We provide evidence on the validity of the conglomeration hypothesis versus the strategic focus hypothesis for financial institutions using data on U.S. insurance companies. We distinguish between the hypotheses using profit scope economies, which measures the relative efficiency of joint versus...

The aim of this work is to give a perspective about the utility of the strategic alliances from the view of three theories: The resource-based theory, the industry-based theory and the institutional-based theory. The raised hypotheses were that the strategic alliances are useful to enter to the...

The aim of this work is to give a perspective about the utility of the strategic alliances from the view of three theories: The resource-based theory, the industry-based theory and the institutional-based theory. The raised hypotheses were that the strategic alliances are useful to enter to the...

Property-liability insurance is distributed by independent agents, who represent several insurers, and exclusive agents, who represent only one insurer. The independent agency system is known to have higher costs than the exclusive agency system. The market imperfections hypothesis attributes...

This article designs a framework for evaluating the causes, consequences, and future implications of financial services industry consolidation, reviews the extant research literature within the context of this framework (over 250 references), and suggests fruitful avenues for future research....

We study the effects of structural changes in banking markets on the supply of credit to small businesses. Specifically, we examine whether bank mergers and acquisitions (Mamp;As) and entry have quot;externalquot; effects on small business loans by other banks in the same local markets. The...

This article evaluates the causes, consequences, and future implications of financial services industry consolidation using a value maximization framework. We also reviews the extant research literature within the context of this framework (over 250 references), and suggest future research...

We address the causes, consequences, and implications of the cross-border consolidation of financial institutions by reviewing several hundred studies, providing comparative international data, and estimating cross-border banking efficiency in France, Germany, Spain, the U.K., and the U.S....

We examine the economics of financing small business in private equity and debt markets. Firms are viewed through a financial growth cycle paradigm in which different capital structures are optimal at different points in the cycle. We show the sources of small business finance, and how capital...

We examine the effects of bank Mamp;As on small business lending. Our methodology permits empirical analysis of the great majority of U.S. bank Mamp;As since the late 1970s -- over 6,000 Mamp;As involving over 10,000 banks (some active banks are counted multiple times). We are the first to...