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Comparative advantages of regional versus national banks in alleviating SME's financial constraints

Author

Listed:
  • Céline Meslier

    (UNILIM - Université de Limoges, LAPE - Laboratoire d'Analyse et de Prospective Economique - GIO - Gouvernance des Institutions et des Organisations - UNILIM - Université de Limoges)

  • Alain Sauviat

    (UNILIM - Université de Limoges, LAPE - Laboratoire d'Analyse et de Prospective Economique - GIO - Gouvernance des Institutions et des Organisations - UNILIM - Université de Limoges)

  • Dian Yuan

Abstract

This paper provides new evidence on the impact of local banking market structure on SME's access to credit and emphasize the comparative advantages of regional versus national banks in alleviating SME's financial constraints. Matching a unique dataset on bank branch-level and firm-level information for a sample of 33,165 French manufacturing firms over the 2005–2013 period, we rely on two alternative indicators to capture different dimensions of SMEs financial constraints and find significant differences in the drivers of these constraints. While higher market share of regional banks or stronger presence of geographically-focused banks helps to alleviate SMEs' short-term credit constraint, higher market share of national banks or stronger presence of geographically-diversified banks is beneficial to reduce SMEs investment cash-flow sensitivity. Moreover, in both cases, SMEs' financial constraints are strengthened in functionally-distant markets. In addition, during crisis times, the benefits of relationship banking on short-term credit constraint remain and, in some cases, are reinforced. We also find that these benefits differ according to SMEs pre-crisis financial health. Regional banks facilitate access to short term credit for firms which were more profitable before the global financial crisis and particularly those who experienced a sharp decline in profitability in troubled times, supporting the hypothesis of continuation lending by relationship banks during economic downturns.

Suggested Citation

  • Céline Meslier & Alain Sauviat & Dian Yuan, 2020. "Comparative advantages of regional versus national banks in alleviating SME's financial constraints," Post-Print hal-04881119, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04881119
    DOI: 10.1016/j.irfa.2020.101471
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    Cited by:

    1. Iotti, Mattia, . "Financial evaluation and credit access of agricultural firms," Economia agro-alimentare / Food Economy, Italian Society of Agri-food Economics/Società Italiana di Economia Agro-Alimentare (SIEA), vol. 25(2).
    2. Meslier, Céline & Rehault, Pierre-Nicolas & Sauviat, Alain & Yuan, Dian, 2022. "Benefits of local banking in local economic development: Disparities between micro firms and other SMEs," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    3. Jiang, Mei & Wang, Kedi & Zhao, Qiuyun & Li, Siqi & Xu, Guifu, 2025. "Small and medium-sized banks and pollution emissions from industrial enterprises," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    4. Sun, Ruohan & Zhou, Nan & Zhang, Bing, 2023. "Can bank branch establishment help SMEs survive? Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    5. Chen, Yang & Cheng, Liang & Lee, Chien-Chiang & Wang, Chang-song, 2021. "The impact of regional banks on environmental pollution: Evidence from China's city commercial banks," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    6. 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).
    7. Yu, Jian & Peng, Fanjia & Shi, Xunpeng & Yang, Longjian, 2022. "Impact of credit guarantee on firm performance: Evidence from China’s SMEs," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 624-636.
    8. Ding Hu & Xianming Fang & Yuting Meng DiGiovanni, 2023. "Technological progress, financial constrains, and digital financial inclusion," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 61(4), pages 1693-1721, December.
    9. Hussain Khan, Habib & Kutan, Ali M., 2023. "Banking sector competition and firms’ financial constraints: Firm-Level evidence from developing economies," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    10. Bu, Ya & Du, Xin & Wang, Yuting & Liu, Shuyu & Tang, Min & Li, Hui, 2024. "Digital inclusive finance: A lever for SME financing?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    11. Wang, Xiaodong & Han, Liang & Huang, Xing, 2020. "Bank competition, concentration and EU SME cost of debt," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    12. Ririen Setiati Riyanti & Iván Arribas & Silvia Pazzi & Emili Tortosa-Ausina, 2022. "The impacts of static ownership types and governance changes on small business lending: Evidence from Indonesia," Working Papers 2022/13, Economics Department, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón (Spain).
    13. Khan, Habib Hussain & Ahmad, Mohammad Rais, 2025. "The fintech revolution: Exploring the potential of fintech finance in reducing corporate credit constraints," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E22 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Investment; Capital; Intangible Capital; Capacity
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • G31 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Capital Budgeting; Fixed Investment and Inventory Studies
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes

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