I empirically examine the choice of a firm’s vertical boundaries—specifically, the decision to use supplier-customer contracts instead of either using markets or vertical integration. I examine the determinants of supplier-customer contracts using data on a customer’s contractual purchase obligations with its suppliers. Contracting propensity is positively related to supplier relationship-specific investments (RSI), the supplier’s relative bargaining power, and vertical integration costs, and negatively related to contracting costs, alternative sources of information about the customer, and the percentage of a customer’s input traded on financial markets. I also find that customer firms which have product market contracts with their suppliers have better relative performance. These performance effects are enhanced by relationship-specific investments and are robust to corrections for endogeneity. Additionally, I examine the choice between vertical integration versus supplier-customer contracts and find that the choice is predicted by the type of RSI. Consistent with theory, RSI measured using tangible (intangible) assets are positively related to integration (contracts). Further, positive (negative) shocks to industry-level intangible investment are related to increases in a firm’s contracting activity and decreases (increases) in the level of vertical integration, while positive (negative) shocks to industry-level tangible investment are related to decreases in contracting activity and increases (decreases) in the level of vertical integration. My results suggest that market frictions play an important role in shaping supplier-customer contracting activity and firm boundaries.

This dissertation consists of two essays: one looks at the relation between firm focus and hedging in the REIT industry, and the other compares bank board structures in China and the US. The first essay presented in Chapter 2 examines the relation between corporate hedging and firm focus in the REIT industry by using a sample of REITs in 2005 and in 2007. We find 46.41% utilization rate in 2005 and 43.41% in 2007. Consistent with our hypothesis, we find that, relative to diversified firms, focused firms are more likely to engage in hedging. Focused firms also tend to be involved in greater amount of hedging. We also document a negative relation between hedging and transparency, although the evidence is not overwhelming. Consistent with previous literature, there is a strong firm size effect. The second essay presented in Chapter 3 examines the relation between bank performance and board structure by using a sample of 74 US banks and 53 Chinese banks for the period 2002 to 2006. Indeed, the empirical relation between board structure and performance is virtually non-existing in China. In particular, for the US sample, the board size is found to be significantly and negatively correlated with ROA, but a larger board also tends to be associated with lower costs. For Chinese banks, the evidence indicates that governance variables are not significantly correlated with performances with the exception of block ownership: there is strong evidence that the relation between block ownership and bank performance is negative. Additionally, we find substantial differences in board structure between the two countries; in particular the average board size and the proportion of outside directors for US banks are almost twice of those in China.

The purpose of this research is to highlight if contemporary practices for using interest rate derivatives in large non-financial Swedish corporations are consistent with theoretical incentives for using such derivative instruments. Most theoretical incentives were developed before the financial crisis of 2007-08. The introduction of new regulations, accounting practices and pricing methods has changed the prices of derivatives and the administrative burden related to hedging. Traditional academic literature commonly gives eight incentives for why corporations use interest rate derivatives (described further in the thesis). Following surveys and interviews with 13 relevant corporate professionals, the study finds that three of the theoretical incentives strongly motivate corporate managers’ use of interest rate derivatives. Four other theoretical incentives are found to partially explain motives for corporate managers’ hedging practices, whilst one of the theoretical incentives is found to be an irrelevant motive for corporate managers in practice.   In addition to the tested incentives, the study finds that Swedish corporations which occasionally raise capital in non-functional currencies actively use cross-currency swaps to convert outstanding non-functional debt currency to the company’s functional currency. The practice is commonly recognised amongst industry professionals but not widely cited in academia.   Compared to 10-15 years ago, treasury functions in Swedish corporations are found to require more knowledge in accounting and administration and less market savvy. During this period, the number of dealers in Swedish corporate treasury departments has been reduced significantly, as corporations have effectively outsourced part of their market operations to banks. / Denna uppsats undersöker om verkliga motiv och praxis för användning av räntederivat i svenska storföretag är förenliga med teoretiska incitament för räntederivatanvändning som ofta förekommer i akademisk litteratur. De flesta teoretiska förklaringsmodeller för företags användning av räntederivat utvecklades och beskrevs innan den globala finanskrisen 2007-08. Efter krisen har värderingen av räntederivat samt det administrativa arbetet kring instrumenten förändrats till följd av implementering av nya finansiella regler, bokföringsregler och prissättningsmetoder. Akademisk litteratur beskriver generellt åtta teoretiska incitament om varför företag använder räntederivat (vilka finns sammanfattade i detta arbete). För att verifiera teoretiska grunder och medvetenhet kring dessa teorier genomfördes en enkätundersökning samt djupintervjuer med totalt 13 beslutsfattare inom räntederivat i svenska storföretag. Studiens resultat ger starkt stöd till att tre av de teoretiska incitamenten i hög grad överensstämmer med verkliga motiv för användning av räntederivat, samt att fyra incitament delvis kunde förklara verkliga motiv, medan stöd saknades för ett teoretiskt incitament. Utöver de åtta testade incitamenten visar studiens resultat att det finns ett ytterligare motiv för användning av räntederivat: räntevalutaswappar används av flera svenska storföretag som emitterar obligationer i utländsk valuta för att konvertera pengar till företagets funktionella valuta. Förfarandet är känt inom industrin men understuderat i akademisk litteratur. Studien visar att kunskap inom bokföring och administration relaterat till finansiella derivat har blivit allt viktigare för svenska storföretags internbanker, medan vikten av att ha en aktiv marknadssyn minskat, jämfört mot 10-15 år sedan. Över denna tidsperiod har antalet handlare i storföretagens internbanker minskat kraftigt, då flera av funktionerna i praktiken har outsourcats till banker.