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Governance mechanisms, investment opportunity set and SMEs cash holdings

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  • Yacine Belghitar
  • James Khan

Abstract

This study analyses the effect of firm characteristics and governance mechanisms on cash holdings for a sample of UK SMEs. The results show that UK SMEs with greater cash flow volatility and institutional investors hold more cash; whereas levered and dividend paying SMEs with non-executive ownership hold less cash. We also find that ownership structure is significant only in explaining the cash holdings for firms with high growth investment opportunities, and leverage is only significant in explaining the cash held by firms with low growth investment opportunities. Our findings suggest that internal governance mechanisms are more effective for SMEs with high growth investment opportunities, while external governance mechanisms, such as capital market monitoring, are more effective for firms with low growth investment opportunities. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, LLC. 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Yacine Belghitar & James Khan, 2013. "Governance mechanisms, investment opportunity set and SMEs cash holdings," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 40(1), pages 59-72, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:sbusec:v:40:y:2013:i:1:p:59-72
    DOI: 10.1007/s11187-011-9366-z
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    SMEs; Ownership structure; Governance mechanisms; Investment opportunity set; G31; G32; G34; L26;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G31 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Capital Budgeting; Fixed Investment and Inventory Studies
    • 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
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship

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