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Giving zombie firms a second chance: An assessment of the reform of the Portuguese insolvency framework

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  • Nieto-Carrillo, Ernesto
  • Carreira, Carlos
  • Teixeira, Paulino

Abstract

In most advanced economies productivity growth has been hampered by barriers that allow zombie firms to survive. We examine the effectiveness of institutional reforms in Portugal that were aimed to improve efficiency in insolvency framework. Estimates show that reallocation barriers declined. The reforms appear to have larger and more effective results in zombie recovery than in exit. Firm size plays a major role in tackling zombie-entrenchment. The decline in barriers has also implied a lower distortion in the economy-wide selection process. The new setting seems to be more desirable than forcing zombie exit at all costs.

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  • Nieto-Carrillo, Ernesto & Carreira, Carlos & Teixeira, Paulino, 2022. "Giving zombie firms a second chance: An assessment of the reform of the Portuguese insolvency framework," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 156-181.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecanpo:v:76:y:2022:i:c:p:156-181
    DOI: 10.1016/j.eap.2022.08.003
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    Cited by:

    1. Carlos Carreira & Joana Lopes, 2022. "The Role of Different Types of Creditors on Zombie Firm Creation," Notas Económicas, Faculty of Economics, University of Coimbra, issue 55, pages 131-142, December.
    2. Daniel Gomes Fernandes, 2022. "Business Cycle Accounting for the COVID-19 Recession," Notas Económicas, Faculty of Economics, University of Coimbra, issue 55, pages 47-66, December.
    3. J. Ignacio Conde-Ruiz & Eduardo L. Giménez, 2022. "The Changing Roles of Young Single Women in Jordan Before the Great Recession: An Explanation Using Economic Theory," Notas Económicas, Faculty of Economics, University of Coimbra, issue 55, pages 9-47, December.
    4. Leonor Mesquita & Carlos Carreira & Rita Martins, 2022. "Market Power in Manufacturing and Services Industries," Notas Económicas, Faculty of Economics, University of Coimbra, issue 55, pages 99-112, December.
    5. Manuel Correia de Pinho & Maria Manuel Pinho, 2022. "The 2011-2014 Economic Adjustment Programme for Portugal: A Plausible Counterfactual Scenario," Notas Económicas, Faculty of Economics, University of Coimbra, issue 55, pages 69-99, December.
    6. Nelson Gomes & Nuno Gonçalves, 2022. "Innovation and the Financial Performance of Firms during the Great Recession and Recovery Period," Notas Económicas, Faculty of Economics, University of Coimbra, issue 55, pages 115-131, December.
    7. Mattsson, Pontus & Reshid, Abdulaziz, 2023. "Productivity divergence and the role of digitalisation," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 942-966.
    8. Carlos Carreira & Paulino Teixeira & Ernesto Nieto-Carrillo, 2023. "Recovery and exit of zombie firms in Portugal: A remake," Aussenwirtschaft, University of St. Gallen, School of Economics and Political Science, Swiss Institute for International Economics and Applied Economics Research, vol. 73(01), pages 91-108, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Insolvency regimes; Zombie firms; Productivity; Reallocation barriers; Firm exit; Restructuring;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • G33 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Bankruptcy; Liquidation
    • K22 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - Business and Securities Law
    • L25 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Performance
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence

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