The Effect of Relationship Banking on Firm Efficiency and Default Risk

Does relationship bank oversight improve firm operational efficiency and reduce default risk? I find that a new loan from a relationship bank improves the technical efficiency of inefficient firms that have an elevated probability of default. Moreover, borrowing firms with elevated default risk exposure experience reductions in their probabilities of default in the years following new relationship bank loans, benefiting both banks and borrowers. Thus, the benefits of relationship bank monitoring are most apparent for borrowers with higher the ex ante default risk and lower baseline efficiency