Auswirkungen der neuen Regulierungsmaßnahmen der Finalisierung von Basel III auf die Kreditvergabe österreichischer Banken an KMU – eine multiperspektivische Betrachtung aus Sicht der Banken und KMU

This dissertation examines the effects of the new regulatory measures concerning the finali-sation of Basel III in Austria, including a multi-perspective view (SMEs and banks). The study was conducted using a parallel mixed-methods design. Within the quantitative approach, the researcher conducted eight individual case studies involving two universal banks and six re-gional banks. Based on these case studies, a correlation and regression analysis were carried out. The qualitative study was conducted using expert interviews. Based on this mixed-meth-ods design, the dissertation provides two different points of view.
The experts did not identify any risks for lending to small and medium-sized enterprises during the interviews conducted at the beginning of 2022. In particular, the banks' experts empha-sised that they were able to restore SMEs' confidence in banks through the close monitoring of the Covid-19 pandemic. On the other hand, the quantitative research revealed that regional banks, in particular, will face challenges in providing lending. Since regional banks are the pri-mary partners of SMEs, this could pose a challenge for these types of enterprises as well, for example, in securing interim financing.
The dissertation provides a deep insight into how various banks in Austria have developed their equity capital over the last 13 years and how experts perceive the finalisation of Basel III. Furthermore, it describes how banks, as well as owners and managing directors, can pro-actively take measures to prevent a lack of liquidity resulting from a negative loan commit-ment.
In the future, SMEs will probably only be granted loans from banks if they can proactively disclose their most important key figures in accordance with the principal-agent theory, main-tain a strong business model, and build the necessary trust with their banks. However, since the framework is (partially) in place (1st of January 2025), the ECB has abandoned its zero-interest rate policy, the economy in Austria is in a recession, and higher costs meet lower margins, it is to be feared that banks' lending conditions for SMEs will deteriorate significantly in the future.