The rising stockpile of cash as a share of total assets at U.S. firms has intrigued economists since at least the paper of Bates, Kahle, and Stulz (2006), yet there has been relatively little work on where this cash has come from and how it is related to investment performance. We exploit...

The proportion of assets held by the average Canadian firm in the form of cash has increased steadily since the early 1990s, and is now roughly twice as large as in 1990. The literature has established that the cash-holding behaviour of firms is highly correlated with financial constraints and...

The pressure on companies towards sustainable development is changing the way they are dealing with their supply chain network. Practices are not limited to the company level. They are involving suppliers, customers, government, society and other stakeholders that impact and are impacted by the...

This publication presents a methodology for planning sustainable supply chain initiatives, consisting of three scopes, each with its appropriate mechanism and background theory. The first one 'Acting In' structures organizational practices in a 'Framework for Managing Sustainable Supply Chain...

The EU Directive on Corporate Sustainable Due Diligence has sparked fierce debate about the regulation of supply chains. The directive's objectives are aligned with European values. However, it raises concerns that the compliance costs of social and environmental regulations may be privatised in...

Supply security is threatened by technical, business, natural and policy shocks, as well as geopolitical tensions. Is there a rationale for policy intervention? If yes, what are efficient and effective measures that achieve de-risking? This article first explains why private incentives do not...

Ein Risiko der aktuellen Wirtschaftskrise ist, dass partnerschaftliche Beziehungen zwischen Herstellern und Zulieferern auf der Strecke bleiben. Überwiegend erhielten deutsche Automobilhersteller bisher nur befriedigende Bewertungen bei ihren Zulieferbeziehungen. Demgegenüber gilt das...

A brief expert report by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy for the IMPULS Foundation analyzes the effects of the law on corporate due diligence in supply chains, which was passed by the German parliament in June 2021. Key findings are that suppliers from developing countries may be...