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 examines whether financial institutions discriminate against entrepreneurs on the basis of gender. Using the cross-country Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey (BEEPS), we find some evidence that, compared to male-managed counterparts, female-managed firms are less...

We exploit a recent natural experiment in Ukraine’s school system to study how stricter requirements for proficiency in the state language affect linguistic minority students’ demand for education. The reform obligated linguistic minority students to take a standardized school exit test in...

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...

This paper studies whether and how chief executive officer turnover in Ukrainian firms is related to their performance. Based on a novel data set covering Ukrainian joint stock companies from 2002 to 2006, the paper finds a statistically significant negative association between the past...