We utilize the cash conversion cycle (CCC), defined as the length of time between a company’s expenditure for the procurement of raw materials and the collection of sales of finished goods, as our measure of working capital. We further make use of 2 measures of profitability, return on assets and gross operating income. We document a negative relationship between cash conversion cycle and corporate profitability. Our results also show that companies can achieve higher profitability levels by managing inventories efficiently and lowering accounts receivable collection times.Furthermore shorter account payable cycles enhance corporate profitability. These results, whichlargely mirror findings from other countries, indicate effective management of firm’s total working capital as well as its individual components has a significant effect on corporate profitability levels.Our results also show that economic conditions exhibit measurable influences on the workingcapital profitability relationship. The low economic state is generally found to have negative effectson corporate profitability. In particular, we find that the impact of efficient working capital (CCC) on operational profitability increases in economic downturns. We also find that the impact of efficient inventory management and accounts receivables conversion periods, subsets of CCC, on profitability increase in economic downturns.
Overall the results indicate that investing in working capital processes and in corporating working capital efficiency into everyday routines is essential for corporate profitability. As a result, firms should include working capital management in their financial planning processes. Additionally, firms generate income and employment. The reduced demand in economic downturns depletes working capital of firms and threatens their stability and, implicitly, their important function as generators of employment and income. National economic policy aimed at boosting cash flows of firms may increase business ability to finance working capital internally, especially during economic downturns