The Impact of Methods of Presenting Cash Flow Statement on Loan Decision: Evidence from Vietnam

The paper aims to investigate the impact of presenting statements of cash flow using the direct method and the indirect method on loan decision by credit officers at Vietnamese banks. The data was collected from 150 credit officers of commercial banks in Vietnam based on the questionnaire about making loan decision when the cash flow statement is presented in different methods, namely, direct and indirect methods. This research uses T-tests to check whether using the direct or indirect method affects the accurate calculation of loan criteria, affects the loan decision by credit officers, and compare these two methods in the aspects of information provision. The research has pointed out that: 1) the direct method helps the calculation of indicators related to loans more accurately; 2) credit officers say that, while the direct method of presenting cash flow statement provides clearer information, the use of either the direct method or the indirect method does not affect the banks' loan decision. Since then, the author recommends that cash flow statements should be provided with information in a direct method to present the information needed for loan decision more accurately so as to improve the quality of cash flow statement.