Revisiting intangible capital and labour productivity growth, 2000–2015

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 671-690
Author(s):  
Felix Roth

PurposeThis paper aims to revisit the relationship between intangible capital and labour productivity growth using the largest, up-to-date macro database (2000–2015) available to corroborate the econometric findings of earlier work and to generate novel econometric evidence by accounting for times of crisis (2008–2013) and economic recovery (2014–2015).Design/methodology/approachTo achieve these aims, this paper employs a cross-country growth accounting econometric estimation approach using the largest, up-to-date database available encompassing 16 EU countries over the period 2000–2015. The paper accounts for times of crisis (2008–2013) and of economic recovery (2014–2015). It separately estimates the contribution of three distinct dimensions of intangible capital: (1) computerized information, (2) innovative property and (3) economic competencies.FindingsFirst, when accounting for intangibles, the paper finds that these intangibles have become the dominant source of labour productivity growth in the EU, explaining up to 66 percent of growth. Second, when accounting for times of crisis (2008–2013), in contrast to tangible capital, the paper detects a solid positive relationship between intangibles and labour productivity growth. Third, when accounting for the economic recovery (2014–2015), the paper finds a highly significant and remarkably strong relationship between intangible capital and labour productivity growth.Originality/valueThis paper corroborates the importance of intangibles for labour productivity growth and thereby underlines the necessity to incorporate intangibles into today's national accounting frameworks in order to correctly depict the levels of capital investment being made in European economies. These levels are significantly higher than those currently reflected in the official statistics.

2015 ◽  
Vol 34 (8) ◽  
pp. 901-921 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naqeeb Ur Rehman

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the drivers of firm’s growth such as research and development (R & D), absorptive capacity, knowledge management, organisation culture, access to finance, internationalisation and so forth. As far as the contribution is concerned, two objectives have been achieved from this empirical paper. First, this paper fills an important gap in the literature by determining the drivers of firm’s growth. Second, this study analysed the Pakistani software industry at micro level by investigating the firm’s knowledge-based assets and their significant association with labour productivity growth. Based on a face to face interview of 69 software firms, this study found that firm size, access to finance, internationalisation (exporting and outward foreign direct investment), business improvement methods and knowledge management have a positive impact on the firm’s labour productivity growth. In comparison, firm undertaking R & D and absorptive capacity showed negative association with labour productivity growth. This study implies that these software firms have low investment in knowledge-based assets. In summary, this empirical study suggests that high sunk costs, low investment in knowledge-based assets and shortage of skills generally affect the labour productivity of these software firms. Design/methodology/approach – Survey analysis, using cross section data analysis. Findings – This study found that firm size, access to finance, internationalisation (exporting and outward FDI), business improvement methods and knowledge management have a positive impact on the firm’s labour productivity growth. In comparison, firm undertaking R & D and absorptive capacity showed negative association with labour productivity growth. In summary, this empirical study suggests that high sunk costs, low investment in knowledge-based assets and shortage of skills generally affect the labour productivity of these software firms. Research limitations/implications – Additionally, suggestions for future research would be to investigate the relationship between drivers of firm growth and innovation performance. The survey analysis could be extended to other parts of country such as Karachi and Lahore for resolving causality. Originality/value – First, this paper fills an important gap in the literature by determining the drivers of firm’s growth. Second, this study analysed the Pakistani software industry at micro level by investigating the firm’s knowledge-based assets and their significant association with labour productivity growth.


2015 ◽  
pp. 30-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Voskoboynikov ◽  
V. Gimpelson

This study considers the influence of structural change on aggregate labour productivity growth of the Russian economy. The term "structural change" refers to labour reallocation both between industries and between formal and informal segments within an industry. Using Russia KLEMS and official Rosstat data we decompose aggregate labour productivity growth into intra-industry (within) and between industry effects with four alternative methods of the shift-share analysis. All methods provide consistent results and demonstrate that total labour reallocation has been growth enhancing though the informality expansion has had a negative effect. As our study suggests, it is caused by growing variation in productivity levels across industries.


Upravlenie ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 24-30
Author(s):  
A. O. Ivanov

The article gives an overview, performs analysis and classification of successful managerial practices applied at Russian industrial enterprises in the framework of the national project “Labour productivity and employment support”. The paper emphasizes the main factors of labour productivity growth as follows: investment policy, growth of human capital, and efficient use of managerial capital of enterprise. In order to determine the need of enterprises to increase labour productivity, the author proposes four universal criteria that signal the existing inefficiency even before the loss of competitiveness: 1) the dynamics of labour productivity in the company is not positive during a given period; 2) the company is behind competitors by labour productivity indicator; 3) the company is behind competitors by labour productivity growth rates indicator for a certain period; 4) unit production costs rise. These criteria allow you to take into account the situation both within the enterprise and in comparison with other enterprises. Each criteria can be considered separately or in combination with the others, applied to enterprises of different industries, specialization, and scale. Criteria indicate the direction of development in which the company is experiencing difficulties at the moment, or may experience them in the future.


Ekonomika ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jolanta Žemgulienė

This paper examines the tendencies of Lithuanian services sector’s value added and labour productivity during 1995-2006. Comparative analysis of the average annual labour productivity growth in manufacturing and service industries reveals arguments supporting the W. Baumol’s consideration that there can be sporadic productivity increases in nonprogressive sectors. During 1995-2000, labour productivity growth in services exceeded productivity growth in manufacturing. The paper offers an interpretation of the Verdoom law for empirical regularities of the relationship between the cross-sectorial labour productivity growth rate and the value added growth rate.


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