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Uncertainty and growth of the firm

Author

Listed:
  • Lensink, Robert
  • Steen, Paul van der
  • Sterken, Elmer

    (Groningen University)

Abstract
Using data from a survey of 1097 Dutch firms we investigate the relation between growth of the firm and uncertainty. We focus on the impact of uncertainty on various types of investment, employment demand, and expected maturity of the firm. The special feature of the survey is that it includes data on non-listed (small) firms. We include uncertainty with respect to expected sales and Return on Investment (ROI). We find that sales uncertainty, measured by the conditional variance, has a negative impact on various investment decisions. We include an analysis of financial structure and firm size on the growth-uncertainty relation

Suggested Citation

  • Lensink, Robert & Steen, Paul van der & Sterken, Elmer, 2000. "Uncertainty and growth of the firm," CCSO Working Papers 200014, University of Groningen, CCSO Centre for Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:gro:rugccs:200014
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    File URL: http://irs.ub.rug.nl/ppn/241229499
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Ravi Dhar & William Goetzmann, 2005. "Institutional Perspectives on Real Estate Investing: The Role of Risk and Uncertainty," Yale School of Management Working Papers ysm457, Yale School of Management, revised 01 Jul 2005.
    4. Mark J. Koetse & Henri L.F. de Groot & Raymond J.G.M. Florax, 2011. "A Meta-Regression Analysis of the Investment–Uncertainty Relationship," Chapters, in: Raymond J.G.M. Florax & Henri L.F. de Groot & Peter Mulder (ed.), Improving Energy Efficiency through Technology, chapter 7, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    5. Aslıhan Atabek Demirhan & Burcu Gürcihan Yüncüler, 2017. "Employment growth and uncertainty: evidence from Turkey," IFC Bulletins chapters, in: Bank for International Settlements (ed.), Uses of central balance sheet data offices' information, volume 45, Bank for International Settlements.
    6. Ebrahimi , Mehrzad & Arshadi , Ali, 2014. "The Effect of the Behavioral Elements on the Growth of Iranian Firms," Journal of Money and Economy, Monetary and Banking Research Institute, Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran, vol. 9(4), pages 31-48, July.
    7. Ravi Dhar & William Goetzmann, 2005. "Institutional Perspectives on Real Estate Investing: The Role of Risk and Uncertainty," Yale School of Management Working Papers ysm457, Yale School of Management, revised 01 Jul 2005.
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    9. Skuras, Dimitris & Tsegenidi, Kyriaki & Tsekouras, Kostas, 2008. "Product innovation and the decision to invest in fixed capital assets: Evidence from an SME survey in six European Union member states," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(10), pages 1778-1789, December.
    10. Vivek Ghosal & Yang Ye, 2013. "Business Decision-Making under Uncertainty: Evidence from Employment and Number of Businesses," CESifo Working Paper Series 4312, CESifo.
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    12. D.B. Audretsch & L. Klomp & E. Santarelli & A.R. Thurik, 2004. "Gibrat's Law: Are the Services Different?," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 24(3), pages 301-324, May.
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    15. Le, K.N. & Hermes, N. & Lanjouw, G., 2003. "Irreversible investment and uncertainty : an empirical study of rice mills in the Mekong river delta, Vietnam," Research Report 03E40, University of Groningen, Research Institute SOM (Systems, Organisations and Management).
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    19. Ghosh, Saibal, 2009. "Do productivity and ownership really matter for growth? Firm-level evidence," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 26(6), pages 1403-1413, November.
    20. Dirk Burghardt & Marco Helm, 2015. "Firm growth in the course of mergers and acquisitions," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 44(4), pages 889-904, April.
    21. Vieira, Elizabeth S. & Lepori, Benedetto, 2016. "The growth process of higher education institutions and public policies," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 10(1), pages 286-298.
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    23. Kounetas, Kostas & Skuras, Dimitris & Tsekouras, Kostas, 2011. "Promoting energy efficiency policies over the information barrier," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 23(1), pages 72-84, March.

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