Trust and corporate debt maturity mismatch: Evidence from China

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between social trust and firm debt maturity mismatch in the Chinese context. Additionally, we investigate the economic mechanisms through which social trust affects debt maturity mismatch, and the differential roles played by social trust among firms with different characteristics. We employ enterprise trustworthiness scores and provincial blood donation rates as our measures of regional social trust level and find a negative relationship between local trust and firm debt maturity mismatch, suggesting that social trust which promotes ethical norms acts as a restraint on firms' propensity for excessive risk. An alternative but consistent explanation is higher social trust increases debtors' willingness to lend, hence it reduces firms' funding costs and consequently the potential cost-saving motivation behind such a mismatch. We further document evidence that social trust improves the firm information environment and consequently risk-taking and/or the ability to reduce funding costs. The study also reveals variations in the role of social trust based on firm characteristics, such as leverage and profitability, and the ownership structure (state-owned enterprises vs. non-state-owned enterprises). The findings contribute to the literature by highlighting the increasing importance of social capital for policy and governance.