volatility?," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 307-320.
    15. Berg, Gunhild & Fuchs, Michael, 2013. "Bank financing of SMEs in five Sub-Saharan African countries : the role of competition, innovation, and the government," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6563, The World Bank.
    16. Knack, Steve & Xu, Lixin Colin, 2017. "Unbundling institutions for external finance: Worldwide firm-level evidence," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 215-232.
    17. Michiel Bijlsma & Andrei Dubovik, 2014. "Banks, Financial Markets and Growth in Developed Countries: a Survey of the empirical literature," CPB Discussion Paper 266, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    18. Thorsten Beck & Asli Demirgüç-Kunt & María Pería, 2011. "Bank Financing for SMEs: Evidence Across Countries and Bank Ownership Types," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 39(1), pages 35-54, April.
    19. Reto Wernli & Andreas Dietrich, 2022. "Only the brave: improving self-rationing efficiency among discouraged Swiss SMEs," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 59(3), pages 977-1003, October.
    20. James B. Ang, 2008. "A Survey Of Recent Developments In The Literature Of Finance And Growth," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(3), pages 536-576, July.

    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:eee:wdevel:v:52:y:2013:i:c:p:19-33. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/worlddev .

    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.