Does managerial myopia promote enterprises over-financialization? Evidence from listed firms in China

Abstract

This paper analyzes the potential shortsightedness of enterprise managers through annual reports. Additionally, we use corporate financial statement data to measure enterprises over-financialization in terms of resource allocation. After testing with a causal inference model, we find that firms with managerial myopia significantly contribute to over-financialization. It remains robust even after the instrumental variable of whether the manager has experienced a famine is used. Furthermore, financial distress and financing constraints amplify the inclination of short-term-focused managers to amass greater financial assets.