scholarly journals Formalization and productivity: firm-level evidence from Viet Nam

Author(s):  
Jann Lay ◽  
Tevin Tafese

Using a firm-level panel dataset on private small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Viet Nam’s manufacturing sector, this paper examines productivity dynamics of formal and informal firms. We decompose productivity changes into changes within and between formal and informal firms. We assess the contributions of firm entry and exit as well as informal–formal transitions. Our results show that productivity is considerably lower and misallocation more prevalent in the informal than in the formal sector. Yet, formalizing firms in Viet Nam make an important contribution to aggregate productivity growth among manufacturing SMEs, growing faster than other firms and increasing efficiency. We identify two ‘regimes’ of formalization. Until early 2010, more productive (previously) informal firms formalize. Policy changes and accelerated formalization then alter the characteristics of formalizers, as less productive firms become formal. While this formalization wave depresses average formal total factor productivity growth, the overall productivity effect is positive.

2018 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 3450-3491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daron Acemoglu ◽  
Ufuk Akcigit ◽  
Harun Alp ◽  
Nicholas Bloom ◽  
William Kerr

We build a model of firm-level innovation, productivity growth, and reallocation featuring endogenous entry and exit. A new and central economic force is the selection between high- and low-type firms, which differ in terms of their innovative capacity. We estimate the parameters of the model using US Census microdata on firm-level output, R&D, and patenting. The model provides a good fit to the dynamics of firm entry and exit, output, and R&D. Taxing the continued operation of incumbents can lead to sizable gains (of the order of 1.4 percent improvement in welfare) by encouraging exit of less productive firms and freeing up skilled labor to be used for R&D by high-type incumbents. Subsidies to the R&D of incumbents do not achieve this objective because they encourage the survival and expansion of low-type firms. (JEL D21, D24, H25, L52, O31, O34)


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-46
Author(s):  
Takahiro Sato ◽  
Aradhna Aggarwal

Since the late 1990s, industrialization in India has been driven by the rural organized manufacturing sector. This paper examines the effects of firms’ dynamics on rural industrialization in India, using plant-level panel data, to investigate the characteristics of rural industrialization in India in recent years. In particular, the paper focuses on productivity differences among continuing, entering, and exiting firms. The results show that both labour and total factor productivity of the organized manufacturing sector in rural areas increased during 2000–2006 and the aggregate productivity growth is supported by the productivity growth of the continuing firms, the entry of productive firms, and the exit of less-productive firms. The paper can conclude that firms’ productivity dynamics contributed to the current rural industrialization in India. JEL: O14, O47, O53


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (1314) ◽  
pp. 1-36
Author(s):  
Daniel A. Dias ◽  
◽  
Carlos Robalo Marques ◽  

In the empirical literature, the analysis of aggregate productivity dynamics using firm-level productivity has mostly been based on changes in the mean of log-productivity. This paper shows that there can be substantial quantitative and qualitative differences in the results relative to when the analysis is based on changes in the mean of productivity, and discusses the circumstances under which such differences are likely to happen. We use firm-level data for Portugal for the period 2006-2015 to illustrate the point. When the mean of productivity is used, we estimate that TFP and labor productivity for the whole economy increased by 17.7 percent and 5.2 percent, respectively, over this period. But, when the mean of log-productivity is used, we estimate that these two productivity measures declined by 4.3 percent and 1.8 percent, respectively. Similarly disparate results are obtained for productivity decompositions regarding the contributions for productivity growth of surviving, entering and exiting firms.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 255
Author(s):  
MinhTam Bui ◽  
Trinh Q. Long

This paper identifies whether there was a performance difference among micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) led by men and by women in Vietnam during the period 2005–2013 and aims to provide explanations for the differences, if any, in various performance indicators. The paper adopts a quantitative approach using a firm-level panel dataset in the manufacturing sector in 10 provinces/cities in Vietnam in five waves from 2005 to 2013. Fixed effect models are estimated to examine the influence of firm variables and demographic, human capital characteristics of owners/managers on firms’ value added, labor productivity and employment creation. We found that men led MSMEs did not outperform those led by women on average. Although the average value added was lower for female-led firms in the informal sector, the opposite was true in the formal sector where women tend to lead medium-size firms with higher value added and labor productivity. The performance disparity was more envisaged across levels of formality and less clear from a gender perspective. Moreover, while firms owned by businessmen seemed to create more jobs, firms owned by women had a higher share of female employees. No significant difference in business constraints faced by women and by men was found.


2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 192-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia Mukherjee

The article studies the impact of outsourcing services on the productivity growth of the Indian manufacturing firms. By the term services we mean different expenses on services incurred by the manufacturing firms, such as, advertising, marketing, research and development, consultancy, auditing, business services, knowledge-based services, technical, legal and other professional services (including information communication and technology services). With further expansion in newer services, a higher demand has come from the Indian manufacturing sector. With intensive usage of services in the manufacturing production process, the performance and the manufacturing can focus on the core competencies with outsourced and cheaper services from expert service provider. For this purpose, the firm-level data have been collected from the annual financial statements of the Centre for Monitoring of the Indian Economy’s Prowess database. The econometric results conclude that services have played a positive role in improving the productivity growth of the aggregate Indian manufacturing firms and at the disaggregated level, especially for industrial groups such as food, beverage and tobacco; textiles, gems and jewellery; transport; machinery; metal, rubber and plastic; leather and footwear; and chemicals, services have played a favourable role in boosting the productivity growth. JEL: D24, L80, L60


2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (7) ◽  
pp. 1605-1627
Author(s):  
Phuong Thi Nguyen ◽  
Minh Khac Nguyen

PurposeThis research identifies the level of misallocation in Vietnamese manufacturing sector for the period 2000–2015. Meltiz and Polanec dynamic productivity decomposition is used to compare the relative productivity contributions from surviving, entering and exiting firms to aggregate productivity change by the type of ownership. Heckman's two-step model is used to examine the effect of misallocation and industry- and firm-level factors on entry or exit decision and market share of firms in Vietnamese manufacturing sector.Design/methodology/approachThe level of misallocation and efficiency gains in total factor productivity (TFP) are assessed using Hsieh and Klenow (2009) productivity decomposition framework for the period 2000–2015. The dynamic productivity decomposition of Meltiz and Polanec (2015) is used to compare the relative contributions from surviving, entering and exiting firms to aggregate productivity change. The effects of misallocation and other factors on entry or exit decisions and market share of firms are determined by using Heckman choice model.FindingsThe results indicate three main points. Firstly, resource misallocation is found to be highest among state-owned enterprise (SOEs) and low technology industries. TFP is found to 81.2% greater if there is no resource misallocation among firms. Secondly, the aggregate productivity change for the entering, exiting and surviving firms is 35% due to productivity reallocation among three groups. Finally, the decision of entry or exit as well as the market share of firms are influenced by misallocation and industry- and firm-level factors such as Vietnam's WTO entry, tax policy, financial frictions, industrial concentration, technology gap, capital intensity, human capital, scale of firm, time entry and FDI spillovers. The result finds the higher misallocation level is, the lower the probability and market share for a new firm to enter in the industry is.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation of the study is that the market is assumed perfectly competitive and the method has only decomposed misallocation of resources to those arising from output and capital distortions. The results of Heckman choice model only clarify on the sub-sample of state-owned enterprises and low technology firms.Originality/valueThe focus of many previous research papers on resource misallocation was generally to look at the level of misallocation in developed countries. However, knowledge about the effect of misallocation and other factors on entry or exit decisions and market share of firms is limited, particularly in the context of developing countries. This paper clarifies the level of misallocation in Vietnamese manufacturing sector and the effect of misallocation and other factors on entry or exit decisions and market share of firms.


Author(s):  
Admasu Shiferaw ◽  
Måns Söderbom

Over the last two decades the Ethiopian manufacturing sector has experienced rapid expansion in terms of the number of firms, sales, and employment. This chapter examines the performance of the manufacturing sector using aggregate data and firm-level panel data compiled by the Central Statistical Agency (CSA) of Ethiopia. The focus is on three dimensions of performance: productivity growth, the extent of export orientation, and the competitiveness of domestic firms in the global context. Manufacturing remains a relatively small sector in terms of contribution to GDP and employment, and it has yet to become export oriented even by African standards. In examining productivity growth, the analysis addresses within-firm productivity growth and its heterogeneity across firms, as well as the role of resource reallocation from less efficient firms to more efficient ones.


2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-89
Author(s):  
Marjan Nasir

This study focuses on the impact of trade liberalization on firm entry and exit in Punjab’s export manufacturing sector over the decade 2001–10. As far as the province’s export industries are concerned, real exchange rate depreciation attracts new firms but also leads weaker firms to exit. A reduction in local or international tariffs, however, has no significant impact on firm entry or exit.


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