IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jjieco/v39y2016icp91-107.html

A panel study of zombie SMEs in Japan: Identification, borrowing and investment behavior

Author

Listed:
  • Imai, Kentaro

Abstract

Utilizing a panel dataset of firms for the period 1999–2008, we estimated the prevalence of zombies among Japanese Small- and Medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and their borrowing and investment behaviors. We observe that 4–13% of SMEs were zombie firms during the period 1999–2008. The estimation of the borrowing function reveals that SME zombie firms did not change their loans in response to a change in land values due to evergreening. We also observe that the profitability of investment, measured by marginal q, did not have positive effects on investments of zombie firms. This indicates that investment increase resulting from evergreen loans was not necessarily productive or profitable.

Suggested Citation

  • Imai, Kentaro, 2016. "A panel study of zombie SMEs in Japan: Identification, borrowing and investment behavior," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 91-107.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jjieco:v:39:y:2016:i:c:p:91-107
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jjie.2015.12.001
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889158315000593
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jjie.2015.12.001?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. Fumio Hayashi & Edward C. Prescott, 2004. "The 1990s in Japan: a lost decade," Chapters, in: Paolo Onofri (ed.), The Economics of an Ageing Population, chapter 2, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    2. Shin-Ichi Fukuda & Munehisa Kasuya & Jouchi Nakajima, 2006. "Deteriorating Bank Health and Lending in Japan: Evidence from Unlisted Companies under Financial Distress," Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(4), pages 482-501.
    3. Sakai, Koji & Uesugi, Iichiro & Watanabe, Tsutomu, 2010. "Firm age and the evolution of borrowing costs: Evidence from Japanese small firms," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(8), pages 1970-1981, August.
    4. Alan Ahearne & Naoki Shinada, 2005. "Zombie firms and economic stagnation in Japan," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 2(4), pages 363-381, December.
    5. MATSUURA Katsumi & HORI Masahiro, 2003. "Special Credit Guarantee and Restructuring of Small Firms(in Japanese)," ESRI Discussion paper series 050, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    6. Hoshi, Takeo & Kashyap, Anil K, 2010. "Will the U.S. bank recapitalization succeed? Eight lessons from Japan," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(3), pages 398-417, September.
    7. Shin‐ichi Fukuda & Jun‐ichi Nakamura, 2011. "Why Did ‘Zombie’ Firms Recover in Japan?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34, pages 1124-1137, July.
    8. Berglof, Erik & Roland, Gerard, 1997. "Soft budget constraints and credit crunches in financial transition," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 41(3-5), pages 807-817, April.
    9. Ogawa, Kazuo, 2008. "Main Bank Health and Activities of Firm Customers―An Empirical Study Based on Micro Data of Small Firms―," Economic Review, Hitotsubashi University, vol. 59(1), pages 1-15, January.
    10. Shin-ichi Fukuda & Munehisa Kasuya & Jouchi Nakajima, 2005. "Bank Health and Investment: An Analysis of Unlisted Companies in Japan," CIRJE F-Series CIRJE-F-330, CIRJE, Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo.
    11. Ricardo J. Caballero & Takeo Hoshi & Anil K. Kashyap, 2008. "Zombie Lending and Depressed Restructuring in Japan," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 98(5), pages 1943-1977, December.
    12. Kazuo Ogawa, 2003. "Financial Distress and Corporate Investment: The Japanese Case in the 90s," ISER Discussion Paper 0584, Institute of Social and Economic Research, The University of Osaka.
    13. Hayashi, Fumio & Inoue, Tohru, 1991. "The Relation between Firm Growth and Q with Multiple Capital Goods: Theory and Evidence from Panel Data on Japanese Firms," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 59(3), pages 731-753, May.
    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. Kentaro Imai, 2013. "A Panel Study of eZombie f SMEs in Japan: Identification, Borrowing and Investment Behavior," Discussion Papers in Economics and Business 13-16, Osaka University, Graduate School of Economics.
    2. Kentaro Imai, 2013. "A Panel Study of Zombie SMEs in Japan: Identification, Borrowing and Investment Behavior," Discussion Papers in Economics and Business 13-16-Rev., Osaka University, Graduate School of Economics, revised Sep 2014.
    3. Uchida, Hirofumi & Miyakawa, Daisuke & Hosono, Kaoru & Ono, Arito & Uchino, Taisuke & Uesugi, Iichiro, 2013. "Natural Disaster and Natural Selection," Working Paper Series 25, Center for Interfirm Network, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    4. Akiyoshi, Fumio & Kobayashi, Keiichiro, 2010. "Banking crisis and productivity of borrowing firms: Evidence from Japan," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 22(3), pages 141-150, August.
    5. Cheung, Jeff Kin Wai & Imai, Masami, 2024. "Zombie lending, labor hoarding, and local industry growth," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    6. De Veirman, Emmanuel & Levin, Andrew T., 2012. "When did firms become more different? Time-varying firm-specific volatility in Japan," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 578-601.
    7. Shin-ichi Fukuda & Munehisa Kasuya & Jouchi Nakajima, 2005. "Deteriorating Bank Health and Lending in Japan: Evidence from Unlisted Companies Undergoing Financial Distress (Subsequently published in "Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy" Vo.11, No.4, D," CARF F-Series CARF-F-042, Center for Advanced Research in Finance, Faculty of Economics, The University of Tokyo.
    8. Hiroyuki Kasahara & Yasuyuki Sawada & Michio Suzuki, 2016. "Monetary Policy and Covered Interest Parity in the Post GFC Period: Evidence from the Australian Dollar and the NZ Dollar," CIRJE F-Series CIRJE-F-1033, CIRJE, Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo.
    9. Uchida, Hirofumi & Miyakawa, Daisuke & Hosono, Kaoru & Ono, Arito & Uchino, Taisuke & Uesugi, Iichiro, 2015. "Financial shocks, bankruptcy, and natural selection," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 123-135.
    10. Juncheng Li & Jun Hu & Lu Yang, 2021. "Can Trade Facilitation Prevent the Formation of Zombie Firms? Evidence from the China Railway Express," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 29(1), pages 130-151, January.
    11. Hiroyuki Kasahara & Yasuyuki Sawada & Michio Suzuki, 2016. "The Effect of Bank Recapitalization Policy on Corporate Investment: Evidence from a Banking Crisis in Japan," CARF F-Series CARF-F-399, Center for Advanced Research in Finance, Faculty of Economics, The University of Tokyo.
    12. Inoue, Hitoshi & Nakashima, Kiyotaka & Takahashi, Koji, 2018. "The Emergence of A Parallel World: The Misperception Problem for Bank Balance Sheet Risk and Lending Behavior," MPRA Paper 89088, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Kasahara, Hiroyuki & Sawada, Yasuyuki & Suzuki, Michio, 2024. "The effect of bank recapitalization policy on credit allocation, investment, and productivity: Evidence from a banking crisis in Japan," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    14. Qiao, Lu & Fei, Junjun, 2022. "Government subsidies, enterprise operating efficiency, and “stiff but deathless” zombie firms," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    15. Shin-Ichi Fukuda & Munehisa Kasuya & Jouchi Nakajima, 2006. "Deteriorating Bank Health and Lending in Japan: Evidence from Unlisted Companies under Financial Distress," Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(4), pages 482-501.
    16. Scott Wilbur, 2019. "Credit Guarantees and Zombie Firms," Working Papers hal-02382926, HAL.
    17. Uesugi, Iichiro & 植杉, 威一郎 & ウエスギ, イイチロウ, 2008. "Efficiency of Credit Allocation and Effectiveness of Government Credit Guarantees: Evidence from Japanese Small Businesses," PIE/CIS Discussion Paper 353, Center for Intergenerational Studies, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    18. Hirakata, Naohisa & Sudo, Nao & Takei, Ikuo & Ueda, Kozo, 2016. "Japan's financial crises and lost decades," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 31-46.
    19. Kyoji Fukao, 2013. "Explaining Japan's Unproductive Two Decades," Asian Economic Policy Review, Japan Center for Economic Research, vol. 8(2), pages 193-213, December.
    20. Fabiano Schivardi & Enrico Sette & Guido Tabellini, 2022. "Credit Misallocation During the European Financial Crisis," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 132(641), pages 391-423.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • E22 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Investment; Capital; Intangible Capital; Capacity
    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy

    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:jjieco:v:39:y:2016:i:c:p:91-107. 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/inca/622903 .

    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.