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SUMMARY: God and risk: The role of religion in rural cooperative banking i
 n early twentieth-century Netherlands - Mr Chris Colvin\, Department of Ec
 onomic History\, LSE
DTSTART:20101025T160000Z
DTEND:20101025T180000Z
UID:TALK26131@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:D'Maris Coffman
DESCRIPTION:What is the relationship between religion and risk taking in b
 anking? The Netherlands' new cooperative movement at the turn of the twent
 ieth century was instigated by religious groups – Roman Catholics\, orth
 odox Calvinists and liberal Protestants. Using quantitative analysis combi
 ned with archival business histories\, this paper investigates how religio
 n mattered for the banks' risks in the build-up to\, during\, and immediat
 ely following the price deflation of the 1920s. It finds that the level of
  risk was partly determined by the relative size of banks' affiliated reli
 gious denomination within their local market. Financial analysis suggests 
 that banks serving small religious groups were less willing and able to ta
 ke on risks than those serving larger minorities. Evidence from two case s
 tudies is consistent with the use of a theory of club goods as an explanat
 ion for this finding. Strict membership criteria and the use of personal g
 uarantors in loan agreements acted as strong screening and monitoring devi
 ces\, regardless of religious affiliation.\n\nThere are a handful of place
 s left at dinner. Interested parties should contact ddc22.
LOCATION:Lucia Windsor Room\, Newnham College
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