The authors examine the investment behaviour of a sample of small, credit-constrained firms in Sri Lanka. Using a unique panel-data set, they analyze and compare the activities of two groups of small firms distinguished by their different access to financing; one group consists of firms with...

Prices of commodities, including metals, energy and agricultural products, rose markedly over the 2009 - 2010 period. Some observers have attributed a significant part of this increase in commodity prices to the U.S. Federal Reserve's large-scale asset purchase (LSAP) programs. Using event-study...

This paper summarizes the international evidence on the performance of quantitative easing (QE) as a monetary policy tool when conventional policy rates are constrained by the effective lower bound (ELB). A large body of evidence suggests that expanding the central bank's balance sheet through...

The international community has a role to play in addressing this gap. In that regard, this paper is intended to stimulate debate on the problems in the current practices for sovereign debt restructuring and puts forward some proposals to improve the functioning of sovereign debt markets. The...

This study examines how family ownership affects the performance and capital structure of 613 Canadian firms using a panel dataset from 1998 to 2005. In particular, we distinguish the effect of family ownership from the use of control-enhancing mechanisms. We find that freestanding family-owned...

The ongoing review of the IMF, initiated in 2005 by Managing Director De Rato, presents an excellent opportunity to re-examine the role, functions and governance of the Fund. In particular, the objective, scope and conduct of IMF surveillance have been identified as a key area for renewal. In...

The authors examine the institutional and governance framework of modern central banks to determine whether there are lessons that can be applied to the International Monetary Funds' (IMF's) institutional framework. Such a comparison is appealing for two reasons. First, both central banks and...

The authors examine the institutional and governance framework of modern central banks to determine whether there are lessons that can be applied to the International Monetary Funds' (IMF’s) institutional framework. Such a comparison is appealing for two reasons. First, both central banks and...

The ongoing review of the IMF, initiated in 2005 by Managing Director De Rato, presents an excellent opportunity to re-examine the role, functions and governance of the Fund. In particular, the objective, scope and conduct of IMF surveillance have been identified as a key area for renewal. In...

This study examines how family ownership affects the performance and capital structure of 613 Canadian firms using a panel dataset from 1998 to 2005. In particular, we distinguish the effect of family ownership from the use of control-enhancing mechanisms. We find that freestanding family-owned...