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Investment and Internal Finance: Asymmetric Information or Managerial Discretion?

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  • Degryse, H.
  • de Jong, A.

Abstract

This paper examines the relation between cash-flow availability and investment spending in the Netherlands. In particular, we are interested whether managerial discretion and/or asymmetric information drive the positive relation between cash-flow and investment spending. This relation is positive for both firms with low and high investment opportunities. It is however significantly larger for firms with low investment opportunities suggesting that the managerial-discretion problem is most important in the Dutch setting. Effective corporate-governance may reduce this agency problem. Specific to the Netherlands, firms with low shareholder influence posit a higher cash-flow-investment sensitivity. The relevance of asymmetric information is confirmed as smaller firms and firms from information-sensitive industries show a larger cash-flow-investment sensitivity.

Suggested Citation

  • Degryse, H. & de Jong, A., 2001. "Investment and Internal Finance: Asymmetric Information or Managerial Discretion?," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2001-86-F&A, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    • Handle: RePEc:ems:eureri:147
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    6. Francis, Bill & Hasan, Iftekhar & Song, Liang & Waisman, Maya, 2013. "Corporate governance and investment-cash flow sensitivity: Evidence from emerging markets," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 15(C), pages 57-71.
    7. Samet, Marwa & Jarboui, Anis, 2017. "How does corporate social responsibility contribute to investment efficiency?," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 33-46.
    8. Tumer-Alkan, G., 2008. "Essays on banking," Other publications TiSEM 8d5ec521-4702-4e75-bc79-a, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    9. Pellicani, Aline Damasceno & Kalatzis, Aquiles Elie Guimarães, 2019. "Ownership structure, overinvestment and underinvestment: Evidence from Brazil," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 475-482.
    10. Klaus Gugler & Dennis C. Mueller & B. Burcin Yurtoglu, 2007. "Corporate Governance and the Determinants of Investment," Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE), Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 163(4), pages 598-626, December.
    11. Julio Pindado & Chabela De La Torre, 2009. "Effect of ownership structure on underinvestment and overinvestment: empirical evidence from Spain," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 49(2), pages 363-383, June.
    12. Moez EL Gaied, 2018. "Investment-Cash Flow Sensitivity and Growth Opportunities," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 8(2), pages 154-160.
    13. Daniel Danau & Annalisa Vinella, 2017. "Contractual design in agency problems with non-monotonic cost and correlated information," SERIES 02-2017, Dipartimento di Economia e Finanza - Università degli Studi di Bari "Aldo Moro", revised Mar 2017.
    14. Andriy Tsapin, 2017. "Do Firm-Bank Relationships Affect Corporate Cash Holdings?," Visnyk of the National Bank of Ukraine, National Bank of Ukraine, issue 241, pages 5-20.
    15. George, Rejie & Kabir, Rezaul & Qian, Jing, 2011. "Investment-cash flow sensitivity and financing constraints: New evidence from Indian business group firms," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 21(2), pages 69-88, April.
    16. Simona Bovha-Padilla & Joze P. Damijan & Jozef Konings, 2009. "Financial Constraints and the Cyclicality of R&D Investment:Evidence from Slovenia," LICOS Discussion Papers 23909, LICOS - Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance, KU Leuven.
    17. Imen Derouiche & Majdi Hassan & Sarra Amdouni, 2018. "Ownership structure and investment-cash flow sensitivity," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 22(1), pages 31-54, March.
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    19. Syed Manzur Quader & Mohammed Nayeem Abdullah, 2016. "Cash Flow Sensitivity of Cash: A Cross Country Analysis," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 6(2), pages 562-572.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Investment; The Netherlands; asymmetric information; financial constraints; managerial discretion;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G3 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance
    • G31 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Capital Budgeting; Fixed Investment and Inventory Studies
    • M - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics

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