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The impact of financial education of executives on financial practices of medium and large enterprises

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  • Claudia Custodio
  • Diogo Mendes
  • Daniel Metzger

Abstract

This paper studies the impact of a course in finance for executives of medium and large enterprises through a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in Mozambique. Survey data and accounting data provide consistent evidence that managers change firm financial policies in response to finance education. The largest treatment effect is on short-term financial policies related to working capital. Reductions in accounts receivable and inventories generate an increase in cash flows used to finance long-term investments. Those changes also improve the performance of the treated firms. Overall, our results suggest that relatively small and low-cost interventions, such as a standard executive education program in finance, can help firms to mitigate financial constraints and potentially affect economic development.

Suggested Citation

  • Claudia Custodio & Diogo Mendes & Daniel Metzger, 2021. "The impact of financial education of executives on financial practices of medium and large enterprises," NOVAFRICA Working Paper Series wp2105, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Nova School of Business and Economics, NOVAFRICA.
    • Handle: RePEc:unl:novafr:wp2105
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    1. Stephen Hansen & Tejas Ramdas & Raffaella Sadun & Joe Fuller, 2021. "The Demand for Executive Skills," NBER Working Papers 28959, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D4 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design
    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • L25 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Performance
    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting
    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development

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