IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/finlet/v85y2025ipcs1544612325013157.html

Geographical and educational disparities: How credit access drives performance convergence in Chinese MSMEs

Author

Listed:
  • He, Miao
  • Bai, Ye
  • Liu, Fan
  • Stamatogiannis, Michalis P.

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of financial inclusion, defined as access to formal credit, on the performance of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in China. Applying Instrumental Variable (IV) approach to a unique dataset of 2229 Chinese MSMEs in 2022, we find that financial inclusion significantly improves firm performance, particularly for firms located farther from high-speed railway (HSR) stations and those with less-educated owners. Grounded in Resource-Based Theory (RBT), the analysis highlights how external (e.g., distance to HSR stations) and internal (e.g., owner education) resources influence the benefits of financial inclusion. Our findings suggest that targeted policies enhancing credit access for financially excluded groups can foster convergence in economic growth.

Suggested Citation

  • He, Miao & Bai, Ye & Liu, Fan & Stamatogiannis, Michalis P., 2025. "Geographical and educational disparities: How credit access drives performance convergence in Chinese MSMEs," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 85(PC).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:85:y:2025:i:pc:s1544612325013157
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2025.108057
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1544612325013157
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.frl.2025.108057?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Myers, Stewart C. & Majluf, Nicholas S., 1984. "Corporate financing and investment decisions when firms have information that investors do not have," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 13(2), pages 187-221, June.
    2. Bailey, Warren & Huang, Wei & Yang, Zhishu, 2011. "Bank Loans with Chinese Characteristics: Some Evidence on Inside Debt in a State-Controlled Banking System," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 46(6), pages 1795-1830, December.
    3. Brixiová, Zuzana & Kangoye, Thierry & Yogo, Thierry Urbain, 2020. "Access to finance among small and medium-sized enterprises and job creation in Africa," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 177-189.
    4. Allen, Franklin & Qian, Meijun & Xie, Jing, 2019. "Understanding informal financing," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 19-33.
    5. Zheng, Ying & Zhu, Yuande, 2013. "Bank lending incentives and firm investment decisions in China," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 146-165.
    6. Rajan, Raghuram G & Zingales, Luigi, 1998. "Financial Dependence and Growth," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 88(3), pages 559-586, June.
    7. Tobin Hanspal & Annika Weber & Johannes Wohlfart, 2021. "Exposure to the COVID-19 Stock Market Crash and Its Effect on Household Expectations," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 103(5), pages 994-1010, December.
    8. repec:cup:jfinqa:v:46:y:2011:i:06:p:1795-1830_00 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Aghion, Philippe & Bacchetta, Philippe & Banerjee, Abhijit, 2004. "Financial development and the instability of open economies," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(6), pages 1077-1106, September.
    10. Mark Fagan & Shenghua Zhao, 2009. "SME financing in China: the current situation, problems and possible solutions," International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 8(2), pages 171-185.
    11. Beck, Thorsten & Lu, Liping & Yang, Rudai, 2015. "Finance and Growth for Microenterprises: Evidence from Rural China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 38-56.
    12. Meghana Ayyagari & Pedro Juarros & Maria Soledad Martinez Peria & Sandeep Singh, 2021. "Access to Finance and Job Growth: Firm-Level Evidence across Developing Countries [Big constraints to small firms’ growth? Business environment and employment growth across firms]," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 25(5), pages 1473-1496.
    13. Douglas Staiger & James H. Stock, 1997. "Instrumental Variables Regression with Weak Instruments," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 65(3), pages 557-586, May.
    14. Degryse, Hans & Lu, Liping & Ongena, Steven, 2016. "Informal or formal financing? Evidence on the co-funding of Chinese firms," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 31-50.
    15. Artor Nuhiu & Florin Aliu & Arbër Hoti, 2024. "Assessing the Determinants of Bank Interest Rate Spread: Evidence From Western Balkan Countries," SAGE Open, , vol. 14(4), pages 21582440241, December.
    16. Allen, Franklin & Chakrabarti, Rajesh & De, Sankar & Qian, Jun “QJ” & Qian, Meijun, 2012. "Financing firms in India," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 409-445.
    17. Cole, Rebel A. & Sokolyk, Tatyana, 2018. "Debt financing, survival, and growth of start-up firms," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 609-625.
    18. Meghana Ayyagari & Asli Demirgüç-Kunt & Vojislav Maksimovic, 2010. "Formal versus Informal Finance: Evidence from China," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 23(8), pages 3048-3097, August.
    19. Terrence Kairiza & Philemon Kiprono & Vengesai Magadzire, 2017. "Gender differences in financial inclusion amongst entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 48(1), pages 259-272, January.
    20. Allen, Franklin & Demirguc-Kunt, Asli & Klapper, Leora & Martinez Peria, Maria Soledad, 2016. "The foundations of financial inclusion: Understanding ownership and use of formal accounts," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 1-30.
    21. Choudhary, Priya & Ghosh, Chinmoy & Thenmozhi, M, 2025. "Impact of fintech and financial inclusion on sustainable development goals: Evidence from cross country analysis," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Du, Julan & Li, Chang & Wang, Yongqin, 2023. "Shadow banking of non-financial firms: Arbitrage between formal and informal credit markets in China," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    2. Hou, Liming & Hsueh, Shao-Chieh & Zhang, Shuoxun, 2020. "Does formal financial development crowd in informal financing? Evidence from Chinese private enterprises," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 288-301.
    3. Ullah, Barkat, 2019. "Firm innovation in transition economies: The role of formal versus informal finance," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 58-75.
    4. Florian Leon, 2019. "The provision of long-term credit and firm growth," DEM Discussion Paper Series 19-08, Department of Economics at the University of Luxembourg.
    5. Dereje Regasa & David Fielding & Helen Roberts, 2017. "Access to Financing and Firm Growth: Evidence from Ethiopia," Working Papers 1707, University of Otago, Department of Economics, revised Apr 2017.
    6. Posti, Lokesh & Kholiya, Mamta & Posti, Akhilesh Kumar, 2022. "Returns on Informal and Formal finance for Indian Informal firms: A Pseudo panel data analysis," MPRA Paper 115550, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Guo, Shen & Lin, Guiting & Ouyang, Alice Y., 2023. "Are pro-SME credit policies effective? Evidence from shadow banking in China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    8. Juan Carlos Urueña-Mejía & Luis H. Gutierrez & Paul Rodríguez-Lesmes, 2023. "Financial inclusion and business practices of microbusiness in Colombia," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 13(2), pages 465-494, June.
    9. Lokesh Posti & Mamta Kholiya & Akhilesh Kumar Posti, 2025. "Returns on informal and formal finance for Indian informal firms: a pseudo panel data analysis," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 52(3), pages 591-611, August.
    10. Yang, Junhong & Guariglia, Alessandra & Peng, Yuchao & Shi, Yukun, 2022. "Inventory investment and the choice of financing: Does financial development play a role?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    11. Hong Sun & Valentina Hartarska & Lezhu Zhang & Denis Nadolnyak, 2018. "The Influence of Social Capital on Farm Household’s Borrowing Behavior in Rural China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-20, November.
    12. Yang Yang & Xuezheng Chen & Jing Gu & Hamido Fujita, 2019. "Alleviating Financing Constraints of SMEs through Supply Chain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-19, January.
    13. Dudley, Evan & Zhang, Ning, 2016. "Trust and corporate cash holdings," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 363-387.
    14. Liang, Xiao & Chen, Xiaomeng Charlene, 2024. "Mandatory corporate social responsibility disclosure and financial constraints: Evidence from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 89(PA), pages 954-974.
    15. Yan Li & Md. Main Uddin & Ye An, 2020. "Has financial development benefited the performance of publicly traded cultural and creative firms? Evidence from China," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 44(3), pages 351-395, September.
    16. Allen, Franklin & Qian, Jun & Qian, Meijun, 2018. "A Review of China’s Institutions," CEPR Discussion Papers 13269, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    17. Galema, Rients, 2020. "Credit rationing in P2P lending to SMEs: Do lender-borrower relationships matter?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    18. Pursiainen, Vesa & Sun, Hanwen & Wang, Qiong & Yang, Guochao, 2025. "The implications of faster lending: Loan processing time and corporate cash holdings," BOFIT Discussion Papers 14/2025, Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT).
    19. Mertzanis, Charilaos, 2019. "Family ties, institutions and financing constraints in developing countries," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    20. Ciza, Toussaint Bugandwa & Kamdjoug, Jean Robert Kala & Biga-Diambeidou, Mahamadou & Tchokote, Ivan Djossa & Kibekenge, Guillain Birindwa, 2025. "Quality of accounting information and SMEs’ financial performance: The mediating role of bank and informal financing," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • L25 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Performance
    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:85:y:2025:i:pc:s1544612325013157. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/frl .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.