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On the Causes of Soft Budget Constraints: Firm-Level Evidence from Bulgaria and Romania

Author

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  • Greetje Everaert
  • Antje Hildebrandt

Abstract

Several theoretical explanations for the presence of soft budget constraints have recently been put forward in the literature. The purpose of this paper is to empirically test these theories on the causes of soft budget constraints. We therefore use a panel data set, consisting of company account data for Bulgarian and Romanian manufacturing firms, covering the period 1996-1990. Our results suggest that the probability of finding soft budget constraints importantly depends on the degree of competition within the sector and on the ownership of the firm. Ownership structure in Bulgaria however, has no additional explanatory power once firms are loss-making. We further find that socio-political concerns about employment increase the probability of SBC's, but only when firms are loss-making. Thus, our empirical results largely confirm the hypotheses that competition, privatisation and firm size matter in explaining soft budget constraints, as suggested in the theoretical models on the causes of soft budget constraints.

Suggested Citation

  • Greetje Everaert & Antje Hildebrandt, 2001. "On the Causes of Soft Budget Constraints: Firm-Level Evidence from Bulgaria and Romania," LICOS Discussion Papers 10901, LICOS - Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance, KU Leuven.
    • Handle: RePEc:lic:licosd:10901
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    File URL: http://www.econ.kuleuven.be/licos/publications/dp/dp109.pdf
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Nikolay Nenovsky & E. Peev & T. Yalamov, 2003. "Banks-Firms Nexus under the Currency Board: Empirical Evidence from Bulgaria," Post-Print halshs-00259830, HAL.
    2. Vassilis Monastiriotis, 2008. "The Emergence of Regional Policy in Bulgaria: regional problems, EU influences and domestic constraints," GreeSE – Hellenic Observatory Papers on Greece and Southeast Europe 15, Hellenic Observatory, LSE.
    3. K. H. McIntyre, 2016. "Enterprise Efficiency in Romania Redux," Romanian Economic Journal, Department of International Business and Economics from the Academy of Economic Studies Bucharest, vol. 19(61), pages 71-94, September.
    4. R.T.A. de Haas & H.M.M. Peeters, 2004. "Firms' Dynamic Adjustment to Target Capital Structures in Transition Economies," Finance 0405014, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Ralph de Haas & Marga Peeters, 2006. "The dynamic adjustment towards target capital structures of firms in transition economies," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 14(1), pages 133-169, March.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Soft Budget Constraints; Competition; Privatisation; Transition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • P31 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - Socialist Enterprises and Their Transitions
    • P35 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - Public Finance
    • L10 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - General

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