Score contribution per author:
α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count
This paper investigates bond market development in Asia by exploring the determinants of firms' decisions to issue public debt in a range of Asian economies. Using a novel database covering the period 1995 to 2007, we use comparable micro level panel of nine countries--China, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand--to explore factors that promote bond issuance by firms. We control for firm characteristics and market features such as bond market depth and liquidity; we also consider supra-national policy initiatives to improve bond market function. Our paper demonstrates that regional initiatives have been an important step towards greater bond issuance by firms in Asia, mostly by fostering market deepening and improving liquidity. Copyright 2014 Oxford University Press 2013, Oxford University Press.