工商管理外文文献

-1-ThomasM.Krueger.UniversityofWisconsin-LaCrosseGregFilbeck.SchweserStudyProgram2009-09-28AnAnalysisofWorkingCapitalManagementResultsAcrossIndustriesABSTRACT：Firmsareabletoreducefinancingcostsand/orincreasethefundsavailableforexpansionbyminimizingtheamountoffundstiedupincurrentassets.WeprovideinsightsintotheperformanceofsurveyedfirmsacrosskeycomponentsofworkingcapitalmanagementbyusingtheCFOmagazine’sannualWorkingCapitalManagementSurvey.Wediscoverthatsignificantdifferencesexistbetweenindustriesinworkingcapitalmeasuresacrosstime.Inaddition.wediscoverthatthesemeasuresforworkingcapitalchangesignificantlywithinindustriesacrosstime.Keywords:capitalmanagement;measures;fundsanalysisIntroductionTheimportanceofefficientworkingcapitalmanagementisindisputable.Workingcapitalisthedifferencebetweenresourcesincashorreadilyconvertibleintocash(CurrentAssets)andorganizationalcommitmentsforwhichcashwillsoonberequired(CurrentLiabilities).Theobjectiveofworkingcapitalmanagementistomaintaintheoptimumbalanceofeachoftheworkingcapitalcomponents.Businessviabilityreliesontheabilitytoeffectivelymanagereceivables.inventory.andpayables.Firmsareabletoreducefinancingcostsand/orincreasethefundsavailableforexpansionbyminimizingtheamountoffundstiedupincurrentassets.Muchmanagerialeffortisexpendedinbringingnon-optimallevelsofcurrentassetsandliabilitiesbacktowardoptimallevels.Anoptimallevelwouldbeoneinwhichabalanceisachievedbetweenriskandefficiency.-2-ArecentexampleofbusinessattemptingtomaximizeworkingcapitalmanagementistherecurrentattentionbeinggiventotheapplicationofSixSigma®methodology.SixSigma®methodologieshelpcompaniesmeasureandensurequalityinallareasoftheenterprise.Whenusedtoidentifyandrectifydiscrepancies.inefficienciesanderroneoustransactionsinthefinancialsupplychain.SixSigma®reducesDaysSalesOutstanding(DSO).acceleratesthepaymentcycle.improvescustomersatisfactionandreducesthenecessaryamountandcostofworkingcapitalneeds.Thereappeartobemanysuccessstories.includingJenniferTowne’s(2002)reportofa15percentdecreaseindaysthatsalesareoutstanding.resultinginanincreasedcashflowofapproximately$2millionatThibodauxRegionalMedicalCenter.Furthermore.baddebtsdeclinedfrom$3.4millionto$600.000.However.Waxer’s(2003)studyofmultiplefirmsemployingSixSigma®findsthatitisreallya“getrichslow”techniquewitharateofreturnhoveringinthe1.2–4.5percentrange.EveninabusinessusingSixSigma®methodology.an“optimal”levelofworkingcapitalmanagementneedstobeidentified.Industryfactorsmayimpactfirmcreditpolicy.inventorymanagement.andbill-payingactivities.Somefirmsmaybebettersuitedtominimizereceivablesandinventory.whileothersmaximizepayables.Anotheraspectof“optimal”istheextenttowhichpoorfinancialresultscanbetiedtosub-optimalperformance.Fortunately.theseissuesaretestablewithdatapublishedbyCFOmagazine.whichclaimstobethesourceof“toolsandinformationforthefinancialexecutive.”andarethesubjectofthisresearch.Inadditiontoprovidingmeanandvariancevaluesfortheworkingcapitalmeasuresandtheoverallmetric.twoissueswillbeaddressedinthisresearch.Oneresearchquestionis.“arefirmswithinaparticularindustryclusteredtogetheratconsistentlevelsofworkingcapitalmeasures?”Forinstance.arefirmsinoneindustryabletoquicklytransfersalesintocash.whilefirmsfromanotherindustrytendtohavehighsaleslevelsfortheparticularlevelofinventory.Theotherresearchquestionis.“doesworkingcapitalmanagementperformanceforfirmswithinagivenindustrychangefromyear-to-year?”-3-Thefollowingsectionpresentsabriefliteraturereview.Next.theresearchmethodisdescribed.includingsomeinformationabouttheannualWorkingCapitalManagementSurveypublishedbyCFOmagazine.Findingsarethenpresentedandconclusionsaredrawn.Theimportanceofworkingcapitalmanagementisnotnewtothefinanceliterature.Overtwentyyearsago.LargayandStickney(1980)reportedthatthethen-recentbankruptcyofW.T.Grant.anationwidechainofdepartmentstores.shouldhavebeenanticipatedbecausethecorporationhadbeenrunningadeficitcashflowfromoperationsforeightofthelasttenyearsofitscorporatelife.AspartofastudyoftheFortune500’sfinancialmanagementpractices.GilbertandReichert(1995)findthataccountsreceivablemanagementmodelsareusedin59percentofthesefirmstoimproveworkingcapitalprojects.whileinventorymanagementmodelswereusedin60percentofthecompanies.Morerecently.Farragher.KleimanandSahu(1999)findthat55percentoffirmsintheS&PIndustrialindexcompletesomeformofacashflowassessment.butdidnotpresentinsightsregardingaccountsreceivableandinventorymanagement.orthevariationsofanycurrentassetaccountsorliabilityaccountsacrossindustries.Thus.mixedevidenceexistsconcerningtheuseofworkingcapitalmanagementtechniques.Theoreticaldeterminationofoptimaltradecreditlimitsarethesubjectofmanyarticlesovertheyears(e.g..Schwartz1974;Scherr1996).withscantattentionpaidtoactualaccountsreceivablemanagement.Acrossalimitedsample.WeinraubandVisscher(1998)observeatendencyoffirmswithlowlevelsofcurrentratiostoalsohavelowlevelsofcurrentliabilities.Simultaneouslyinvestigatingaccountsreceivableandpayableissues.Hill.Sartoris.andFerguson(1984)finddifferencesinthewaypaymentdatesa