This paper empirically assesses whether knowledge networking affects the growth of small service firms. More specifically, using a large, unbalanced panel data set for the period 1992- 2009, we investigate whether participation in a knowledge network called PLATO is positively related to service...

The 2007 global financial crisis led to a chaotic financial environment characterized by highly uncertain and volatile stock markets. This created additional uncertainty about the fundamental value of shares and potentially increased the benefit of inside information. In this paper, we use event...

We investigate whether the 2008 financial crisis had an impact on companies’ trade credit, and whether changes in trade credit mitigated the crisis’ impact on firm profitability. We document that the availability of trade credit decreased, and that this decline is more pronounced, the higher...

This paper provides new empirical evidence on the impact of formal business networking on SME growth. More specifically, using a large, unbalanced panel data set of Flemish SMEs over the period 1992-2008, we examine whether participation in a government-supported program aimed at intense...

Manuscript Type: Empirical<br> Research Question/Issue: Using a unique database on insider trading in Belgium, we investigate whether high-quality corporate communication, as proxied by disclosure scores of professional financial analysts, reduces the profitability of insider trading.<br> Research...

The geographic concentration of retail firms is a remarkable phenomenon. Existing literature suggests that retail firms benefit from spatial concentration in terms of heightened demand. However, the proximity to other firms also intensifies competition and results in higher costs for land and...

Objective: To examine whether the nationwide smoking ban, imposed in 2007, had an impact on the profitability of Belgian restaurants. Data and methods: Objective financial reporting data on 1,613 restaurants were analysed with return on assets as the outcome measure. The data were collected from...

Since decades, scholars and policy makers have been interested in how fiscal policy influences entrepreneurship. Until now, research has focused on fiscal policy at the federal or regional level and used macro-economic outcome measures. Considerably less attention was given to how municipal...

This paper focuses on corporate governance practices related to insider trading. In particular, we explore a unique and comprehensive dataset on the restrictions that companies impose on their insiders in addition to legal requirements, i.e. corporate insider trading policies. We are interested...

First, this paper gives an overview of the progress Europe has made in its development of a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB). Second, we use firm level data from a listed multinational to investigate how several designs for the CCCTB apportionment formula could affect the...