Etla » productivity

Allocation and industry productivity: Accounting for firm turnover

Mika Maliranta — Mon, 27 May 2013 07:07:10 +0000

Recent macroeconomic literature has stressed the importance of resource allocation between firms for aggregate productivity. An important issue, therefore, is how to measure allocative efficiency. We compare popular indicators of allocative efficiency, paying special attention to firm turnover. We first show how entering and exiting firms contribute to aggregate productivity and to the Olley-Pakes (OP) covariance component, which is currently the most popular measure of allocative efficiency. Our data cover essentially all firms and plants in the Finnish business sector. We then build a model of firm dynamics with endogenous turnover that is consistent with the main patterns of our empirical results and use it to test how well alternative indicators capture different allocation distortions. Our results demonstrate how and why commonly used indicators fail to capture certain distortions because of endogenous changes in firm turnover.

The Nature of the Finnish Competitiveness Problem

Mika Maliranta — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:04:39 +0000

We assess Finland’s competitiveness in the light of various, mainly short-term indicators. It turns out that the weak export market performance over the last few years is linked to the deterioration of profitability of production in Finland. A better export and employment performance requires a decline of relative unit labour costs and an improvement of business profitability. Wage moderation would obviously serve this purpose. On the other hand, the determinants of Finland’s long-term competitiveness are quite good and maintaining and developing them should remain a key element of economic policy also in the future. In contrast, it would be a mistake to believe that Finland’s current competitiveness challenges could be solved primarily by improving management skills.

International Investment and Firm Performance: Empirical Evidence from Small Open Economies

Ville Kaitila — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 07:30:00 +0000

Abstract: This paper examines the causal link between foreign investment and firm performance in six small open economies in the European Union. Specifically, using micro data for manufacturing and services over the period 2001-2009, we analyse the effects of foreign mergers and acquisitions on labour productivity and employment growth up to five years after acquisition. Our results indicate that foreign investors tend to acquire larger firms in both manufacturing and services. Other characteristics of acquired firms differ across countries and between manufacturing and services. Taken together, our estimates suggest that foreign investment had stronger effects on firm performance in services in comparison to manufacturing.

How foreign companies in Finland differ from Finnish-owned enterprises? (In Finnish with English abstract)

Ville Kaitila — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 08:27:08 +0000

We analyse foreign-owned companies operating in Finland and compare them with domestic non-multinational firms while controlling separately for domestic multinational firms. The statistical and micro-econometric analysis is done using Statistics Finland data that contain all firms with at least ten employees in 1998–2008, partly in 1995–2010. We also control for a number of exogenous factors. According to the results, foreign-owned firms have higher productivity than domestic non-multinational firms. There is no difference in the average growth rate of productivity if the difference in levels is not controlled. Accordingly, a shift to foreign ownership has, on average, not affected the growth rate of productivity. The results concerning the growth rate of employment depend upon the method and timespan used in the analysis. The personnel of foreign-owned firms have a longer and higher education than the personnel of domestic non-multinational firms. Foreign-owned firms pay more direct taxes in relation to the number of their employees, which is partly due to these firms’ higher productivity. The probability of becoming a target of a foreign acquisition is higher for medium-sized and large Finnish firms with high productivity than other firms.

Productivity: An International Comparison

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

This study conducts an international comparison of productivity and profitability. First, the level and growth of productivity are compared in OECD countries for the period from 1975 to 2009. According to this comparison, productivity growth has been faster in the key Finnish sectors com-pared with Finlands competitors. One of the main engines of growth since 1995 has been the ICT revolution. Second, the profitability of industries is calculated for 2007. Profitability is divided into productivity, prices and labour compensation. The results show that profitability in Finnish manufacturing is competitive because of the high productivity level in 2007. However, the measurement of profitability and the quality of price components require further research.

Innovaatiotoiminta – Suomi globaalitaloudessa. Loppuraportti

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

This study analyses those country characteristics, which lead those regions to become as productive operation and innovation environments for firms and research centres. This study shows that those countries who invest wisely to develop their innovation environment will be successful in high technology export markets. In recent years, Finnish high technology exports have declined because of difficulties in telecommunication sector. Productivity analysis shows that high country-level R&D expenditures as in Finland and the United States – have positive correlation with labour productivity in manufacturing. Moreover, labour productivity in manufacturing in OECD countries relates positively with FDI and R&D expenditure growth. Also the level of education and firm-level sophistication increase labour productivity. Chinas role as global production factory and exporter has increased during 2000s. For example, Japanese and the US companies are leading actors, which are offshored their operations to China. However, deepening European integration has liberated and expanded intra-EU27 trade.

Innovaatiotoiminta – Näkemyksiä hyvinvointialaan ja työelämän kehittämiseen

admin — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 11:00:00 +0000

This study examines structures and challenges in the Finnish well-being sector from the innovation activity perspective. Firstly, it compares the quality and productivity based on international statistics and research reports, and R&D&I activities in the well-being sector. It investigates also shortly co-operation and interplay between public and private actors,a nd the role of ICT for improving sectors productivity. In the end, the study explores well-being and quality of labour markets, and innovation activities in Finland.

Kilpailukyky ja globaalin toimintaympäristön muutos – Suomen koneteollisuus maailmantaloudessa

Paavo Suni — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 11:00:00 +0000

The report analyses the impacts of globalization on competitiveness of national economies, industries and firms. The focus is in mechanical and electrical engineering and machinery. Global division of labor has significantly changed over the past few decades when the large emerging economies notably China have increased their role in worlds industrial production. Prices of industrial goods relative to GDP prices of developed countries have been falling thereby pressing the price competitiveness of industrial-country- firms who have been looking for new competitive edge on the global market. This includes offshoring and outsourcing and moving to service provision. The Finnish mechanical and engineering industry has adapted to changing global competitive environment through major structural changes the firm and plant structures have changed as consequence of exits and major reallocation of resources from less productive to higher productive units.

Firm Lifecycles and External Restructuring

admin — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 11:00:00 +0000

This paper studies how firms contribute to the productivity growth of an industry over their lifecycle. We present a decomposition method that allows us to condition the components of productivity growth on the age of production units. We find evidence for a prolonged positive exit effect that mirrors market selection during the early stages of firms lifecycle. This effect is tightly related to the negative initial productivity effect of entry. We also find some evidence that productivity-enhancing reallocation of resources between firms is concentrated on the middle aged firms.

Suhdanne- ja rakennekriisi yhtä aikaa? Toimiala- ja yritysrakenteen muutokset taantumassa

Mika Maliranta — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 11:00:00 +0000

The study shows that the exceptional drop in volume of Finlands GDP in 2009 as much as 8 per cent was to a large extent due to huge decline in exports and production of one industry, ICT. The contribution of ICT (or electronics and electro-technical industry) to GDP decline was close to two percentage points. The reduction of the industrys value added resulted, again, from the dramatic deterioration of profits (capital income). Nokia is by far the biggest player in the industry (more than half of the value added), and the decline of profits is mainly due to Nokia. Since 80-90 per cent of Nokias shares is owned by foreigners, the consequences of profit and value added decline are felt mainly outside Finland. Similarly, when the values added and profits grew in the early 2000s, the contribution to GDP growth was overestimated. The reason is that national accounting does not take into account the ownership structure of accumulated retained profits. However, as a result of the crisis the Finnish economy has experienced a permanent decline in its potential production.