García-Teruel and Solano (2007) and Gill et al. (2010) regarding the average days of
accounts payable and the profitability of the firm found no statistically significant
relationship between these variables. On the other hand, Dong and Su (2010) and
Mathuva (2009) found significantly positive relation between these variables. Mathuva
(2009) also found positive relation between profitability and number of day’s inventory
which is inconsistent with the findings of Deloof (2003), García-Teruel and Solano (2007)
and Falope and Ajilore (2009). Mathuva (2009) argued that high inventory level reduces
the cost of possible interruption in the production and loss of business due to scarcity of
product.
6.3 Other studies of WCM
WCM research is mainly clustered around two dominant themes, as discussed above.
However, closer examination of literature on WCM revels that few articles on other
issues than discussed above were also found. Lind et al. (2012) has used financial value
chain analysis to examine WCM by cycle times in the automotive industry. The
researcher found that the average CCC of the automotive industry was 67 days for
2006-2008. Balakrishnan (2011) in his paper studied emerging electronic payments
options as a tool of improving WCM and profitability of firms in India. On the other
hand, Appuhami (2008), for 416 industry firms of Thailand, found highly significant
relationship between capital expenditure and working capital requirement. Scholleova
(2012) highlighted the impact of economic crisis of 2007 on the efficiency of WCM in
Czech Republican firms.
7. Findings from literature review
Based on the analysis of retrieved publications, we identified gaps and limitations in
research methods, study settings and theoretical frameworks. We found following
issues most relevant to WCM literature.
7.1 Lack of systematic theory development
Lack of systematic theory development inWCMresearch has been noted in the analysis.
This may be due to two main reasons. First, a relatively smaller amount of WCM
research, and, second, major focus of researchers is on testing the hypotheses of WCM
and profitability of firm. Only five conceptual papers were identified in the review.
Sunday (2011) evaluated and proposed an appropriate WCM policy for SMEs in his
study, whereas Kolay (1991) proposed a system dynamics approach for managing
working capital crisis. This leaves an opportunity for developing systematic theory for
WCM by adding future research.
7.2 Dominance of empirical research
The review shows that the majority of research articles are based on secondary data and
are empirical in nature; only few researchers like Noreen et al. (2009), Kim et al. (1992)
and Howorth and Westhead (2003) used the survey approach to identify the prevailing
practices of managing working capital in different economic setting, whereas Belt and
Smith (1991) used comprehensive survey for comparing working capital practices and
assess the impact of institutional difference on the same across the USA and Australia.