IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/nbr/nberwo/5818.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The Myth of the Patient Japanese: Corporate Myopia and Financial Distress in Japan and the US

Author

Listed:
  • Brian J. Hall
  • David E. Weinstein

Abstract

It is widely believed that the stock-market oriented US financial system forces corporate managers to behave myopically relative to their Japanese counterparts, who operate in a bank-based system. We hypothesize that if US firms are more myopic than Japanese firms, then episodes of financial distress (when myopia should be most pronounced) should cause US firms to decrease their R&D spending (our main proxy for long-term investment) more than Japanese firms. We find no evidence that this is the case. In addition, we show that Japanese firms do not invest more than US firms after the onset of distress. Our results hold up even when US firms are compared to Japanese financial ties to their banks and are thought to be the least myopic (and the most able to weather distress). The results also withstand a variety of robustness checks. Our findings that US and Japanese firms respond similarly to financial distress cast doubt on the view that US managers are more short-sighted than their Japanese counterparts.

Suggested Citation

  • Brian J. Hall & David E. Weinstein, 1996. "The Myth of the Patient Japanese: Corporate Myopia and Financial Distress in Japan and the US," NBER Working Papers 5818, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:5818
    Note: PR
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.nber.org/papers/w5818.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Stein, Jeremy C, 1988. "Takeover Threats and Managerial Myopia," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 96(1), pages 61-80, February.
    2. Branstetter, Lee & Crepon, Bruno & Hall, Bronwyn H. & Mairesse, Jacques, 1995. "The Time Series Relationship Between Investment and Cash Flow in the Scientific Sector: A Panel Data Study Comparing French, Japanese, and the United States Firms," Department of Economics, Working Paper Series qt9tr0867s, Department of Economics, Institute for Business and Economic Research, UC Berkeley.
    3. Shleifer, Andrei & Vishny, Robert W, 1997. "A Survey of Corporate Governance," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 52(2), pages 737-783, June.
    4. Jeremy C. Stein, 1989. "Efficient Capital Markets, Inefficient Firms: A Model of Myopic Corporate Behavior," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 104(4), pages 655-669.
    5. Ernst-Ludwig von Thadden, 1995. "Long-Term Contracts, Short-Term Investment and Monitoring," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 62(4), pages 557-575.
    6. Douglas W. Diamond, 1984. "Financial Intermediation and Delegated Monitoring," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 51(3), pages 393-414.
    7. Eric J. Bartelsman & Wayne Gray, 1996. "The NBER Manufacturing Productivity Database," NBER Technical Working Papers 0205, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Takeo Hoshi & Anil Kashyap & David Scharfstein, 1991. "Corporate Structure, Liquidity, and Investment: Evidence from Japanese Industrial Groups," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 106(1), pages 33-60.
    9. Hoshi, Takeo & Kashyap, Anil & Scharfstein, David, 1990. "The role of banks in reducing the costs of financial distress in Japan," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 67-88, September.
    10. Hayashi, Fumio & Inoue, Tohru, 1991. "The Relation between Firm Growth and Q with Multiple Capital Goods: Theory and Evidence from Panel Data on Japanese Firms," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 59(3), pages 731-753, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Elena Zoido, 1998. "Un estudio de las participaciones accionariales de los bancos en las empresas españolas," Investigaciones Economicas, Fundación SEPI, vol. 22(3), pages 427-467, September.
    2. Heinrich, Ralph P., 1999. "Complementarities in Corporate Governance - A Survey of the Literature with Special Emphasis on Japan," Kiel Working Papers 947, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    3. Kaoru Hosono & Masayo Tomiyama & Tsutomu Miyagawa, 2004. "Corporate governance and research and development: Evidence from Japan," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(2), pages 141-164.
    4. Hellwig, Martin, 2000. "Corporate Governance and the Financing of Investment for Structural Change," Sonderforschungsbereich 504 Publications 00-32, Sonderforschungsbereich 504, Universität Mannheim;Sonderforschungsbereich 504, University of Mannheim.
    5. Dewenter, Kathryn L., 2003. "The risk-sharing role of Japanese keiretsu business groups: evidence from restructuring in the 1990s," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 15(3), pages 261-274, August.
    6. Felix J. Lopez-Iturriaga & Emilio Lopez-Millan, 2015. "Institutional Framework, Corporate Ownership Structure, and R&D Investment: An International Analysis," HSE Working papers WP BRP 36/MAN/2015, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    7. Hellwig, Martin, 1998. "On the Economics and Politics of Corporate Finance and Corporate Control," Sonderforschungsbereich 504 Publications 98-43, Sonderforschungsbereich 504, Universität Mannheim;Sonderforschungsbereich 504, University of Mannheim.
    8. Gérard Charreaux & Philippe Desbrières, 1998. "Gouvernance des entreprises:valeur partenariale contre valeur actionnariale," Revue Finance Contrôle Stratégie, revues.org, vol. 1(2), pages 57-88, June.
    9. Wahal, Sunil & McConnell, John J., 2000. "Do institutional investors exacerbate managerial myopia?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 6(3), pages 307-329, September.
    10. Gérard Charreaux & Philippe Desbrières, 2001. "Corporate Governance: Stakeholder Value Versus Shareholder Value," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 5(2), pages 107-128, June.
    11. Mehdi Nehkili & Evelyne Poincelot, 2000. "La fonction R&D et la latitude managériale: une analyse théorique," Revue Finance Contrôle Stratégie, revues.org, vol. 3(1), pages 5-28, March.
    12. Jun-Koo Kang & Rene M. Stulz, 1997. "Is Bank-Centered Corporate Governance Worth It? A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the Performance of Japanese Firms during the Asset Price Deflation," NBER Working Papers 6238, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

    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. Shleifer, Andrei & Vishny, Robert W, 1997. "A Survey of Corporate Governance," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 52(2), pages 737-783, June.
    2. Shigeru Asaba, 2013. "Patient investment of family firms in the Japanese electric machinery industry," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 30(3), pages 697-715, September.
    3. Chernobai, Anna & Yasuda, Yukihiro, 2013. "Disclosures of material weaknesses by Japanese firms after the passage of the 2006 Financial Instruments and Exchange Law," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 1524-1542.
    4. Kyoji Fukao & Kiyohiko Nishimura & Qing-Yuan Sui & Masayo Tomiyama, 2005. "Japanese Banks’ monitoring activities and the performance of borrower firms: 1981–1996," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 2(4), pages 337-362, December.
    5. Franks, Julian & Mayer, Colin, 2001. "Ownership and Control of German Corporations," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 14(4), pages 943-977.
    6. Driss, Hamdi & Drobetz, Wolfgang & El Ghoul, Sadok & Guedhami, Omrane, 2021. "Institutional investment horizons, corporate governance, and credit ratings: International evidence," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    7. Elena Zoido, 1998. "Un estudio de las participaciones accionariales de los bancos en las empresas españolas," Investigaciones Economicas, Fundación SEPI, vol. 22(3), pages 427-467, September.
    8. Kentaro Koga & Satomi Uchino, 2012. "Bank-Firm Relationships and Security Analyst Activities: Evidence from Japan," The Japanese Accounting Review, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University, vol. 2, pages 49-73, December.
    9. Masayo Shikimi, 2013. "Do firms benefit from multiple banking relationships? Evidence from small and medium- sized firms in Japan," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 10(1), pages 127-157, March.
    10. Hideaki Sakawa & Naoki Watanabel, 2020. "Main bank relationship and accounting conservatism: evidence from Japan," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 19(1), pages 62-85, February.
    11. Edmans, Alex, 2011. "Short-term termination without deterring long-term investment: A theory of debt and buyouts," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(1), pages 81-101, October.
    12. Hanazaki, Masaharu & 花崎, 正晴 & ハナザキ, マサハル & Horiuchi, Akiyoshi & 堀内, 昭義 & ホリウチ, アキヨシ, 2003. "Have Banks Contributed to Efficient Management in Japan's Manufacturing?," CEI Working Paper Series 2003-22, Center for Economic Institutions, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    13. Becker, Bo & Cronqvist, Henrik & Fahlenbrach, Rüdiger, 2011. "Estimating the Effects of Large Shareholders Using a Geographic Instrument," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 46(4), pages 907-942, August.
    14. Suvadee Rungsomboon, 2005. "Deterioration of Firm Balance Sheet and Investment Behavior: Evidence from Panel Data on Thai Firms," Asian Economic Journal, East Asian Economic Association, vol. 19(3), pages 335-356, September.
    15. Masaharu Hanazaki & Akiyoshi Horiuchi, 2000. "Have Banks Contributed to Efficient Management in Japan's Manufacturing?," CIRJE F-Series CIRJE-F-76, CIRJE, Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo.
    16. Mangena, Musa & Priego, Alba Maria & Manzaneque, Montserrat, 2020. "Bank power, block ownership, boards and financial distress likelihood: An investigation of Spanish listed firms," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    17. Fohlin, Caroline, 1999. "Universal Banking in Pre-World War I Germany: Model or Myth?," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 305-343, October.
    18. Abe, Naohito & Chung, Yessica C.Y., 2009. "Voluntary Information Disclosure and Corporate Governance : The Empirical Evidence on Earnings Forecasts," Hitotsubashi Journal of Economics, Hitotsubashi University, vol. 50(2), pages 59-74, December.
    19. Ljungqvist, Alexander & Asker, John & Farre-Mensa, Joan, 2010. "Does the Stock Market Harm Investment Incentives?," CEPR Discussion Papers 7857, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    20. Ongena, S. & Smith, D.C., 2000. "Bank relationships : A review," Other publications TiSEM 993b88a5-9a0f-42de-9cec-6, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.

    More about this item

    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:nbr:nberwo:5818. 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: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/nberrus.html .

    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.