Optimal investment in working capital is vital to provide liquidity and enhance firm performance. This paper seeks to determine the quadratic relationship between working capital management (WCM) and firm performance. Also, this paper examines the effect of deviation from optimal WCM on firm performance. Therefore, the study uses a sample of 75 non-financial firms listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange from 2007 to 2015. It adopts the cash conversion cycle component of working capital management to evaluate the quadratic assumption using panel regression. The empirical results from the sample of the study indicate that the relationship between working capital management and firm performance is quadratic. This study also found that an optimal level exits at which investments in working capital will yield the maximum return. This study concludes that deviation from the optimal level of investments in WCM (either above or below) affects the performance of firms. The study, therefore, recommends that firms should promote best practices for maintaining optimal working capital investment level to enhance their performance and sustain growth.

Purpose This study aims to explore changes in working capital management (WCM) practices in response to economic downturns, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts an interpretative approach. This paper used semi-structured interviews with 2 finance directors and 13 top managers for data collection. This paper used thematic analysis for analysing the interview data. Findings The study findings suggest that the traditional ways of managing working capital may no longer be sufficient during a crisis. Instead, dynamic financing, trade credit policy and continuous staff training to develop new skills are alternative WCM practices to navigate the challenges of a crisis. Further, this paper finds that economic conditions, such as inflation rates, interest rates, exchange rates and government policy, negatively affect WCM. Practical implications The study findings highlight practical issues that may help firms meet their present and future financing needs, manage their day-to-day operational activities and enhance performance, both operational and financial. The study is beneficial for regulators in understanding a firm’s constraints during crises and respond appropriately. Originality/value This is the first study, to the best of the knowledge that uses a qualitative approach to investigate the impact of economic downturns on WCM practices of firms. Thus, this study offers new insights into the fundamentals of WCM practices during crises.

This study examines the relationship between working capital management (WCM) and firm performance during and after the financial crisis of 2007-2008 in Nigeria. During the crisis, lending conditions were deeply affected, and financing operations became challenging for firms. Although research findings on the causes and effects of the crisis on the economy are known, what remains unknown is whether the financial crisis had a significant impact on WCM performance. This knowledge is essential for developing resilience to withstand a possible crisis in the future because vulnerability remains high as a result of the deepened integration of many economies. Thus, this study addresses this issue using a sample of 675 firm-year observations from listed firms on the Nigerian stock exchange for the period from 2007 to 2015. The differences between the two periods, the crisis period and then after the crisis period, is operationalised through two analyses. First, OLS regression analysis was conducted to determine the explanatory powers of WCM for the two periods via their R2s. Second, a test of difference using the Cramer Z-statistic for the two periods was conducted. The findings indicate that WCM variables have more explanatory power (R2) in the period after the crisis than during the crisis. Also, the results revealed that the Z-scores are significant, implying that a significant difference existed between the two periods. This means that WCM was affected during the financial crisis and led to low profitability, whereas, during the after-crisis period, WCM associates with higher profitability.

This paper reassesses the relationship between working capital management (WCM) and firm performance in the Nigerian context. The study is motivated by the limited insights available on the impacts of WCM on firm performance in the country. To date, most studies from Nigeria have been largely descriptive and focused on a small sample size that is non-representative of the population. In addition, there are limited rigorous statistical analyses involved in such studies. This paper addresses the methodological limitations apparent in prior literature and provides a better understanding of the relationship between WCM and firm performance, revealing how firms can manage their operations more profitably. The paper adopts a panel data regression analysis on a sample of 75 non-financial firms listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange from 2007 to 2015. The results of the analyses showed that WCM variables have an inconsistent relationship with the measures of performance adopted, which were return on assets and Tobin’s Q. Specifically, accounts receivable management and inventory management were negatively associated with the return on assets, while accounts payable management, cash conversion cycle and cash conversion efficiency were positively associated with return on assets. Additionally, accounts receivable management and inventory management were positively associated with Tobin’s Q, whereas accounts payable management, cash conversion cycle and cash conversion efficiency were negatively associated with Tobin’s Q. These results were found to be robust using quantile regression. The results of the quantile regression showed inconsistency across the various quantiles used (0.10, 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75). These findings have two important implications. The first is that WCM variables influence the performance of firms. The second is that the mixed findings partly indicate that firms and managers must understand and formulate WCM policies that reflect their peculiar conditions.

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