Soft Factors Have an Empirically Testifiable Effect on Rating Grade

LAUFER, T.: So factors have an empirically testifi able eff ect on rating grade. Acta univ. agric. et silvic. Mendel. Brun., 2011, LIX, No. 2, pp. 177–182 The conclusions herein contain the summary of the results of an empirical survey in proof of the effects of so factors on corporate rating grade. In the eff ort, three diff erent so ware applications have been used. By means of the applications, the so factors in corporate ratings previously identifi ed in a related eff ort have been assessed for their impacts. That means all other applicable so factors have been treated in a neutral manner. As a result based on assessments supplied by the three applications, weighted eff ect has been determined of so factors, allowing to compile priority charts for the deployment of the factors as a targeted marketing tool. The charts also include the respective positive and a negative eff ects of hard factors. rating, Basel II, so rating factors, marketing strategy, marketing instruments There are no scientifi cally proven links between marketing tools and eff ects thereof on corporate rating. The logical existence – though still not sustained by empirical data – of such links can be concluded from the fact that successful deployment of marketing tools promotes quantitative success of the enterprise as such. Hence the values of hard factors improve via marketing tools, which in turn promotes improvement in rating grades driven by the hard components. There is no scientifi c proof – beyond the above indirect causal link – of direct eff ects of the marketing tools on rating grade. That means the specifi c eff ects still remain scientifi cally unexplored of the diff erent so factors identifi ed as marketing tools on total corporate rating grade. MATERIALS AND METHODS In a preceding related eff ort in the form of an online survey among banks, the so factors considered in rating procedures had been identifi ed. The factors can be comprised in reference to Grüter, G./ Springer, K.1 as follows: Assessment Areas for Hard and Soft Factors Economic Situation Corporate Situation Hard Factors Soft Factors Partial Rating Partial Rating Rating Class Weighting 1: The context of hard and soft factors in rating 1 Cf. Grüter, G./Springer, K., 2008: Meine Kanzlei – mein Marketing. p. 17.