Using a unique dataset, which combines bank organizational variables, information on lending techniques, firms' credit demand and others balance sheet indicators, we investigate the impact of lending organization on credit dynamics during the crisis period. Our main findings suggest that the...

We examine the determinants of entry into Italian local banking markets during the period 1991-2002 and build a simple model in which the probability of branching in a new market depends on the features of both the local market and the potential entrant. Econometric findings show that banks are...

We investigate the impact of information and communication technologies (ICT) on local loan officers' autonomy in small business lending. We derive a simple agency model of the interaction between a local branch manager and the headquarters, which yields an estimable equation for the optimal...