IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/pacfin/v88y2024ics0927538x24003068.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Economies of scope in the Japanese banking industry

Author

Listed:
  • Wu, Yichang

Abstract

Economies of scope are usually considered a key factor in explaining bank diversification benefits, as joint production can help spread costs across different operations. However, previous studies have yielded little evidence of scope economies in the banking sector, which fails to explain the empirical results of diversification benefits, especially in Japan. Given that most relevant studies were conducted prior to 2000 and newer methodological approaches have emerged to enhance estimation accuracy, we refocus to this topic and explore the relationship with bank diversification. In this paper, we estimate economies of scope while considering the growing off-balance sheet activities within the Japanese banking industry. Using a sample including 120 Japanese banks from 2000 to 2020, we estimate the cost frontier with a translog cost function through the stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) approach. In addition to the traditional measures, we incorporate a new measure of scope economies proposed by Chavas and Kim (2010), allowing us to decompose the scope economies into four different effects. Our findings suggest that nearly all Japanese banks exhibit economies of scope, which may explain the diversification benefits observed in Japan. Furthermore, we find a negative relationship between economies of scope and the level of bank diversification.

Suggested Citation

  • Wu, Yichang, 2024. "Economies of scope in the Japanese banking industry," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:pacfin:v:88:y:2024:i:c:s0927538x24003068
    DOI: 10.1016/j.pacfin.2024.102554
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0927538X24003068
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.pacfin.2024.102554?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 search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Pulley, Lawrence B & Humphrey, David B, 1993. "The Role of Fixed Costs and Cost Complementarities in Determining Scope Economies and the Cost of Narrow Banking Proposals," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 66(3), pages 437-462, July.
    2. Berger, Allen N. & Mester, Loretta J., 2003. "Explaining the dramatic changes in performance of US banks: technological change, deregulation, and dynamic changes in competition," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 12(1), pages 57-95, January.
    3. Sawada, Michiru, 2013. "How does the stock market value bank diversification? Empirical evidence from Japanese banks," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 40-61.
    4. Harimaya, Kozo, 2008. "Impact of nontraditional activities on scale and scope economies: A case study of Japanese regional banks," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 20(2), pages 175-193, March.
    5. Lozano-Vivas, Ana & Pasiouras, Fotios, 2010. "The impact of non-traditional activities on the estimation of bank efficiency: International evidence," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(7), pages 1436-1449, July.
    6. Stein, Jeremy C, 1997. "Internal Capital Markets and the Competition for Corporate Resources," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 52(1), pages 111-133, March.
    7. Zhang, Jingfang & Malikov, Emir, 2022. "Off-balance sheet activities and scope economies in U.S. banking," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    8. Stiroh, Kevin J. & Rumble, Adrienne, 2006. "The dark side of diversification: The case of US financial holding companies," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 30(8), pages 2131-2161, August.
    9. Stiroh, Kevin J, 2004. "Diversification in Banking: Is Noninterest Income the Answer?," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 36(5), pages 853-882, October.
    10. Wheelock, David C. & Wilson, Paul W., 2001. "New evidence on returns to scale and product mix among U.S. commercial banks," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(3), pages 653-674, June.
    11. Berger, Allen N. & Hasan, Iftekhar & Zhou, Mingming, 2010. "The effects of focus versus diversification on bank performance: Evidence from Chinese banks," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(7), pages 1417-1435, July.
    12. David C. Wheelock & Paul W. Wilson, 2012. "Do Large Banks Have Lower Costs? New Estimates of Returns to Scale for U.S. Banks," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 44(1), pages 171-199, February.
    13. Mitchell, Karlyn & Onvural, Nur M, 1996. "Economies of Scale and Scope at Large Commercial Banks: Evidence from the Fourier Flexible Functional Form," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 28(2), pages 178-199, May.
    14. Elsas, Ralf & Hackethal, Andreas & Holzhäuser, Markus, 2010. "The anatomy of bank diversification," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 1274-1287, June.
    15. Laeven, Luc & Levine, Ross, 2007. "Is there a diversification discount in financial conglomerates?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(2), pages 331-367, August.
    16. Mester, Loretta J., 1991. "Agency costs among savings and loans," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 1(3), pages 257-278, June.
    17. Guohua Feng & Apostolos Serletis, 2009. "Efficiency and productivity of the US banking industry, 1998-2005: evidence from the Fourier cost function satisfying global regularity conditions," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 24(1), pages 105-138.
    18. Schmid, Markus M. & Walter, Ingo, 2009. "Do financial conglomerates create or destroy economic value?," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 193-216, April.
    19. Hughes, Joseph P. & Mester, Loretta J., 2013. "Who said large banks don’t experience scale economies? Evidence from a risk-return-driven cost function," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 22(4), pages 559-585.
    20. Joseph P. Hughes & Loretta J. Mester, 1998. "Bank Capitalization And Cost: Evidence Of Scale Economies In Risk Management And Signaling," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 80(2), pages 314-325, May.
    21. Wang, Hung-Jen & Ho, Chia-Wen, 2010. "Estimating fixed-effect panel stochastic frontier models by model transformation," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 157(2), pages 286-296, August.
    22. Humphrey, David & Willesson, Magnus & Bergendahl, Goran & Lindblom, Ted, 2006. "Benefits from a changing payment technology in European banking," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 30(6), pages 1631-1652, June.
    23. Berger, Allen N. & Cummins, J. David & Weiss, Mary A. & Zi, Hongmin, 2000. "Conglomeration versus Strategic Focus: Evidence from the Insurance Industry," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 9(4), pages 323-362, October.
    24. Belotti, Federico & Ilardi, Giuseppe, 2018. "Consistent inference in fixed-effects stochastic frontier models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 202(2), pages 161-177.
    25. Murray, John D & White, Robert W, 1983. "Economies of Scale and Economies of Scope in Multiproduct Financial Institutions: A Study of British Columbia Credit Unions," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 38(3), pages 887-902, June.
    26. Jaap W. B. Bos & James W. Kolari, 2005. "Large Bank Efficiency in Europe and the United States: Are There Economic Motivations for Geographic Expansion in Financial Services?," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 78(4), pages 1555-1592, July.
    27. Lewis, Danielle & Webb, James R., 2007. "Potential cost synergies from banks acquiring real estate brokerage services," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 31(8), pages 2347-2363, August.
    28. Calmès, Christian & Théoret, Raymond, 2010. "The impact of off-balance-sheet activities on banks returns: An application of the ARCH-M to Canadian data," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(7), pages 1719-1728, July.
    29. Bolt, Wilko & Humphrey, David, 2010. "Bank competition efficiency in Europe: A frontier approach," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(8), pages 1808-1817, August.
    30. repec:zbw:bofitp:2010_004 is not listed on IDEAS
    31. Amici, Alessandra & Fiordelisi, Franco & Masala, Francesco & Ricci, Ornella & Sist, Federica, 2013. "Value creation in banking through strategic alliances and joint ventures," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 1386-1396.
    32. Gaganis, Chrysovalantis & Pasiouras, Fotios, 2013. "Financial supervision regimes and bank efficiency: International evidence," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(12), pages 5463-5475.
    33. Vincenzo Chiorazzo & Carlo Milani & Francesca Salvini, 2008. "Income Diversification and Bank Performance: Evidence from Italian Banks," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 33(3), pages 181-203, June.
    34. Cummins, J. David & Weiss, Mary A. & Xie, Xiaoying & Zi, Hongmin, 2010. "Economies of scope in financial services: A DEA efficiency analysis of the US insurance industry," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(7), pages 1525-1539, July.
    35. Chen, Yi-Yi & Schmidt, Peter & Wang, Hung-Jen, 2014. "Consistent estimation of the fixed effects stochastic frontier model," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 181(2), pages 65-76.
    36. Ana Lozano-Vivas & Fotios Pasiouras, 2014. "Bank Productivity Change and Off-Balance-Sheet Activities Across Different Levels of Economic Development," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 46(3), pages 271-294, December.
    37. Berger, Allen N. & Hasan, Iftekhar & Zhou, Mingming, 2010. "The effects of focus versus diversification on bank performance: Evidence from Chinese banks," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(7), pages 1417-1435, July.
    38. Richard Davies & Belinda Tracey, 2014. "Too Big to Be Efficient? The Impact of Implicit Subsidies on Estimates of Scale Economies for Banks," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 46(s1), pages 219-253, February.
    39. Berger, Allen N. & Humphrey, David B. & Pulley, Lawrence B., 1996. "Do consumers pay for one-stop banking? Evidence from an alternative revenue function," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 20(9), pages 1601-1621, November.
    40. Humphrey, David B. & Vale, Bent, 2004. "Scale economies, bank mergers, and electronic payments: A spline function approach," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 28(7), pages 1671-1696, July.
    41. Beccalli, Elena & Anolli, Mario & Borello, Giuliana, 2015. "Are European banks too big? Evidence on economies of scale," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 232-246.
    42. Arellano, Manuel & Bover, Olympia, 1995. "Another look at the instrumental variable estimation of error-components models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 29-51, July.
    43. Sealey, Calvin W, Jr & Lindley, James T, 1977. "Inputs, Outputs, and a Theory of Production and Cost at Depository Financial Institutions," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 32(4), pages 1251-1266, September.
    44. Greene, William, 2005. "Reconsidering heterogeneity in panel data estimators of the stochastic frontier model," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 126(2), pages 269-303, June.
    45. Clark, Jeffrey A & Siems, Thomas F, 2002. "X-Efficiency in Banking: Looking beyond the Balance Sheet," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 34(4), pages 987-1013, November.
    46. Elena Beccalli & Ludovico Rossi, 2020. "Economies or diseconomies of scope in the EU banking industry?," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 26(5), pages 1261-1293, November.
    47. Pulley, Lawrence B & Braunstein, Yale M, 1992. "A Composite Cost Function for Multiproduct Firms with an Application to Economies of Scope in Banking," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 74(2), pages 221-230, May.
    48. Gallant, A. Ronald, 1981. "On the bias in flexible functional forms and an essentially unbiased form : The fourier flexible form," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 15(2), pages 211-245, February.
    49. Malikov, Emir & Hartarska, Valentina, 2018. "Endogenous scope economies in microfinance institutions," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 162-182.
    50. Willam Greene, 2005. "Fixed and Random Effects in Stochastic Frontier Models," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 7-32, January.
    51. Kim, H Youn, 1986. "Economies of Scale and Economies of Scope in Multiproduct Financial Institutions: Further Evidence from Credit Unions: A Note," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 18(2), pages 220-226, May.
    52. Blundell, Richard & Bond, Stephen, 1998. "Initial conditions and moment restrictions in dynamic panel data models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 87(1), pages 115-143, August.
    53. Jagtiani, Julapa & Nathan, Alli & Sick, Gordon, 1995. "Scale economies and cost complementarities in commercial banks: On-and off-balance-sheet activities," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 19(7), pages 1175-1189, October.
    54. Hunter, William C & Timme, Stephen G & Yang, Won Keun, 1990. "An Examination of Cost Subadditivity and Multiproduct Production in Large U.S. Banks," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 22(4), pages 504-525, November.
    55. Eder, Andreas, 2018. "Measuring and decomposing economies of diversification: An application to biogas-fuelled cogeneration plants in Austria," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 204(C), pages 421-432.
    56. Abedifar, Pejman & Molyneux, Philip & Tarazi, Amine, 2018. "Non-interest income and bank lending," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 411-426.
    57. Chavas, Jean-Paul & Kim, Kwansoo, 2010. "Economies of diversification: A generalization and decomposition of economies of scope," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(2), pages 229-235, August.
    58. Berger, Allen N. & Hanweck, Gerald A. & Humphrey, David B., 1987. "Competitive viability in banking : Scale, scope, and product mix economies," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 501-520, December.
    59. Karim, Dilruba & Liadze, Iana & Barrell, Ray & Davis, E. Philip, 2013. "Off-balance sheet exposures and banking crises in OECD countries," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 9(4), pages 673-681.
    60. Gilligan, Thomas & Smirlock, Michael & Marshall, William, 1984. "Scale and scope economies in the multi-product banking firm," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 13(3), pages 393-405, May.
    61. Mester, Loretta J., 1996. "A study of bank efficiency taking into account risk-preferences," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 20(6), pages 1025-1045, July.
    62. Vander Vennet, Rudi, 2002. "Cost and Profit Efficiency of Financial Conglomerates and Universal Banks in Europe," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 34(1), pages 254-282, February.
    63. Baele, Lieven & De Jonghe, Olivier & Vander Vennet, Rudi, 2007. "Does the stock market value bank diversification?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 31(7), pages 1999-2023, July.
    64. Gallant, A. Ronald, 1982. "Unbiased determination of production technologies," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 20(2), pages 285-323, November.
    65. Feng, Guohua & Zhang, Xiaohui, 2014. "Returns to scale at large banks in the US: A random coefficient stochastic frontier approach," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 135-145.
    66. Jeffrey A. Clark, 1988. "Economies of scale and scope at depository financial institutions: a review of the literature," Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, vol. 73(Sep), pages 16-33.
    67. Jiraporn, Pornsit & Kim, Young Sang & Davidson, Wallace N. & Singh, Manohar, 2006. "Corporate governance, shareholder rights and firm diversification: An empirical analysis," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 947-963, March.
    68. Mester, Loretta J, 1987. "A Multiproduct Cost Study of Savings and Loans," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 42(2), pages 423-445, June.
    69. Aigner, Dennis & Lovell, C. A. Knox & Schmidt, Peter, 1977. "Formulation and estimation of stochastic frontier production function models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 6(1), pages 21-37, July.
    70. Guerry, Nicolas & Wallmeier, Martin, 2017. "Valuation of diversified banks: New evidence," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 203-214.
    71. Cavallo, Laura & Rossi, Stefania P. S., 2001. "Scale and scope economies in the European banking systems," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 11(4-5), pages 515-531, December.
    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. Jeon, Bang Nam & Wu, Ji & Chen, Limei & Chen, Minghua, 2020. "Diversification, efficiency and risk of banks: New consolidating evidence from emerging economies," School of Economics Working Paper Series 2020-10, LeBow College of Business, Drexel University.
    2. Elena Beccalli & Ludovico Rossi, 2020. "Economies or diseconomies of scope in the EU banking industry?," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 26(5), pages 1261-1293, November.
    3. Zhang, Jingfang & Malikov, Emir, 2022. "Off-balance sheet activities and scope economies in U.S. banking," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    4. Wu, Ji & Chen, Limei & Chen, Minghua & Jeon, Bang Nam, 2020. "Diversification, efficiency and risk of banks: Evidence from emerging economies," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 45(C).
    5. Diego Restrepo-Tobón & Subal Kumbhakar & Kai Sun, 2015. "Obelix vs. Asterix: Size of US commercial banks and its regulatory challenge," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 48(2), pages 125-168, October.
    6. Beccalli, Elena & Anolli, Mario & Borello, Giuliana, 2015. "Are European banks too big? Evidence on economies of scale," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 232-246.
    7. Khan, Abu & Hassan, M. Kabir & Maroney, Neal & Boujlil, Rhada & Ozkan, Bora, 2020. "Efficiency, diversification, and performance of US banks," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 101-117.
    8. Curi, Claudia & Murgia, Maurizio, 2018. "Divestitures and the financial conglomerate excess value," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 187-207.
    9. Ji Wu & Shirong Zhao, 2024. "Returns to scale in cost, revenue, and profit for European banks: New results from nonparametric local linear methods," The Financial Review, Eastern Finance Association, vol. 59(2), pages 487-517, May.
    10. Harimaya, Kozo & Ozaki, Yasufumi, 2021. "Effects of diversification on bank efficiency: Evidence from Shinkin banks in Japan," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 700-717.
    11. Haykel Zouaoui & Faten Zoghlami, 2023. "What do we know about the impact of income diversification on bank performance? A systematic literature review," Journal of Banking Regulation, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 24(3), pages 286-309, September.
    12. Khanh Ngoc Nguyen, 2019. "Revenue Diversification, Risk and Bank Performance of Vietnamese Commercial Banks," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-21, August.
    13. Zouaoui, Haykel & Zoghlami, Feten, 2020. "On the income diversification and bank market power nexus in the MENA countries: Evidence from a GMM panel-VAR approach," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    14. Curi, Claudia & Lozano-Vivas, Ana & Zelenyuk, Valentin, 2015. "Foreign bank diversification and efficiency prior to and during the financial crisis: Does one business model fit all?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 61(S1), pages 22-35.
    15. Wang, Chunyang & Lin, Yongjia, 2021. "Income diversification and bank risk in Asia Pacific," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    16. Beccalli, Elena & Rossi, Ludovico & Viola, Andrea, 2023. "Network vs integrated organizational structure of cooperative banks: Evidence on the Italian reform," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    17. Berger, Allen N. & Hasan, Iftekhar & Zhou, Mingming, 2010. "The effects of focus versus diversification on bank performance: Evidence from Chinese banks," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(7), pages 1417-1435, July.
    18. repec:zbw:bofitp:2010_009 is not listed on IDEAS
    19. Diego A. Restrepo-Tobón & Subal C. Kumbhakar & Kai Sun, 2013. "Are U.S. Commercial Banks Too Big?," Documentos de Trabajo de Valor Público 10943, Universidad EAFIT.
    20. Sarmiento, Miguel & Galán, Jorge E., 2017. "The influence of risk-taking on bank efficiency: Evidence from Colombia," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 52-73.
    21. Abuzayed, Bana & Al-Fayoumi, Nedal & Molyneux, Phil, 2018. "Diversification and bank stability in the GCC," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 17-43.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Economies of scope; Bank diversification; Japanese bank; SFA;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • 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

    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:pacfin:v:88:y:2024:i:c:s0927538x24003068. 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/pacfin .

    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.