Investment climate assessment based on demean Olley and Pakes decompositions: methodology and application to Turkey's investment climate survey

Most empirical studies show strong detrimental evidence that regulatory, and administrative, barriers to entry have on productivity and on firm growth. In this paper we evaluate and measure the total factor productivity (TFP) impacts of having; low quality physical infrastructures (electricity, telecommunications, transport, customs, etc.) and bad social infrastructures (rules of law, informality, corruption, etc.). We suggest evaluating the impact on average productivity (TFP) and on the allocative efficiency of production among firms based on several versions of the Olley and Pakes (O&P) decompositions. We evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each the O&P decomposition in terms of their IC explanatory power. Once we have measured those IC impacts, we compare them with other sources of empirical information obtained from firm’s perceptions on main bottlenecks for firm growth and from doing business reports of the World Bank (2007). For the econometric analysis, we use firm level data bases from Turkey’s manufacturing sector based on Investment Climate surveys (ICs) done by the World Bank. These ICs are done in many other developing countries and therefore we propose to make crosscountry comparisons based on a new demean concept of TFP that also reduces the heterogeneity if using several robust productivity measures within each country

Increasing the Efficiency of Rule-Based Expert Systems Applied on Heterogeneous Data Sources

Nowadays, the proliferation of heterogeneous data sources provided by different research and innovation projects and initiatives is proliferating more and more and presents huge opportunities. These developments create an increase in the number of different data sources, which could be involved in the process of decisionmaking for a specific purpose, but this huge heterogeneity makes this task difficult. Traditionally, the expert systems try to integrate all information into a main database, but, sometimes, this information is not easily available, or its integration with other databases is very problematic. In this case, it is essential to establish procedures that make a metadata distributed integration for them. This process provides a “mapping” of available information, but it is only at logic level. Thus, on a physical level, the data is still distributed into several resources. In this sense, this chapter proposes a distributed rule engine extension (DREE) based on edge computing that makes an integration of metadata provided by different heterogeneous data sources, applying then a mathematical decomposition over the antecedent of rules. The use of the proposed rule engine increases the efficiency and the capability of rule-based expert systems, providing the possibility of applying these rules over distributed and heterogeneous data sources, increasing the size of data sets that could be involved in the decision-making process

Investment climate assessment based on demean Olley and Pakes decompositions: methodology and application to Turkey's investment climate survey

Most empirical studies show strong detrimental evidence that regulatory, and administrative, barriers to entry have on productivity and on firm growth. In this paper we evaluate and measure the total factor productivity (TFP) impacts of having; low quality physical infrastructures (electricity, telecommunications, transport, customs, etc.) and bad social infrastructures (rules of law, informality, corruption, etc.). We suggest evaluating the impact on average productivity (TFP) and on the allocative efficiency of production among firms based on several versions of the Olley and Pakes (O&P) decompositions. We evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each the O&P decomposition in terms of their IC explanatory power. Once we have measured those IC impacts, we compare them with other sources of empirical information obtained from firm’s perceptions on main bottlenecks for firm growth and from doing business reports of the World Bank (2007). For the econometric analysis, we use firm level data bases from Turkey’s manufacturing sector based on Investment Climate surveys (ICs) done by the World Bank. These ICs are done in many other developing countries and therefore we propose to make crosscountry comparisons based on a new demean concept of TFP that also reduces the heterogeneity if using several robust productivity measures within each country.Total factor productivity, Investment climate, Firm level determinants of allocative efficiency, Robust productivity impacts, Cross country comparisons of demean TFP

Relation entry, exit and productivity: an overview of recent theoretical and empirical literature

This document provides a review of recent theoretical and empirical literature on the relationship between entry, exit and productivity. Decomposition methods show that entry and exit considerably contribute to productivity growth, but are unable to shed any light on the ultimate sources of productivity growth. However, the theories discussed do provide options for effective policy instruments. We argue that productivity or welfare should be the aim of policy and not the number of entrants, the intensity of competition or the amount of innovation expenditures. Taking a welfare approach, we address market failures with respect to entry. The most eminent market failure is market power of dominant incumbents. Lowering institutional entry barriers economy-wide is a promising policy option for further consideration. Whether such a policy measure actually improves social welfare depends also on the extent of other failures. Therefore, an ex ante cost-benefit analysis needs to precede intervention.

Decomposability and modularity of economic interactions

No abstract availabl

The micro-level dynamics of regional productivity growth: The source of divergence in Finland

Productivity growth of the Finnish regions in 13 manufacturing industries is decomposed into micro-level sources by using plant-level data from 1975 to 1999. There are substantial regional differences in the intensity of productivity-enhancing restructuring. Dynamic competition is more intensive in Southern Finland, where the productivity level is also high. In contrast, plants located in Eastern Finland are equipped with low-productivity technologies owing to persistently sluggish micro-level dynamics. Productivity dispersion between plants within industries is greatest in Southern Finland. We argue that intensive experimentation is a more reasonable interpretation of this finding than large static X-inefficiency in this high productivity region.

The impact of trade liberalization on skill upgrading. Evidence from Argentina

In this paper I study the effects of a regional free trade agreement on the demand for skill. I start by documenting a series of facts to shed light on the determinants of a steep increase in the relative demand of skilled labor in a panel of Argentinean industrial firms covering the trade liberalization period. First, this is not explained by labor reallocation across industries or firms but by skill upgrading within firms. Second, exporters upgrade skill faster than non exporters. Third, firms upgrading skill also upgrade technology. These findings are consistent with a model where a reduction in trading partner’s tariffs induces the most productive firms (exporters) to adopt skill-intensive production technologies. Indeed, I find that the reduction in Brazil’s tariffs induces the most productive Argentinean firms to upgrade skill, while the least productive ones downgrade. One third of the increase in the relative demand for skill can be attributed to the reduction in Brazil’s tariffs.

Economic Restructuring and Total Factor Productivity Growth: Tunisia Over the Period 1983-2001

In this paper we aim to measure and decompose the growth of frontier total factor productivity (TFP) in Tunisia over the period 1983-2001. We define frontier TFP growth as the shift of the economy’s production frontier, which we obtain by solving for each year a linear program, a sort of aggregate DEA analysis. We then decompose this aggregate frontier TFP growth into changes in technology, terms of trade, efficiency and resource utilization. We can also attribute frontier TFP growth to its main beneficiaries: labor, decomposed into five types, capital, decomposed into two types, and the allowable trade deficit. We find that frontier TFP grew by about 1% a year after the introduction of the structural adjustment program of 1987. Labor, in particular unskilled labor, was the main beneficiary of frontier TFP growth. The Solow residual reflecting technological change was the main driver of frontier TFP growth. The terms of trade were not favorable to Tunisia. After 1992, while the Tunisian efficiency frontier moved outwards, the country moved away from its efficiency frontier. Cet article mesure et décompose la croissance de la productivité totale des facteurs (PTF) potentielle en Tunisie sur la période 1983 à 2001. La croissance de la PTF potentielle est définie comme le déplacement de la frontière d’efficience de l’économie, qui est déterminée chaque année à partir d’un programme de programmation linéaire, un genre d’analyse DEA macroéconomique. Cette croissance de la PFT potentielle est décomposée de deux façons : une fois en termes de sources de la croissance, à savoir le changement technologique, les variations de taux de change, les changements d’efficience et utilisation des ressources ; et une fois en termes de bénéficiaires de cette croissance, à savoir le travail, décomposé en cinq types, le capital, décomposé en deux types, et le déficit permis de la balance commerciale. Nous trouvons que la PTF potentielle a cru de 1 % par an après l’introduction du programme d’ajustement structurel de 1987. La croissance de la PTF potentielle est surtout due au résidu de Solow, qui capte le progrès technologique, et a surtout bénéficié au travail non-qualifié. Les termes de l’échange ne furent pas favorables à la Tunisie. Après 1992, la frontière d’efficience s’est déplacée vers l’extérieur, mais la Tunisie s’est distancée de sa frontière d’efficience.Total factor productivity growth, input-output, frontier analysis, Tunisia, Croissance de la productivité totale des facteurs, tableaux entrée-sortie, frontière d’efficience, Tunisie

A two-stage productivity analysis using bootstrapped Malmquist index and quantile regression

This paper examines the effects of farm characteristics and government policies in enhancing productivity growth for a sample of Greek farms, using a two-stage procedure. In the 1st-stage, non-parametric estimates of Malmquist index and its decompositions are computed, while a bootstrapping procedure is applied to provide their statistical precision. In the 2nd-stage, the productivity growth estimates are regressed on various covariates using a bootstrapped quantile regression approach. The effect that the covariates exert on productivity growth of the average producer is analyzed, as well as the marginal effect of a given covariate for individuals at different points in the conditional productivity distribution. The results indicate that there exists large disparity of the covariates effect on productivity growth at different quantiles. Thus, policy suggestions should take into account the productivity distribution involved, as well as the selected policy objectives.Malmquist productivity index, quantile regression, bootstrap, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, C14, C21, D24,