Does communication influence executives’ opinion of central bank policy?☆

In Do Hwang, Thomas Lustenberger and Enzo Rossi

Journal of International Money and Finance, 2021, vol. 115, issue C

Abstract: We analyze the economic impact of central banks sensed by business executives in a sample of 61 countries from 1998 to 2016. Based on a survey conducted by the Institute for Management Development (IMD), we find compelling evidence that intensive central bank communication, as measured by the quantity of speeches, worsens the perceived impact. During the global financial crisis (GFC), this effect became even stronger. In contrast, economic growth and a positive output gap improve the opinion executives have of their central bank’s impact on the economy. Moreover, although less robustly, higher unemployment, and higher short-term interest rates worsen executives’ opinion, while market uncertainty improves it. The level of inflation and an inflation targeting regime, central bank independence and transparency, financial crises, the zero lower bound constraint, forward guidance, the performance of the stock market, and the volatility of the exchange rate seem to be unimportant in this regard. A more detailed analysis shows that the effect of speeches depends on the identity of the speaker, the exchange-rate regime or an explicit employment mandate.

Keywords: Central bank communication; Economic impact; Perceived competence and trust in central banks; Panel data; Executive survey (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D80 D83 E52 E58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jimfin:v:115:y:2021:i:c:s0261560621000425

DOI: 10.1016/j.jimonfin.2021.102393

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