Dr. Rodrigo Leite
Assistant Professor of Finance (with tenure), COPPEAD Graduate School of Business
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
CV (English) | Google Scholar | CV (Portuguese)
e-mail: rodrigo [ d o t ] oliveira [ a t ] coppead [ d o t ] ufrj [ d o t ] braddress: Rua Pascoal Lemme 355 Office 408, 21941-918, Rio de Janeiro - Brazil
Short Bio
Much of my research is motivated by questions in financial economics, though my work also deals in the fields of accounting, psychology and public policy. I am interested in understanding how humans make financial decisions and the roles of certain biases on the decision-making process, including how these biases may affect the performance of individuals and groups. My topics of interest also include the dynamics of financial institutions and disavantaged groups, especially regarding microfinance and microcredit. Finally, a new topic of research that I am pursuing is regarding the efficiency of public procurement processes and state-owned enterprises. My research has been published in journals in the fields of finance, business, and accounting such as the Journal of Business Ethics; Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money; International Journal of Finance and Economics; Accounting, Auditing, and Accountability Journal; The International Journal of Accounting; Accounting Forum; International Review of Economics and Finance; Finance Research Letters; Research in International Business and Finance; Journal of Economics and Business; Journal of Economic Studies; Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance; Research in Economics; and Journal of Public Finance and Public Choice. I have received many awards, including a nomination for the Carolyn Dexter Award for Best International Paper (Academy of Management, 2024), the Clovis L. Machado-da-Silva Award (Brazilian Academy of Management, 2023), two ENANPAD Best Division Paper Awards (Brazilian Academy of Management, 2016 in Accounting & 2023 in Strategy), and a Best Plenary Section Paper (USP International Conference in Accounting, 2018). I was also twiced featured in SSRN's Top 10 Download List (2021 & 2024). I am also in the upper quartile of economic researchers in Brazil in the last decade, as measured by RePEc (#168, Mar/2025).
I received my PhD from the Brazilian School of Public and Business Administration in 2018. I was Assistant Professor of Accounting at the Rio de Janeiro State University between 2016-2019, and Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Brazilian School of Public and Business Administration between 2019-2022. I am currently Assistant Professor of Finance, with tenure, at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. I am also asked frequently to comment on financial-related subjects for main international news outlets (such as CNN, BBC, and Forbes), and also for main Brazilian ones (such as G1, IstoÉ, O Estado de SP, and Valor Econômico).
Education
PhD in Business, Brazilian School of Public and Business Administration (2016-2018)
MSc in Business, Brazilian School of Public and Business Administration (2015)
BA in Accounting, Rio de Janeiro State University (2011-2014)
Academic and Professional Positions
Assistant Professor of Finance (with tenure), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (2019-present)
Head, COPPEAD Finance, Accounting, and Sustainability Research Lab (2022-present)
Consultant, World Bank (2019) & COPPETEC Foundation (2020-2024)
Assistant Professor of Accounting (with tenure), Rio de Janeiro State University (2016-2019)
Post-Doctoral Fellow, Brazilian School of Public and Business Administration (2019-2022)
Selected Publications
Behavioral Accounting & Finance
The Effects of Cognitive Reflection and Work Experience on Financial Statement Comparability Under Principles-Based Accounting Standards
(with L. Barcellos and R. Cardoso)
Accounting Forum, 49(2):449-471 (2025)When Enough is Enough: The Impact of Combined Graphical Impression Management on Financial Judgement
(with R. Cardoso, T. Fonseca, and A. Balloni)
Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, 43:100969 (2024)Probable at First Glance, but Unlikely After a Closer Look: The Role of Cognitive Reflection Ability in the Assessment of Probabilistic Expressions
(with R.L. Cardoso and A.C.B. de Aquino)
The International Journal of Accounting, 58(2):2350004 (2023)Job Market Compensation for Cognitive Reflection Ability
(with R.L. Cardoso, A.P.G. Jelihovschi and J. Civitarese)
Research in Economics, 74(1):87-93 (2020)The Effect of Cognitive Reflection on the Efficacy of Impression Management: An Experimental Analysis with Financial Analysts
(with R.L. Cardoso and A.C.B. Aquino)
Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal, 31(6):1668-1690 (2018)A Graph is Worth a Thousand Words: How Overconfidence and Graphical Disclosure of Numerical Information Influence Financial Analysts' Accuracy on Decision Making
(with R.L. Cardoso and A.C.B. Aquino)
PLOS One, 11(8):e0160443 (2016)
Microfinance
Innovating Microcredit: How Fintechs Change the Field
(with L.S. Mendes and E. Camelo)
Journal of Economics and Business, 128:106158 (2024)Profit Status of Microfinance Institutions and Incentives for Earnings Management
(with L.S. Mendes and R. Moreira)
Research in International Business and Finance, 54:101255 (2020)To Profit or not to Profit? Assessing Financial Sustainability Outcomes of Microfinance Institutions
(with L.S. Mendes and L.C. Sacramento)
International Journal of Finance and Economics, 24(3):1287-1299 (2019)Microfinance for Women: Are There Economic Reasons? Evidence from Latin America
(with J. Civitarese)
Economics Bulletin, 39(1):571-580 (2019)
Financial Economics
The Political Economy of Banks' Cash Holdings
(with L.S. Mendes and I. Coutinho)
Journal of Economic Studies, forthcoming (2025)Do Contingent Convertible Bonds Reduce Systemic Risk?
(with L.S. Mendes and J. Fajardo)
Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions & Money, 78:101554 (2022)Financial Contagion in Internet Lending Platforms: Who Pays the Price?
(with W.G. Cheng and F. Caldieraro)
Finance Research Letters, 45:102187 (2022)Cash Holdings and Profitability of Banks in Developed and Emerging Markets
(with G. Fernandes and L.S. Mendes)
International Review of Economics and Finance, 71:880-995 (2021)
Public Finance
Is the State a Socially Responsible Shareholder? State-Owned Enterprises, Political Ideology, and Corporate Social Performance
(with L.Pilla and A.Peci)
Journal of Business Ethics, 197(2):289-309 (2025)Competition and Efficiency in Procurement Auctions: Evidence from a Million Brazilian Auctions
(with L.C. Sacramento and B.S. Paiva)
Journal of Public Finance and Public Choice, 40(1):2-22 (2025)
Working Papers
"Financial Performance of State-Owned Enterprises: Does Political Ideology Play a Role?", with L. Pilla, and A. Peci (Conditionally Accepted, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory)
Presented at the 2024 Academy of Management Annual Meeting, and 2023 Rio Finance Meeting."Pay to Pump: Financial Influencers and Stock Returns", with M. Moura and F. Moraes (R&R, Applied Economics Letters)
"Are Convertible Bonds and CoCos Created Equal? Motivations for bond issuance in the banking sector", with L.S. Mendes and J. Fajardo (submitted)
Presented at the 2022 Luso-Brazilian Finance Meeting, 2022 Brazilian Econometric Meeting, 2022 Brazilian Finance Meeting, and 2021 International Risk Management Conference."Mask usage during earnings calls as an impression management tool", with L.S. Moura, L.C. Sacramento and S.A.P. Bastos (submitted)
Presented at the 2024 USP International Conference in Accounting."From Noise to Information: The Need for Signal Clarifiers in IPO Markets", with F. Caldieraro, M. Jardim, and P. Novaes.
Presented at the 2024 Rio Finance Meeting.
Recognition & Awards
Nominated for the Carolyn Dexter Award for Best International Paper, 2024, Academy of Management.
Top 10 Download List, 2024, Social Science Research Network (SSRN).
Clovis L. Machado-da-Silva Award, 2023, Brazilian Academy of Management Meeting.
Best Strategy Paper, 2023, Brazilian Academy of Management Meeting.
Young Researcher Fellowship, 2022, FAPERJ.
Top 10 Download List, 2021, Social Science Research Network (SSRN).
Best Plenary Section Paper, 2018, USP International Conference in Accounting.
Best Accounting Paper, 2016, Brazilian Academy of Management Meeting.
Youngest tenure-track professor of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro at the time of entering.
Elected Member of the Fiscal Board of the Brazilian Finance Society (2023-2025).
Elected Member of the Fiscal Board of the Brazilian Academy of Management (2024-2026).
Elected Member of the Council of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (2020-2023).
Service
Reviewer
Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal; Finance Research Letters; Review of Development Economics; International Review of Economics and Finance; International Review of Financial Analysis; Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions, and Money; Socio-Economic Planning Sciences; Journal of International Development; Managerial Finance; International Transactions in Operational Research; Journal of Sustainable Finance & Investment; African Development Review; Applied Economics; Applied Economics Letters; Latin American Business Review; Journal of Alternative Finance; Journal of Economic Studies; Regulation and Governance.
Conferences
American Accounting Association Mid-Atlantic Region Meeting (reviewer and discussant); JAAF Conference (reviewer and discussant); Brazilian Finance Society Meeting (session chair and discussant); Brazilian Academy of Management Annual Meeting (reviewer, session chair and discussant); USP Conference in Accounting (discussant).
Conference Papers
AAA Annual Meeting (2015, 2016); AAA Mid-Atlantic Region Meeting (2019); Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Finance Conference (2019); Academy of Management Annual Meeting (2024); Finance Research Letters Conference (2022); Elsevier Finance Conference (2023); LUBRAFIN Conference (2022, 2024); SASE Conference (2023); International Conference on Empirical Economics at PSU-Altoona (2023); International Risk Management Conference (2022, 2023); Brazilian Finance Meeting (2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024); Rio Finance Meeting (2023, 2024); Brazilian Econometric Meeting (2018, 2022); Brazilian Academy of Management Annual Meeting (2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2023); USP Conference in Accounting (2016, 2018, 2023, 2024).