CAUSALITY BETWEEN EXPORTS AND PRODUCTIVITY IN THE MALAYSIAN ECONOMY

Abstract

Empirical evidence linking exports and productivity growth has been mixed and inconclusive. This study re-examines the direction of the causality between them for Malaysian industries by using the error-correction mechanism and Granger causality models. In a panel of 63 manufacturing industries, for the period of 1981 to 1999, it is found that these industries support the export-led growth and the growth-driven export hypotheses. A further look into the results indicates that there are possibilities of indirect causalities between productivity growth and export through size and capital intensity, as both exports and labor productivity have bidirectional causality with size and capital intensity.Exports, productivity growth, causality, panel data, manufacturing industries, C33, D24, L60, O40