IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ecolet/v234y2024ics0165176523005359.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The impact of cultural orientation towards secrecy on innovation

Author

Listed:
  • Machokoto, Michael

Abstract

Our empirical analyses, based on a large international dataset of private firms, show that a cultural orientation towards secrecy significantly negatively affects the likelihood of investing in innovation. This finding is robust to a host of concerns and suggests that cultural orientation towards secrecy explains a significant portion of the cross-country variations in private firms’ innovation.

Suggested Citation

  • Machokoto, Michael, 2024. "The impact of cultural orientation towards secrecy on innovation," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:234:y:2024:i:c:s0165176523005359
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2023.111509
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165176523005359
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.econlet.2023.111509?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Arthur Lewbel, 2012. "Using Heteroscedasticity to Identify and Estimate Mismeasured and Endogenous Regressor Models," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(1), pages 67-80.
    2. El Ghoul, Sadok & Gong, Zhaoran (Jason) & Guedhami, Omrane & Hou, Fangfang & Tong, Wilson H.S., 2023. "Social trust and firm innovation," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    3. Yuriy Gorodnichenko & Jan Svejnar & Katherine Terrell, 2010. "Globalization and Innovation in Emerging Markets," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 2(2), pages 194-226, April.
    4. Wellalage, Nirosha Hewa & Fernandez, Viviana & Thrikawala, Sujani, 2020. "Corruption and innovation in private firms: Does gender matter?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    5. Roland Bénabou & Davide Ticchi & Andrea Vindigni, 2015. "Religion and Innovation," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(5), pages 346-351, May.
    6. Doupnik, Timothy S. & Riccio, Edson Luiz, 2006. "The influence of conservatism and secrecy on the interpretation of verbal probability expressions in the Anglo and Latin cultural areas," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 237-261.
    7. Chi, Jianxin Daniel & Su, Xunhua & Tang, Yun & Xu, Bin, 2020. "Is language an economic institution? Evidence from R&D investment," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    8. Machokoto, Michael & Gyimah, Daniel & Ntim, Collins G., 2021. "Do peer firms influence innovation?," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(5).
    9. Gao, Huasheng & Hsu, Po-Hsuan & Li, Kai, 2018. "Innovation Strategy of Private Firms," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 53(1), pages 1-32, February.
    10. Michael Minnis & Nemit Shroff, 2017. "Why regulate private firm disclosure and auditing?," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(5), pages 473-502, July.
    11. Hope, Ole-Kristian & Kang, Tony & Thomas, Wayne & Yoo, Yong Keun, 2008. "Culture and auditor choice: A test of the secrecy hypothesis," Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 27(5), pages 357-373.
    12. Bischoff, Thore Sören & Hipp, Ann & Runst, Petrik, 2023. "Firm innovation and generalized trust as a regional resource," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(8).
    13. Nett, Lorenz, 1994. "Why private firms are more innovative than public firms," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 10(4), pages 639-653, December.
    14. Olayinka Oyekola & Samuel Odewunmi, 2023. "The consequence of societal secrecy for financial constraints," Discussion Papers 2303, University of Exeter, Department of Economics.
    15. Shih‐Chuan Tsai, 2008. "Information Asymmetry and Corporate Investment Decisions: A Dynamic Approach," The Financial Review, Eastern Finance Association, vol. 43(2), pages 241-271, May.
    16. Wijayana, Singgih & Gray, Sidney J., 2018. "Capital market consequences of cultural influences on earnings: The case of cross-listed firms in the U.S. stock market," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 134-147.
    17. Makrychoriti, Panagiota & Pasiouras, Fotios, 2021. "National culture and central bank transparency: Cross-country evidence," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    18. Wellalage, Nirosha Hewa & Fernandez, Viviana, 2019. "Innovation and SME finance: Evidence from developing countries," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    19. Mazboudi, Mohamad & Hasan, Iftekhar, 2018. "Secrecy, information shocks, and corporate investment: Evidence from European Union countries," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 166-176.
    20. Ascioglu, Asli & Hegde, Shantaram P. & McDermott, John B., 2008. "Information asymmetry and investment-cash flow sensitivity," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 32(6), pages 1036-1048, June.
    21. Mufaddal Baxamusa & Sunil Mohanty & Ramesh P. Rao, 2015. "Information Asymmetry about Investment Risk and Financing Choice," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(7-8), pages 947-964, September.
    22. Chen, Yangyang & Chui, Andy C.W. & Goyal, Abhinav & Veeraraghavan, Madhu, 2022. "Societal secrecy and IPO underpricing," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Gaganis, Chrysovalantis & Leledakis, George & Pasiouras, Fotios & Pyrgiotakis, Emmanouil, 2021. "National culture of secrecy and stock price synchronicity: Cross-country evidence," MPRA Paper 105432, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Makrychoriti, Panagiota & Pasiouras, Fotios, 2021. "National culture and central bank transparency: Cross-country evidence," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    3. Ghulam Hussain Khan Zaigham & Xiangning Wang & Haji Suleman Ali, 2019. "Causal Relation Between Stock Market Performance and Firm Investment in China: Mediating Role of Information Asymmetry," SAGE Open, , vol. 9(4), pages 21582440198, October.
    4. Ahmad, Muhammad Munir & Hunjra, Ahmed Imran & Taskin, Dilvin, 2023. "Do asymmetric information and leverage affect investment decisions?," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 337-345.
    5. French, Joseph J. & Fujitani, Ryosuke & Yasuda, Yukihiro, 2021. "Does stock market listing impact investment in Japan?," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    6. Noh, Minyoung & Cho, Moon Kyung, 2022. "Cultural tightness and accounting conservatism," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(1).
    7. Dierk Herzer, 2022. "The macro‐level effect of religiosity on health," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(6), pages 993-1011, June.
    8. Fotios Pasiouras & Elie Bouri & David Roubaud & Emilios Galariotis, 2021. "Culture and Multiple Firm–Bank Relationships: A Matter of Secrecy and Trust?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 174(1), pages 221-249, November.
    9. Heidhues, Eva & Patel, Chris, 2011. "A critique of Gray's framework on accounting values using Germany as a case study," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 22(3), pages 273-287.
    10. Wang, Jimin & Wang, Cong, 2021. "Can religions explain cross country differences in innovative activities?," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    11. El Ghoul, Sadok & Gong, Zhaoran (Jason) & Guedhami, Omrane & Hou, Fangfang & Tong, Wilson H.S., 2023. "Social trust and firm innovation," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    12. Stephen B. Salter & Tony Kang & Giorgio Gotti & Timothy S. Doupnik, 2013. "The Role of Social Values, Accounting Values and Institutions in Determining Accounting Conservatism," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 53(4), pages 607-632, August.
    13. Ortiz, Rodrigo & Fernandez, Viviana, 2022. "Business perception of obstacles to innovate: Evidence from Chile with pseudo-panel data analysis," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    14. Oyekola, Olayinka & Odewunmi, Samuel, 2023. "The consequence of societal secrecy for the financial constraints faced by firms," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 228(C).
    15. Houqe, Muhammad Nurul & Monem, Reza M. & Tareq, Mohammad & van Zijl, Tony, 2016. "Secrecy and the impact of mandatory IFRS adoption on earnings quality in Europe," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 40(PB), pages 476-490.
    16. Olayinka Oyekola & Samuel Odewunmi, 2023. "The consequence of societal secrecy for financial constraints," Discussion Papers 2303, University of Exeter, Department of Economics.
    17. Guermazi, Walid & Halioui, Khamoussi, 2020. "Do differences in national cultures affect cross-country conditional conservatism behavior under IFRS?," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    18. Liliana Meza-González & Jaime Marie Sepulveda, 2019. "The impact of competition with China in the US market on innovation in Mexican manufacturing firms," Latin American Economic Review, Springer;Centro de Investigaciòn y Docencia Económica (CIDE), vol. 28(1), pages 1-21, December.
    19. Konon, Alexander & Fritsch, Michael & Kritikos, Alexander S., 2018. "Business cycles and start-ups across industries: An empirical analysis of German regions," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 742-761.
    20. Leon Zolotoy & Don O’Sullivan & Keke Song, 2021. "The Role of Ethical Standards in the Relationship Between Religious Social Norms and M&A Announcement Returns," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 170(4), pages 721-742, May.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Innovation; Secrecy; Culture; Emerging markets; Private firms;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G01 - Financial Economics - - General - - - Financial Crises
    • G31 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Capital Budgeting; Fixed Investment and Inventory Studies
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill

    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:eee:ecolet:v:234:y:2024:i:c:s0165176523005359. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ecolet .

    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.