IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v11y2019i10p2859-d232654.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Customer Concentration and Corporate Innovation: Effects of Financing Constraints and Managers’ Expectation of Chinese Listed Companies

Author

Listed:
  • Bing Zhou

    (Research Center for Economy of Upper Reaches of the Yangtse River/School of Accounting, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing 400067, China
    Business School, Southwest University of Political Science and Law, Chongqing 401120, China)

  • Yumeng Li

    (Research Center for Economy of Upper Reaches of the Yangtse River/School of Accounting, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing 400067, China)

  • Shengzhong Huang

    (Business School, Southwest University of Political Science and Law, Chongqing 401120, China)

  • Sidai Guo

    (Sichuan Province Circular Economy Research Center, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Sichuan 621010, China)

  • Bing Xue

    (Sichuan Province Circular Economy Research Center, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Sichuan 621010, China)

Abstract

Innovation capability of enterprises will greatly influence the current and future development of companies. This paper investigates the relationship between customer concentration and innovation capability of enterprises through the view of both the financing constraints and the expectation of managers. Based on the data of China’s A-share listed companies over the period from 2012 to 2016, several methods including system GMM, threshold model of fixed effects, and PSM are applied for empirical analysis. The results show that the innovation capability of listed companies in China are negatively correlated with the customer concentration. Higher customer concentration brings about stronger constraints from large customers on enterprises and greater dependence of enterprises on large customers, which result in weaker demand for innovation and lower investment in innovation. Meanwhile, the results demonstrate the double-threshold effect of financing constraints. The effect of customer concentration on innovation can be different in companies with low, medium, or high-financing constraints. Furthermore, optimistic expectations are more conducive to the reduction of customer concentration and the improvement of innovation. In addition, based on the perspective of the manager’s expectation, the research demonstrates the heterogeneous impact of manager’s expectation on the relationship between customer concentration and innovation capability.

Suggested Citation

  • Bing Zhou & Yumeng Li & Shengzhong Huang & Sidai Guo & Bing Xue, 2019. "Customer Concentration and Corporate Innovation: Effects of Financing Constraints and Managers’ Expectation of Chinese Listed Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-19, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:10:p:2859-:d:232654
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/10/2859/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/10/2859/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Porter, Michael E, 1974. "Consumer Behavior, Retailer Power and Market Performance in Consumer Goods Industries," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 56(4), pages 419-436, November.
    2. Hansen, Bruce E., 1999. "Threshold effects in non-dynamic panels: Estimation, testing, and inference," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 93(2), pages 345-368, December.
    3. Kale, Jayant R. & Shahrur, Husayn, 2007. "Corporate capital structure and the characteristics of suppliers and customers," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(2), pages 321-365, February.
    4. Stephen J. Kline & Nathan Rosenberg, 2009. "An Overview of Innovation," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Nathan Rosenberg (ed.), Studies On Science And The Innovation Process Selected Works of Nathan Rosenberg, chapter 9, pages 173-203, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    5. Sasidharan, Subash & Jijo Lukose, P.J. & Komera, Surenderrao, 2015. "Financing constraints and investments in R&D: Evidence from Indian manufacturing firms," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 28-39.
    6. Dhaliwal, Dan & Judd, J. Scott & Serfling, Matthew & Shaikh, Sarah, 2016. "Customer concentration risk and the cost of equity capital," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(1), pages 23-48.
    7. Mihov, Atanas & Naranjo, Andy, 2017. "Customer-base concentration and the transmission of idiosyncratic volatility along the vertical chain," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 73-100.
    8. Mooi, Erik A. & Frambach, Ruud T., 2012. "Encouraging innovation in business relationships—A research note," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 65(7), pages 1025-1030.
    9. Hagedoorn, John & Cloodt, Myriam, 2003. "Measuring innovative performance: is there an advantage in using multiple indicators?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(8), pages 1365-1379, September.
    10. Bruno Cassiman & Reinhilde Veugelers, 2006. "In Search of Complementarity in Innovation Strategy: Internal R& D and External Knowledge Acquisition," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 52(1), pages 68-82, January.
    11. Shantanu Banerjee & Sudipto Dasgupta & Yungsan Kim, 2008. "Buyer–Supplier Relationships and the Stakeholder Theory of Capital Structure," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 63(5), pages 2507-2552, October.
    12. Bronzini, Raffaello & Piselli, Paolo, 2016. "The impact of R&D subsidies on firm innovation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(2), pages 442-457.
    13. Girma, Sourafel & Gong, Yundan & Görg, Holger, 2009. "What Determines Innovation Activity in Chinese State-owned Enterprises? The Role of Foreign Direct Investment," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 866-873, April.
    14. Itzkowitz, Jennifer, 2013. "Customers and cash: How relationships affect suppliers' cash holdings," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 19(C), pages 159-180.
    15. Charles J. Hadlock & Joshua R. Pierce, 2010. "New Evidence on Measuring Financial Constraints: Moving Beyond the KZ Index," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 23(5), pages 1909-1940.
    16. Clayton M. Christensen & Rory McDonald & Elizabeth J. Altman & Jonathan E. Palmer, 2018. "Disruptive Innovation: An Intellectual History and Directions for Future Research," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(7), pages 1043-1078, November.
    17. Peng, Xuan & Wang, Xiongyuan & Chan, Kam C., 2019. "Does customer concentration disclosure affect IPO pricing?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 363-369.
    18. Holger Görg & Eric Strobl, 2007. "The Effect of R&D Subsidies on Private R&D," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 74(294), pages 215-234, May.
    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. Luo, Yuanda & Xiong, Guobao & Mardani, Abbas, 2022. "Environmental information disclosure and corporate innovation: The “Inverted U-shaped” regulating effect of media attention," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 453-463.
    2. Obaid Ur Rehman & Xiaoxing Liu & Kai Wu & Junfeng Li, 2023. "Customer concentration, leverage adjustments, and firm value," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(2), pages 2035-2079, June.
    3. Huan Chen & Tingyong Zhong & Jeoung Yul Lee, 2020. "Capacity Reduction Pressure, Financing Constraints, and Enterprise Sustainable Innovation Investment: Evidence from Chinese Manufacturing Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-16, December.
    4. Tingyong Zhong & Yimeng Zuo & Fangcheng Sun & Jeoung Yul Lee, 2020. "Customer Concentration, Economic Policy Uncertainty and Enterprise Sustainable Innovation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-20, February.
    5. Chang Huang & Xiao Chang & Yang Wang & Nicolas Li, 2023. "Do major customers encourage innovative sustainable development? Empirical evidence from corporate green innovation in China," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(1), pages 163-184, January.

    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. Cao, Yue & Dong, Yizhe & Ma, Diandian & Sun, Li, 2021. "Customer concentration and corporate risk-taking," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    2. Agnes C. S. Cheng & Wenli Huang & Shaojun Zhang, 2020. "Major government customer and management earnings forecasts," Frontiers of Business Research in China, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 1-20, December.
    3. Liu, Laura Xiaolei & Mao, Mike Qinghao & Nini, Greg, 2018. "Customer risk and corporate financial policy: Evidence from receivables securitization," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 453-467.
    4. Li, Min & Liu, Na & Kou, Aiju & Chen, Wenchuan, 2023. "Customer concentration and digital transformation," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    5. Kim, Taeyeon & Kim, Hyun-Dong & Park, Kwangwoo, 2023. "Customer concentration and firm risk: The role of outside directors from a major customer," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    6. Lian, Yili, 2017. "Financial distress and customer-supplier relationships," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 397-406.
    7. Tingyong Zhong & Yimeng Zuo & Fangcheng Sun & Jeoung Yul Lee, 2020. "Customer Concentration, Economic Policy Uncertainty and Enterprise Sustainable Innovation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-20, February.
    8. Zhang, Xindong & Zou, Meifeng & Liu, Weimin & Zhang, Yuefei, 2020. "Does a firm’s supplier concentration affect its cash holding?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 527-535.
    9. Tang, Jinghua & Wang, Xiaoming & Liu, Qigui, 2023. "The spillover effect of customers' ESG to suppliers," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    10. Chen, Gary & Tian, Xiaoli (Shaolee) & Yu, Miaomiao, 2022. "Redact to protect? Customers' incentive to protect information and suppliers’ disclosure strategies," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(1).
    11. Wang, Xin & Shan, Yuan George & Song, Jianbo, 2023. "Customer information disclosure and corporate financing constraints," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    12. Itzkowitz, Jennifer, 2015. "Buyers as stakeholders: How relationships affect suppliers' financial constraints," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 54-66.
    13. Zou, Ying & Zhang, Mingjing & Zhang, Mingyuan, 2024. "The impact of company participation in supply chain alliances on the cost of equity capital: Evidence from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    14. Wongsinhirun, Nopparat & Chatjuthamard, Pattanaporn & Jiraporn, Pornsit & Lee, Sang Mook, 2024. "Customer concentration and shareholder litigation risk: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    15. Mihov, Atanas & Naranjo, Andy, 2017. "Customer-base concentration and the transmission of idiosyncratic volatility along the vertical chain," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 73-100.
    16. Fındık, Derya & Beyhan, Berna, 2014. "A Perceptual Measure of Innovation Performance: Micro Level Evidence from Turkey," MPRA Paper 60961, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Manh Cuong Nguyen & Viet Anh Dang & Tri Tri Nguyen, 2023. "The transfer of risk taking along the supply chain," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 61(4), pages 1341-1378, November.
    18. Campello, Murillo & Gao, Janet, 2017. "Customer concentration and loan contract terms," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 123(1), pages 108-136.
    19. Zhu, Minghao & Yeung, Andy C.L. & Zhou, Honggeng, 2021. "Diversify or concentrate: The impact of customer concentration on corporate social responsibility," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 240(C).
    20. Wen, Wen & Ke, Yun & Liu, Xuejiao, 2021. "Customer concentration and corporate social responsibility performance: Evidence from China," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(C).

    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:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:10:p:2859-:d:232654. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.