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The Impact of Incentives and Communication Costs on Information Production: Evidence from Bank Lending

Author

Listed:
  • Qian, Jun

    (Boston College)

  • Strahan, Philip E.

    (Boston College)

  • Yang, Zhishu

    (Tsinghua University)

Abstract

In 2002 and 2003, many Chinese banks implemented policy reforms that delegated lending decisions to and increased the accountability of individual loan officers. The policy change followed China's entrance into the WTO and offers a plausibly exogenous shock to loan officer incentives to produce information on borrowers. Using detailed loan-level data from a large, state-owned bank, we find that an internal rating on borrower's credit risk has a more pronounced effect, beyond observable 'hard' information of the borrower, on both price and non-price terms of loan contracts after the reform and becomes a better predictor of loan outcomes. We also show that when the loan officer and the branch president who approves the loan contract works together for a longer period of time, the rating has an incrementally stronger effect on loan contracts. Our results highlight how incentives and communication costs can affect the quality of information production.

Suggested Citation

  • Qian, Jun & Strahan, Philip E. & Yang, Zhishu, 2011. "The Impact of Incentives and Communication Costs on Information Production: Evidence from Bank Lending," Working Papers 11-62, University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School, Weiss Center.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecl:upafin:11-62
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Shawn Cole & Martin Kanz & Leora Klapper, 2015. "Incentivizing Calculated Risk-Taking: Evidence from an Experiment with Commercial Bank Loan Officers," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 70(2), pages 537-575, April.
    2. Nguyen, Vu Hong Thai & Boateng, Agyenim, 2015. "An analysis of involuntary excess reserves, monetary policy and risk-taking behaviour of Chinese Banks," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 63-72.
    3. Bing Xu & Adrian Van Rixtel & Michiel Van Leuvensteijn, 2013. "Measuring bank competition in China: a comparison of new versus conventional approaches applied to loan markets," BIS Working Papers 422, Bank for International Settlements.
    4. Allen, Franklin & Shan, Susan Chenyu & Qian, Jun & Zhao, Mengxin, 2011. "The IPO of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and the 'Chinese Model' of Privatizing Large Financial Institutions," Working Papers 11-63, University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School, Weiss Center.
    5. Allen, Franklin & Zhang, Chenying & Qian, Jun & Zhao, Mengxin, 2011. "China's Financial System: Opportunities and Challenges," Working Papers 11-54, University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School, Weiss Center.
    6. Fredrik N. G. Andersson & Katarzyna Burzynska & Sonja Opper, 2016. "Lending for growth? A Granger causality analysis of China’s finance–growth nexus," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 51(3), pages 897-920, November.
    7. Nguyen, Vu Hong Thai & Boateng, Agyenim, 2013. "The impact of excess reserves beyond precautionary levels on Bank Lending Channels in China," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 358-377.
    8. Andersson, Fredrik N. G. & Burzynska, Katarzyna & Opper, Sonja, 2013. "Lending for Growth? An Analysis of State-Owned Banks in China," Working Papers 2013:19, Lund University, Department of Economics.
    9. Thai V. H. Nguyen & Agyenim Boateng & Tra Thi Thu Pham, 2019. "Involuntary excess reserve and heterogeneous transmission of policy rates to bank lending rates in China," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 57(3), pages 1023-1044, September.
    10. Marcello Pagnini & Silvia Del Prete & Paola Rossi & Valerio Vacca, 2013. "Lending Organization and Credit Supply During the Crisis," ERSA conference papers ersa13p673, European Regional Science Association.
    11. Silvia Del Prete & Marcello Pagnini & Paola Rossi & Valerio Vacca, 2017. "Lending organization and credit supply during the 2008-09 crisis," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 1108, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D80 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - General
    • G20 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - General
    • L20 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - General

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