Supply-chain finance digitalization and corporate financial fraud: Evidence from China

Abstract

Recently, supply chain finance (SCF) digitalization, which integrates emerging digital technologies with traditional SCF, has been attracting worldwide attention. While previous studies have highlighted the adoption of SCF digitalization, little is known about how it shapes corporate behaviors. Using a sample of Chinese A-listed firms from 2008 to 2021, this study investigates the relationship between SCF digitalization and corporate financial fraud. Based on the results of the propensity score matching and difference-in-differences approach and mechanism analysis, SCF digitalization is found to inhibit corporate financial fraud by reducing a firm's relational transactions with its suppliers and customers. Additionally, cross-sectional analysis reveals that the governance effect is more pronounced for small- and medium-sized enterprises and for companies with higher information asymmetry, more financial linkages, and lower financial flexibility. Overall, our findings facilitate the understanding of how the digital economy influences corporate behaviors.