Volume 21, Issue 2 (6-2026)                   J. Mon. Ec. 2026, 21(2): 185-201 | Back to browse issues page

XML Print


Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:

rashidi M. The Impact of Managerial Ability on Debt Contracting Constraints of Borrowing Firms. J. Mon. Ec. 2026; 21 (2) :185-201
URL: http://jme.mbri.ac.ir/article-1-760-en.html
Associate prof. in accounting, Faculty of Management and Economic, Lorestan University, Khoramabad, Iran
Abstract:   (856 Views)
Management ability can be considered a factor in creating a balance between the information dimension of credit contracts between the company and financial resources providers. The purpose of this paper is to examine the limitations of debt contracts based on management ability. In this study, information related to 120 listed companies was collected during the period 2016 to 2023 and the research hypotheses were tested using a mixed regression approach. The findings of the study show that manager ability has a significant effect on the dispersion of interest rates on facilities received. Also, the results indicate that manager ability leads to a reduction in contractual limitations. Finally, the results show that management ability leads to the use of a short-term financing approach. Higher management ability can lead to more favorable loan terms by signaling favorable future performance of the company and increasing information transparency. In other words, capable managers are more efficient in converting company resources into income, and as a result, they improve the company's future performance and cash flows and reduce expected risk.
Full-Text [PDF 815 kb]   (140 Downloads)    
Type of Study: Original Research - Empirical | Subject: Monetary Economics
Received: 1 Feb 2026 | Accepted: 25 May 2026 | Published: 6 Jun 2026

References
1. Agyapong, A., Akomea, S. Y., Owusu, M. A., Nkansah, A. P., & Zakari, M. (2023). Managerial capability, business strategy, and performance: The role of external factors. Small Enterprise Research, 30(3), 318–342.
2. Adams, J. C., & Mansi, S. A. (2009). CEO turnover and bondholder wealth. Journal of Banking and Finance, 33(3), 522–533.
3. Aflatooni, A. (2019). Managerial Ability and Dividends Smoothing: A Dynamic Approach. Financial accounting knowledge, 6(1), 211-238. [In Persian] [DOI]
4. Aminimehr, A., Saghafi, M., & Falahkohan, M. (2024). Optimal financial leverage and financial crisis control: Emphasizing the moderating role of managers ability. Financial Management Strategy, 12(4), 201–224. [In Persian]
5. Anvari Rostami, A., & Kiani, A. (2016). Investigating the role of environmental uncertainty in cost behavior: Evidence from firms listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange. Journal of Accounting Advances, 7(2), 33–57. [In Persian]
6. Baik, B. O. K., Farber, D. B., & Lee, S. A. M. (2011). CEO ability and management earnings forecasts. Contemporary accounting research, 28(5), 1645–1668.
7. Barth, M. E., Hodder, L. D., & Stubben, S. R. (2008). Fair value accounting for liabilities and own credit risk. The accounting review, 83(3), 629–665.
8. Berger, A., & Udell, G. F. (1990). Collateral, loan quality and bank risk. Journal of Monetary Economics, 25(1), 21–42.
9. Berger, A., Espinosa-Vega, M., Frame, W., & Miller, N. (2005). Debt maturity, risk, and asymmetric information. Journal of Finance, 60(6), 2895–2923.
10. Bertrand, M., & Schoar, A. (2003). Managing with style: The effect of managers on firm policies. Quarterly journal of economics, 118(4), 1169–1208.
11. Bhojraj, S., & Sengupta, P. (2003). Effect of corporate governance on bond ratings and yields. Journal of Business, 76(3), 455–476.
12. Brockman, P., Martin, X., & Unlu, E. (2010). Executive compensation and the maturity structure of corporate debt. Journal of Finance, 65(3), 1123–1161.
13. Chang, Y. Y., Dasgupta, S., & Hilary, G. (2010). CEO ability, pay, and firm performance. Management Science, 56(10), 1633–1652.
14. Chava, S., Livdan, D., & Purnanandam, A. (2009). Do shareholder rights affect the cost of bank loans? Review of Financial Studies, 22(8), 2973–3004.
15. Chemmanur, T., & Paeglis, I. (2005). Management quality, certification, and initial public offerings. Journal of Financial Economics, 76(2), 331–368.
16. Choi, W., Han, S., Jung, S. H., & Kang, T. (2015). CEO’s operating ability and accruals. Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, 42(5–6), 619–634.
17. Cornaggia, K. J., Krishnan, G. V., & Wang, C. (2017). Managerial ability and credit ratings. Contemporary accounting research, 34, 2094–2122.
18. Custódio, C., & Metzger, D. (2014). Financial expert CEOs: CEOs' work experience and firms' financial policies. Journal of Financial Economics, 114(1), 125–154. [DOI]
19. Custódio, C., Ferreira, M. A., & Matos, P. (2013). Generalists versus specialists: Lifetime work experience and chief executive officer pay. Journal of Financial Economics, 108(2), 471-492.
20. Demerjian, P., Lev, B., & McVay, S. (2012). Quantifying managerial ability: A new measure and validity tests. Management science, 58(7), 1229-1248.
21. Demerjian P, Lewis M, McVay S. (2015). Earnings smoothing: For good or evil? Working paper, University of Washington, Seattle.
22. Demerjian, P. R., Lev, B., Lewis, M. F., & McVay, S. E. (2013). Managerial ability and earnings quality. The accounting review, 88(2), 463-498.
23. Diamond, D. W. (1991). Debt maturity structure and liquidity risk. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 106(3), 709–737.
24. Diamond, D. W., & He, Z. (2014). A theory of debt maturity: the long and short of debt overhang. The Journal of Finance, 69(2), 719-762.
25. Donelson, D. C., Jennings, R., & McInnis, J. (2017). Financial statement quality and debt contracting. Contemporary accounting research, 34(4), 2051–2093.
26. Dyck, A., & Zingales, L. (2004). Private benefits of control: An international comparison. Journal of Finance, 59(2), 537–600.
27. Fama, E. (1980). Agency problems and the theory of the firm. Journal of Political Economy, 88(2), 288–307.
28. Francis, B., Hasan, I., Siraj, I., & Wu, Q. (2020). Managerial ability and value relevance of earnings. China accounting and finance review, 21(4), 147–191.
29. Gaines-Ross, L. (2003). CEO Capital: A Guide to Building CEO Reputation and Company Success. John Wiley & Sons.
30. Gorton, G., & Kahn, J. (2000). The design of bank loan contracts. Review of Financial Studies, 13(2), 331–364.
31. Graham, J. R., Li, S., & Qiu, J. (2008). Corporate misreporting and bank loan contracting. Journal of Financial Economics, 89(1), 44–61.
32. Hasan, I., Hoi, S., Wu, Q., & Zhang, H. (2017). Social capital and debt contracting: Evidence from bank loans and public bonds. Journal of financial and quantitative analysis, 52(3), 1017–1047.
33. Hall, R. E. (2001). The stock market and capital accumulation. American economic review, 91(5), 1185-1202.
34. Hettler, B., Cordeiro, J., & Forst, A. (2024). Proving their mettle: Managerial ability and firm performance in trying times. Journal of Contemporary Accounting & Economics, 20(1), 100393.
35. Hsu, C., Novoselov, K. E., & Wang, R. (2017). Does accounting conservatism mitigate the shortcomings of CEO overconfidence? The Accounting Review, 92(6), 77-101.
36. Jensen, M. C., & Meckling, W. H. (1976). Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure. Journal of Financial Economics, 3(4), 305–360. [DOI]
37. Kaplan, S. N., Klebanov, M. M., & Sorensen, M. (2012). Which CEO characteristics matter? Journal of finance, 67(3), 973–1007.
38. Kim, H. D., Kim, Y., & Mantecon, T. (2019). Short-term institutional investors and agency costs of debt. Journal of Business Research, 95, 195-210.
39. Krishnan, G. V., & Wang, C. (2015). The relation between managerial ability and audit fees and going concern opinions. Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory, 34(3), 139-160.
40. Lee, C. C., Wang, C. W., Chiu, W. C., & Tien, T. S. (2018). Managerial ability and investment opportunity. International Review of Financial Analysis, 57, 65–76.
41. Leverty, J. T., & Grace, M. F. (2012). Dupes or incompetents? An examination of management's impact on firm distress. The Journal of Risk and Insurance, 79(3), 751–783. [DOI]
42. Manh, P. H., Tran, D. V., Phan, A., & Nguyen, M. N. (2025). Managerial ability and bank loan pricing. Studies in Economics and Finance, 42(4), 693–711.
43. Marcelin, I., & Mathur, I. (2014). Financial development, institutions and banks. International review of financial analysis, 31, 25–33.
44. Milbourn, T. T. (2003). CEO reputation and stock-based compensation. Journal of financial economics, 68(2), 233-262.
45. Molaei, M., Izadinia, N., & Amiri, H. (2019). Analysis of the relationship between earnings quality characteristics, earnings beta, earnings volatility, and downside return risk measures with downside earnings risk. Empirical studies in financial accounting, 16(64), 161–193. [In Persian]
46. Mueller, H. M., & Inderst, R. (1999, September). Ownership concentration, monitoring, and the agency cost of debt [Working paper]. University of Mannheim.
47. Myers, S. C. (1977). Determinants of corporate borrowing. Journal of financial economics, 5(2), 147–175.
48. Rajan, R., & Winton, A. (1995). Covenants and collateral as incentives to monitor. Journal of Finance, 50(4), 1113–1146.
49. Rahimi, M., Mohammad Shafiei, M., & Ansari-Tadi, A. (2020). Group analytic hierarchy process for ranking intangible assets: Evidence from the chemical industry. Financial management strategy, 8(1), 107–116. [In Persian]
50. Rashidi, M. (2020). The role of managers’ ability to modifying credit conditions. Journal of asset management and financing, 8(3), 123–139. [In Persian]
51. Saghafi, M., Pouryousof, A., & Shirzadi, A. (2024). Discovery of audit distortions and financial reporting readability. Empirical studies in financial accounting, 20(80), 215–254. [In Persian]
52. Shang, C. (2021). Dare to play with fire? Managerial ability and the use of short-term debt. Journal of Corporate Finance, 70, 102065. [DOI]
53. Shaw, K. W. (2012). CEO incentives and the cost of debt. Review of quantitative finance and accounting, 38(3), 323-346.
54. Shirehzadeh, J., & Ebrahimi-Ghadi, A. (2024). The moderating effect of managerial characteristics on the relationship between firm risk and product market competition of companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange Financial Management Strategy, 11(2), 129–160. [In Persian]
55. Smith, C. W. (1993). A perspective on accounting-based debt covenant violations. Accounting review, 289-303.
56. Smith, C. W., & Warner, J. B. (1979). On financial contracting: An analysis of bond covenants. Journal of financial economics, 7(2), 117–161.
57. Stohs, M. H., & Mauer, D. C. (1996). The determinants of corporate debt maturity structure. Journal of Business, 69(3), 279–312.
58. Stulz, R. (2001). Does financial structure matter for economic growth? A corporate finance perspective. In A. Demirgüç-Kunt & R. Levine (Eds.), Financial structure and economic growth: A cross-country comparison of banks, markets, and development (pp. 143–188). MIT Press.
59. Sufi, A. (2007). Information asymmetry and financing arrangements. Journal of Finance, 62(2), 629–668.
60. Tang, Y., Wang, L., Shu, H., & Li, T. (2024). Does managerial ability affect bank loan pricing? Finance Research Letters, 62, 105175.

Add your comments about this article : Your username or Email:
CAPTCHA

Rights and permissions
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

© 2026 All Rights Reserved | Journal of Money And Economy

Designed & Developed by : Yektaweb