银行内部组织的功能距离与危机冲击下的中小企业生存损失——兼论中小型银行优势和现代信息技术

Functional Distance within the Internal Organization of Banks and the Survival Loss of SMEs under the Impact of Crises:A Discussion on"Small Bank Advantage"and Modern Information Technology

在遭受重大事件冲击时为中小企业提供迫在眉睫且关乎其生死存亡的资金支持,提高其存活概率和减少冲击带来的生存损失,是保障国民经济基础力量、塑造经济韧性、稳住经济大盘的重点。本文关注银行在危机的冲击和扰乱下对中小企业的生存救助问题,结合信息理论和组织理论,重点分析了银行内部组织的功能距离在其中的影响,检验了其内在作用机制和由此衍生的异质性现象,并结合“小银行优势”理论和信息技术的现代化发展做了进一步讨论。实证分析表明,内部组织的功能距离是影响银行救助危机冲击下的中小企业并提高其存活概率的重要因素。机制分析表明,在市场信息被危机冲击所扰乱的情况下,内部组织的功能距离通过影响银行对中小企业软信息的生产利用进而影响其为中小企业融资纾困的作用效果。进一步地,中小型银行在救助危机中的中小企业方面具有优势,而这种优势的发挥需要建立在其组织功能距离短平紧凑的基础上;同时,现代信息技术能够有效降低危机冲击时银行组织的功能距离对企业生存的负面影响。本文从微观内部组织和信息技术层面以及从危机救助角度丰富了金融机构信贷效率的相关研究,为着眼于服务实体经济平稳运行的金融供给侧结构性改革提供了有益的政策启示。

Maintaining economic resilience in the face of shocks is an important factor for realizing sustained and steady economic development.As key players in the market,resilient small and medium-sized enterprises(SMEs)are the foundation for achieving overall economic resilience.However,due to the vulnerable financial chain,SMEs are the most susceptible group during crises.Whether the banking system can provide timely credit support to SMEs then becomes a key issue in shaping the survival resilience of SMEs.This paper investigates the impact of the functional distance within bank organizations on the survival probability of SMEs under crises.It further examines the impact mechanisms and heterogeneous effects,and combines relevant theories for further discussions.This paper utilizes data of China's industrial enterprises spanning from 2004 to 2010 to establish firm's survival variables under crises,employing cloglog survival model to empirically investigate the influence of functional distance within bank organizations on SMEs'survival loss during crises.The research findings demonstrate that the functional distance has a significant impact on banks'assistance to SMEs during crises.Mechanism analysis reveals that this influence is mediated through banks production of soft information,which subsequently affects their ability to serve SMEs.Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the above impact is particularly pronounced in relatively larger SMEs,regions with higher level of banking competition and limited transportation accessibility.Further analysis reveals that a higher degree of development in small banks enables better access to finance for SMEs during crises,thereby increasing their survival resilience.However,this advantage is contingent upon a certain level of banks'functional proximity.Moreover,it is found that modern information technology plays a vital role in mitigating adverse effects of the functional distance on enterprise survival during crises.This paper has the following policy implications.Firstly,it is essential to establish a multi-tiered banking industry structure,leveraging local financial institutions'"small bank advantage".Secondly,continuous optimization of internal organizational structures within banks should be pursued.Local financial institutions should firmly focus on serving local markets and avoid indiscriminate expansion of remote branches.Large financial institutions should continue expanding their branch networks into local areas and delegate loan decision-making power to grassroots-level institutions.Furthermore,online and offline channels should be combined to enhance the capabilities of financial institutions in producing soft information.Local banks should fully utilize their local advantages and cultivate specialized relationship loan teams.Additionally,modern information technology should be leveraged to accelerate the digitalization of the banking industry,encouraging the use of fintech tools to assess SMEs.