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How organizational hierarchy affects information production

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  • Skrastins, Janis
  • Vig, Vikrant

Abstract

This paper empirically investigates how organizational hierarchy affects the allocation of credit within a bank. Using an exogenous variation in organizational design, induced by a reorganization plan implemented in roughly 2,000 bank branches in India during 1999 - 2006, and employing a difference-in-differences research strategy, we find that increased hierarchization of a branch decreases its ability to produce "soft" information on loans, leads to increased standardization of loans and rationing of "soft information" loans. Furthermore, this loss of information brings about a reduction in performance on loans: delinquency rates and returns on similar loans are worse in more hierarchical branches. We also document how hierarchical structures perform better in environments that are characterized by a high degree of corruption, thus highlighting the benefits of hierarchical decision making in restraining rent seeking activities. Finally, we document a channel { managerial interference { through which hierarchy affects loan outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Skrastins, Janis & Vig, Vikrant, 2015. "How organizational hierarchy affects information production," IMFS Working Paper Series 92, Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute for Monetary and Financial Stability (IMFS).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:imfswp:92
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    5. John B. Taylor & Volker Wieland, 2016. "Finding the Equilibrium Real Interest Rate in a Fog of Policy Deviations," Business Economics, Palgrave Macmillan;National Association for Business Economics, vol. 51(3), pages 147-154, July.
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    8. Uluc Aysun, 2019. "Centralized versus Decentralized Banking: Bank-level evidence from U.S. Call Reports," Working Papers 2019-03, University of Central Florida, Department of Economics.
    9. Hagendorff, Jens & Nguyen, Duc Duy & Sila, Vathunyoo, 2022. "Does marriage equality promote credit access? Evidence from same-sex marriage laws," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
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    12. Giorgio Calcagnini & Rebel Cole & Germana Giombini & Giuseppe Travaglini, 2019. "Bank Loan Deterioration: Is It All Fault of the Crisis?," Working Papers 1907, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Department of Economics, Society & Politics - Scientific Committee - L. Stefanini & G. Travaglini, revised 2019.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Hierarchies; Soft Information; Banks; Globalization; Complexity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D21 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Theory
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General

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