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Financial flexibility and the impact of the global financial crisis

Author

Listed:
  • Franck Bancel
  • Usha R. Mittoo

Abstract

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to gain some insights into how managers perceive and achieve financial flexibility and its value in coping with the 2008 global financial crisis. The study focuses on the following questions: What are the sources and measures of financial flexibility? Do financially flexible firms suffer a lower impact from the crisis? Is financial flexibility related to business flexibility? and Is financial flexibility important for the firm's capital structure decision? Design/methodology/approach - This paper employs two methods: a questionnaire survey and interviews with chief financial officers (CFOs). The results are used to examine the relation between the firm's financial flexibility level and the impact of the global financial crisis on its liquidity, investments, capital structure and business operations. The results are used to analyze the robustness of different financial flexibility measures constructed from the survey data to identify an appropriate financial flexibility measure. Findings - The main finding is that firms with high financial flexibility suffer lower impact from the crisis. The results show that firms with greater internal financing are likely to have lower leverage, higher cash ratios, and suffer a lower impact from the crisis on their business operations. The analysis indicates that an index based on the firm's leverage, liquidity, and operating ratios, similar to the Altman Z‐score, might be a better financial flexibility measure than long‐term debt ratio. The evidence also suggests that financial flexibility is a part of the firm's business strategy and is important for its capital structure decisions. Originality/value - A major challenge for researchers is how to measure the firm's financial flexibility level, as it is unobservable and difficult to quantify. The innovation of this paper is to directly ask managers about the firm's financial flexibility, from both internal and external financing, construct several financial flexibility variables based on the survey data, and examine their correlations with the global financial crisis impact, to identify a robust financial flexibility measure. The research also provides unique data to investigate the value of financial flexibility during a severe credit crisis.

Suggested Citation

  • Franck Bancel & Usha R. Mittoo, 2011. "Financial flexibility and the impact of the global financial crisis," International Journal of Managerial Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 7(2), pages 179-216, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:ijmfpp:v:7:y:2011:i:2:p:179-216
    DOI: 10.1108/17439131111122157
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Zied Ftiti & Aviral Tiwari & Amél Belanès & Khaled Guesmi, 2014. "Tests of Financial Market Contagion: Evolutionary Cospectral Analysis V.S. Wavelet Analysis," Working Papers 2014-577, Department of Research, Ipag Business School.
    2. Rihanat Idowu Abdulkadir & Nur Adiana Hiau Abdullah & Wong Woei-Chyuan, 2015. "Dividend Policy Changes in The Pre-, Mid-, and Post-Financial Crisis: Evidence from The Nigerian Stock Market," Asian Academy of Management Journal of Accounting and Finance (AAMJAF), Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia, vol. 11(2), pages 103-126.
    3. Anshu Agrawal, 2020. "Modified Total Interpretive Structural Model of Corporate Financial Flexibility," Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, Springer;Global Institute of Flexible Systems Management, vol. 21(4), pages 369-388, December.
    4. repec:mth:ijafr8:v:9:y:2019:i:1:p:245-256 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Qinlin Zhong & Fuxiu Jiang & Dan Li & Chun Yuan, 2023. "How does mandatory CSR reporting affect supply chain? A new perspective from suppliers," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(1), pages 199-227, March.
    6. Abdullah Iqbal & Ortenca Kume, 2014. "Impact of Financial Crisis on Firms’ Capital Structure in UK, France, and Germany," Multinational Finance Journal, Multinational Finance Journal, vol. 18(3-4), pages 249-280, September.
    7. repec:ipg:wpaper:2014-062 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Eric Hansen & Erlend Nybakk, 2018. "Response to the global financial crisis: a follow-up study," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 1-12, December.
    9. Li, Yingqi & Mittoo, Usha R. & Yu, Xin & Zhang, Zhou, 2021. "The impact of global financial crisis on regulation S private debt market," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 231-248.
    10. Zied Ftiti & Aviral Tiwari & Amél Belanès & Khaled Guesmi, 2015. "Tests of Financial Market Contagion: Evolutionary Cospectral Analysis Versus Wavelet Analysis," Computational Economics, Springer;Society for Computational Economics, vol. 46(4), pages 575-611, December.
    11. Amarjit Gill & Harvinder S. Mand & Afshin Amiraslany & Neil Mathur, 2017. "Socially Responsible Investment, Internal Financing Sources and Access to Bank Financing: Evidence from Indian Survey Data," Asian Academy of Management Journal of Accounting and Finance (AAMJAF), Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia, vol. 13(2), pages 109-133.
    12. Bao-Guang Chang & Kun-Shan Wu, 2021. "The nonlinear relationship between financial flexibility and enterprise risk-taking during the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan’s semiconductor industry," Oeconomia Copernicana, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 12(2), pages 307-333, June.
    13. Philip Kotze & Kunofiwa Tsaurai & Godfrey Marozva, 2024. "Financial Flexibility Prevalence Revisited with Evidence from South Africa," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-14, October.
    14. Islam, Md. Rashidul & Hossain, Monirul Alam & Uddin, Mohammad Shamsu & Bahta, Dawit Teclemariam, 2020. "Does Financial Flexibility foster Investment Efficiency? Evidence from an Emerging Market," Asian Business Review, Asian Business Consortium, vol. 10(2), pages 121-136.
    15. Amarjit Gill & Harvinder S. Mand & Afshin Amiraslany & John D. Obradovich, 2019. "The Impact of Internal Financing Sources and Bank Financing on Information Technology Investment," International Journal of Business and Economics, School of Management Development, Feng Chia University, Taichung, Taiwan, vol. 18(1), pages 1-16, June.
    16. Ibrahim Elsiddig Ahmed & Ariba Sabah, 2021. "The Determinants of Capital Structure of the GCC Oil and Gas Companies," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 11(2), pages 30-39.
    17. Xiaodong Teng & Bao-Guang Chang & Kun-Shan Wu, 2021. "The Role of Financial Flexibility on Enterprise Sustainable Development during the COVID-19 Crisis—A Consideration of Tangible Assets," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-16, January.

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