This paper investigates the effects of macroeconomic volatility on nonfinancial firms' cash holding behavior. Using an augmented cash buffer-stock model, we demonstrate that an increase in macroeconomic volatility will cause the cross-sectional distribution of firms' cash-to-asset ratios to...

The paper focuses on the effects of three different internal bank ratings - Risk, Property and Creditworthiness Ratings - for loan maturity. We use a sample of about 5,000 loans given to sole proprietors and corporate borrowers by two German banks from January 2003 to July 2005. The estimation...

The goal of this paper is twofold. First, we explore the determinants of the dividend policy in Poland. Second, we test whether corporate governance practices determine the dividend policy in the non-financial companies listed on Warsaw Stock Exchange. We compose, for the first time,...

This paper analyses the board composition and ownership structures of a sample of companies that have been acquired and those of a control sample that have not. We find significant governance differences between acquired firms and the control sample. Firms with the following characteristics were...

We examine shareholder wealth effects in a heterogeneous sample of 115 European leveraged going private transactions from 1997 to 2005. Average abnormal returns as reaction to the LBO announcement amount to 24.20%. In cross-sectional regressions, we find that these value gains can largely be...

This paper presents the results of a study of the effects of social capital on access to bank financing. Based on a Chinese nationwide survey, our analysis suggests that entrepreneurs who contribute to charities are more likely to be successful in loan applications. In addition, we find that...

This paper studies the effects of social capital on access to bank financing. Based on a Chinese nationwide survey our analysis suggests that entrepreneurs who spend more time on social activities are more likely to obtain a loan from commercial banks. In addition, we find that membership of...

This paper studies the effect on company performance of appointing non-executive directors that are also executive directors in other firms. The analysis is based on a new panel dataset of UK companies over 2002-2008. Our findings suggest a positive relationship between the presence of these...

We investigate the link between the propensity to become an entrepreneur and exogenous release from nancial constraints in Germany. This is de ned in terms of the movement from employment to self employment on receipt of a nancial windfall. A theoretical framework developing Evans and Jovanovic...