Reallocation Gains in a Specific Factors Model with Firm Heterogeneity

We study firm heterogeneity in a specific factors model to address the effect of factor mobility on reallocation gains from trade. A model is proposed with Melitz-type firm heterogeneity with two sectors, two countries and two fixed factors and one factor mobile across sectors. Equilibrium in each sector can be concisely represented by a demand and supply equation and an FE and ZCP condition. Varying the substitution elasticity between the fixed and mobile factor, we show that the welfare gains from trade liberalization are larger in countries with lower substitution elasticity. Furthermore, it is shown that the immobile production factor in the comparative disadvantage sector can still gain from trade liberalization due to the reallocation effect.firm heterogeneity, specific factors, reallocation gains from trade

Regional development under socialism: evidence from Yugoslavia

This paper analyses the patterns of regional growth and development in Yugoslavia, under the most decentralised socialist system that ever existed. My analysis reveals that despite government efforts to the contrary, socialist economic development in Yugoslavia resulted in divergence rather than in convergence between the constituent regions. I find that regional income divergence was caused by the failure of the less developed regions to converge towards the employment rates and total factor productivities of the more developed regions. I interpret these failures as symptoms of a single underlying problem: a capital intensity bias inherent to the governing objective of labour-managed firms. Socialist Yugoslavia moved from having one central plan, to having many mutually competitive plans. While on aggregate this may have created a net positive productivity outcome compared to other socialist economies, it created unique distortions. The decentralisation policies were implemented with the aim of enhancing regional cohesion and social stability. They led, however, to exactly opposite outcome

Real Exchange Rate Distortion in Southeast Europe

In this paper, first we investigate to which extent the real exchange rate is distorted in the 7 Southeast European countries (SEECs), and compare the findings with other countries in Europe. Second, we shed light into possible determinants and effects of the real exchange rate distortions. Finally, a policy change away from a possibly distorted real exchange rate in the SEECs is being simulated. The results indicate that especially the West Balkan countries have overvalued real exchange rates, while other transition countries' exchange rates are rather undervalued. Some of the main determinants of the real exchange rate distortion are related to the inflow of remittances and FDI, while it was found that nominal exchange rate depreciation and trade openness reduce the real exchange rate distortion. The simulation model shows that a devaluation can have large positive effects on domestic output, exports and trade with self.Real Exchange Rate, Partial Equilibrium Model, Simulation Model, International Trade, Southeast Europe

Economic growth, regional development, and nation formation under socialism: evidence from Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia provides a fascinating historical setting to analyse the consequences of socialism – the greatest socio-economic experiment of the 20th century. Yugoslavia was one of fastest growing countries in the world until the late 1970s. During this period, it followed a different institutional trajectory compared to other socialist economies. But, during the 1980s, economic growth came to a standstill, and the country eventually descended into civil war. This doctoral dissertation is motivated by the aforementioned observations. It seeks to analyse them. The core of the thesis is composed of three closely related, but self-standing, papers. The unifying theme of the three papers is economic development in socialist Yugoslavia. The first paper revisits aggregate economic growth in Yugoslavia. I find that distorted labour incentives caused the slowdown of the Yugoslav economy. I argue that labour-managed firms hindered the ability of Yugoslavs to work. Since Yugoslavia was extremely heterogeneous, the second paper moves below the aggregate level in order to reconstruct the regional development trajectories. I find that regional income divergence was caused by the failure of the poorer regions to converge towards the employment rates and efficiency levels of the richer regions. I argue that this failure was caused by labour-managed firms as well, whereby they had a spatially uneven economic impact. In Yugoslavia, regional economic tensions were reinforcing, and were reinforced by, ethnic tensions. In the third paper, I explore ethnic relations by analysing the formation of Yugoslav national sentiment and its economic effects. I find that ethnically diverse municipalities were conducive towards the formation of Yugoslav sentiment because they stimulated ethnic intermarriage. In addition, I find that municipalities that contained a larger amount of self-declared Yugoslavs experienced a lower population fraction of deaths during the Bosnian War of 1992-1995

When Does FDI Have Positive Spillovers? Evidence from 17 Emerging Market Economies

We use firm-level data and national input-output tables from 17 countries over the 2002- 2005 period to test new and existing hypotheses about the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on the efficiency of domestic firms in the host country (i.e., spillovers). Providing evidence from a larger sample of countries and greater variety of firms than existing studies, with separate estimates by firm size, age, and sector, we show: a) backward spillovers (stemming from supplying a foreign firm in the host country or exporting to a foreign firm) are consistently positive; b) horizontal spillovers are mostly insignificant but positive for older firms and firms in the service sector; d) forward spillovers (from purchasing from foreign firms or importing) are also positive only for old and service sector firms. We find no support for the hypothesis that spillovers are greater for FDI with more advanced technology. While efficiency of domestic firms’is affected by the business environment, the strength of FDI spillovers is not, either when measured by the degree of corruption, bureaucratic red tape or by differences across regions that vary in terms of development. Testing whether spillovers vary with the firm's “absorptive capacity” we find: i) distance from the efficiency frontier tends to dampen horizontal spillovers in manufacturing and backward spillovers among old firms; ii) whereas firms with a larger share of university educated workforce are more productive, they do not enjoy greater FDI spillovers than firms with less educated workers. FDI spillovers hence vary by sectors and types of firms.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/57278/1/1101-JSvejnar.pd

When Does FDI Have Positive Spillovers? Evidence from 17 Emerging Market Economies

We use firm-level data and national input-output tables from 17 countries over the 2002-2005 period to test new and existing hypotheses about the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on the efficiency of domestic firms in the host country (i.e., spillovers). Providing evidence from a larger sample of countries and greater variety of firms than existing studies, with separate estimates by firm size, age, and sector, we show: a) backward spillovers (stemming from supplying a foreign firm in the host country or exporting to a foreign firm) are consistently positive; b) horizontal spillovers are mostly insignificant but positive for older firms and firms in the service sector; d) forward spillovers (from purchasing from foreign firms or importing) are also positive only for old and service sector firms. We find no support for the hypothesis that spillovers are greater for FDI with more advanced technology. While efficiency of domestic firms’ is affected by the business environment, the strength of FDI spillovers is not, either when measured by the degree of corruption, bureaucratic red tape or by differences across regions that vary in terms of development. Testing whether spillovers vary with the firm’s “absorptive capacity” we find: i) distance from the efficiency frontier tends to dampen horizontal spillovers in manufacturing and backward spillovers among old firms; ii) whereas firms with a larger share of university educated workforce are more productive, they do not enjoy greater FDI spillovers than firms with less educated workers. FDI spillovers hence vary by sectors and types of firms.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/57179/1/FDI Spill 09-18-07.pd

Equipment investments and growth nexus – evidence from socialist and transition Croatia

New growth theories during the 1990s stress the importance of exploring a link between investments and growth. Using standard growth equations, we look into the correlation between investment in technical structure and growth in Croatia for two periods – socialist (1960–1989) and transition (1990–2009). Results suggest that equipment investments can boost growth rates through total factor productivity (TFP). This is consistent with the work of De Long and Summers (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994) and Temple (1998). In Croatia the equipment investments – growth link appears to be stronger than the structure investment – growth link for both periods. We also find a strong positive correlation between human capital and growth. Tests confirm the consistency and robustness of the regression results, suggesting inclusion of new variables in standard growth models. The structure of technical investments, real capital stock (not proxies) and estimated human capital stock (not schooling proxies) should have an important role in explaining international growth differences

Valuation of Linkages between Climate Change, Biodiversity and Productivity of European Agro-Ecosystems

It is clear that climate change involves changes in temperature and precipitation and therefore directly affects land productivity. However, this is not the only channel for climatic change to affect agro-systems. Biodiversity is subject to climatic fluctuations and in turn may alter land productivity too. Firstly, biodiversity is an input into agro-ecosystems. Secondly, biodiversity supports the functioning of these systems (e.g. the balancing of the nutrient cycle). Thirdly, agro-systems also host important wildlife species which, though not always, play a functional role in land productivity, nonetheless constitute important sources of landscape amenities. The present paper illustrates a unique attempt to economically assess this additional effect climate change may imply on agriculture. We first empirically evaluate changes in land productivity due to climatic change effect on temperature, precipitations and biodiversity. Then we estimate the economic cost of biodiversity impact on agro-systems. Our key finding is that climate-change-induced biodiversity impact on European agro-systems measured in terms of GDP change in year 2050 is sufficiently large to deepen the direct climate-change effect in some regions and to reverse it in others. Different economies show different resilience profiles to deal with this effect.Climate Change, Biodiversity, Agro-Ecosystems

Income-related biases in international trade : what do trademark registration data tell us?

Economists have long recognized that richer countries trade more among themselves than with poorer economies due to a closer match of exporter supply structures and importer preferences. In the literature, the closeness of supply and demand has traditionally been determined by the quality of products-as expressed in the so-called Linder hypothesis. This paper examines an extension of the Linder hypothesis by also considering the extent of horizontal product differentiation as another determinant of the closeness of supply and demand. The empirical analysis employs information on international trademark registrations to test whether richer countries import more from countries whose exports are of higher quality and exhibit a greater degree of product differentiation. The results lend support to the hypothesis in most consumer goods sectors but not in intermediate goods sectors.Environmental Economics&Policies,Economic Theory&Research,Transport and Trade Logistics,Markets and Market Access,Common Carriers Industry,Economic Theory&Research,Environmental Economics&Policies,Access to Markets,Markets and Market Access,TF054105-DONOR FUNDED OPERATION ADMINISTRATION FEE INCOME AND EXPENSE ACCOUNT