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Policy Uncertainty and Customer Concentration

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  • Woon Sau Leung
  • Jiong Sun

Abstract

Using data involving customer–supplier relationships and a large sample of US publicly listed firms, our study documents a negative and statistically significant relationship between economic policy uncertainty and firms’ customer‐base concentration. The negative relation is predominant in firms with higher inventory efficiency and those operating in competitive, high‐R&D, and nondurable industries. Customer‐base diversification is further shown to enhance firm performance during periods of increasing policy uncertainty, but not when policy uncertainty decreases. Overall, our evidence suggests that firms respond to increasing policy uncertainty by diversifying their customer base and such behavior contributes positively to firm performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Woon Sau Leung & Jiong Sun, 2021. "Policy Uncertainty and Customer Concentration," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 30(5), pages 1517-1542, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:popmgt:v:30:y:2021:i:5:p:1517-1542
    DOI: 10.1111/poms.13335
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Wongsinhirun, Nopparat & Chatjuthamard, Pattanaporn & Jiraporn, Pornsit & Lee, Sang Mook, 2024. "Customer concentration and shareholder litigation risk: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
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    6. Jing Liang & Shilei Yang, 2024. "The profitability implications of supplier concentration during economic recession and restoration: the moderating role of supply localization," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-13, December.
    7. Cai, Junjie & Sharkawi, Ismawati & Taasim, Shairil Izwan, 2024. "How does digital transformation promote supply chain diversification? From the perspective of supply chain transaction costs," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    8. Tanveer Ahsan & Sultan Sikandar Mirza & Ammar Ali Gull & Muhammad Ansar Majeed, 2023. "How to deal with customer and supplier concentration to attain sustainable financial growth? The role of business strategy," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(7), pages 4600-4619, November.
    9. Chun Lu & James Routledge & Kam C. Chan & Tongxia Li, 2023. "Policy uncertainty and inventory behavior: Evidence from the US manufacturing sector," Economics and Politics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(3), pages 919-948, November.
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    11. Huobao Xie & Can Lin, 2024. "Economic policy uncertainty and directors and officers liability insurance: a perspective on capital market pressures," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 49(3), pages 605-635, July.
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    13. Zhang, Da & Wang, Yuxia, 2024. "Can management tone predict the firm's decision on supply chain configuration?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 62(PB).
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    17. Li, Min & Liu, Na & Kou, Aiju & Chen, Wenchuan, 2023. "Customer concentration and digital transformation," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).

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