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Bankruptcy Law and Corporate Investment Decisions

Author

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  • Tarantino, E.T.

    (Tilburg University, Center For Economic Research)

Abstract

Major European countries have recently adopted bankruptcy codes that strengthen entrepreneurs’ power to renegotiate outstanding liabilities. Renegotiation in bankruptcy allows lenders to increase recovery rates, however it also weakens the contract’s ability to solve the moral hazard problem embedded in the production project. Hinging on this trade-off, I show in which circumstances a soft bankruptcy law that resembles Chapter 11 in the balance of lenders’ and entrepreneur’s rights encourages the choice of investments that privilege the achievement of long-term results. However, I also show that, in contrast to the common wisdom, soft bankruptcy can lead to the choice of investments that are biased towards the achievement of short-term outcomes.
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

Suggested Citation

  • Tarantino, E.T., 2009. "Bankruptcy Law and Corporate Investment Decisions," Discussion Paper 2009-86, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:tiu:tiucen:51475e74-b196-49b1-a2cf-b200fb0f11ef
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. de La Bruslerie, Hubert, 2016. "Does debt curb controlling shareholders' private benefits? Modelling in a contingent claim framework," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 263-282.
    3. Stef, Nicolae & Dimelis, Sophia, 2020. "Bankruptcy regime and the banking system," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 480-495.
    4. Lei Chen & Zhi Jin & Yongqiang Ma & Hui Xu, 2019. "Confucianism, openness to the West, and corporate investment efficiency," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 25(3), pages 554-590, June.
    5. Bukovšek Marjeta Zorin & Bratina Borut & Tominc Polona, 2017. "Factors of a Successfully Implemented Compulsory Settlement," Naše gospodarstvo/Our economy, Sciendo, vol. 63(1), pages 14-26, March.
    6. Pal, Sarmistha & Chowdhury, Prabal Roy & Saher, Zoya, 2021. "Land Ceiling Legislations, Land Acquisition and De-industrialisation: Theory and Evidence from the Indian States," IZA Discussion Papers 14624, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Sylwia Morawska & Michal Lukowski & Kamil Gemra & Waldemar Rogowski & Przemyslaw Banasik & Blazej Prusak, 2021. "Financial Markets and Bankruptcy Systems: Is there a Relationship?," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(1), pages 735-747.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Bankruptcy Law; Financial Contracts; Limited Commitment; Soft budget con- straint; Short-termism;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • G33 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Bankruptcy; Liquidation
    • K22 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - Business and Securities Law

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