Date of Conferral

2017

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Management

Advisor

Mohammad Sharifzadeh

Abstract

In the United States, small businesses represent 99.7% of firms that provide employment and account for over 50% of all private sector employment. Nevertheless, the rationing of small business borrowing is an indicative of acute credit constraints emanating from poverty, lack of collateral, lack of cosigners for bank loans, high administrative fees associated with processing credit loans, and information asymmetry along with other socioeconomic factors. In a 4-year study from 2004-2008, it was determined that small businesses suffer tremendously from credit rationing. The purpose of this study was to determine the induced effect of loan guarantee scheme, collateral, and leverage on credit rationing. The seminal work of Stiglitz and Weiss served as a framework for the study. The research questions were developed to inquire the relationship (influence) of loan guarantee scheme on credit rationing while controlling for collateral and leverage. Data on small businesses were collected from the Small Business Administration and the National Survey of Small Business Finances websites. Collected data (n = 1,072) of small business firms in Florida for 2015 were analyzed through applying multiple regression methodology. The study results indicated that small business participation in loan guarantee scheme had a significant influence on credit rationing when the confounding effects of collateral and leverage were statistically controlled. The findings of this research could lead to positive social change by providing small businesses with loan guarantee scheme, a government subsidy that eliminates the need for credit rationing.

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