IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/asiaec/v23y2009i1p65-91.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Output and Productivity Performance of Hong Kong and Singapore's Transport and Communications Sector, 1990 to 2005

Author

Listed:
  • Boon L. Lee
  • William Shepherd

Abstract

This paper uses the industry of origin approach to analyze value added and labor productivity outcomes arising from progressive liberalization of government and from statutory board control of transport and communications in Singapore. The paper compares these outcomes with those from the market‐orientated, more privatized transport and communications sector in Hong Kong, for the benchmark year 2004 and a review period from 1990 to 2005. The study is among the first to carefully compare labor productivity in specific sectors between the two countries. Although Singapore generally recorded higher levels of labor productivity, there was some catch‐up by Hong Kong in the later part of the review period. There was also substantial variation in labor productivity performance within sectoral branches in the two sectors. The study suggests there is some evidence that the different political–economic structures and policy approaches to deregulation and liberalization played a role in determining productivity performance in the transport and communications sectors in Singapore and Hong Kong. The analysis infers a potential, increasing focus on privatization as the driving force for further liberalization of the transport and communications sector in Singapore.

Suggested Citation

  • Boon L. Lee & William Shepherd, 2009. "Output and Productivity Performance of Hong Kong and Singapore's Transport and Communications Sector, 1990 to 2005," Asian Economic Journal, East Asian Economic Association, vol. 23(1), pages 65-91, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:asiaec:v:23:y:2009:i:1:p:65-91
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8381.2009.02001.x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8381.2009.02001.x
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/j.1467-8381.2009.02001.x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Boon Lee & William Shepherd, 2002. "Comparative Analysis of Output and Productivity in the Transport and Communication Sector: South Korea and Australia, 1990 to 1999," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 27(1), pages 53-75, June.
    2. repec:bla:revinw:v:23:y:1977:i:4:p:315-38 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Alwyn Young, 1995. "The Tyranny of Numbers: Confronting the Statistical Realities of the East Asian Growth Experience," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 110(3), pages 641-680.
    4. Edward K.Y. Chen, 1997. "The Total Factor Productivity Debate: Determinants of Economic Growth in East Asia," Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, The Crawford School, The Australian National University, vol. 11(1), pages 18-38, May.
    5. Mulder, N., 1994. "Transport and Communication in Mexico and the United States: Value Added , Purchasing Power Parities and Productivity," Papers 579, Groningen State, Institute of Economic Research-.
    6. Soi Lam & Trinh Toan, 2006. "Land Transport Policy and Public Transport in Singapore," Transportation, Springer, vol. 33(2), pages 171-188, March.
    7. Bart van Ark & Erik Monnikhof & Nanno Mulder, 1999. "Productivity in services: an international comparative perspective," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 32(2), pages 471-499, April.
    8. Kim-Song Tan & Sock-Yong Phang, 2004. "From Efficiency-driven to Innovation-driven Economic Growth: Perspectives from Singapore," Working Papers 15-2004, Singapore Management University, School of Economics.
    9. van Ark, Bart & Maddison, Angus, 1988. "Comparisons of real output in manufacturing," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5, The World Bank.
    10. Mulder, Nanno, 1994. "Transport and Communication in Mexico and the United States: Value Added, Purchasing Power Parities and Productivity," GGDC Research Memorandum 199418, Groningen Growth and Development Centre, University of Groningen.
    11. Lu, Ding & Yu, Qiao, 1999. "Hong Kong's exchange rate regime:: Lessons from Singapore," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 122-140.
    12. T. P. Hill, 1977. "On Goods And Services," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 23(4), pages 315-338, December.
    13. Dirk Pilat, 1994. "The Economics Of Rapid Growth," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 360.
    14. repec:dgr:rugggd:199418 is not listed on IDEAS
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Boon Lee & William Shepherd, 2000. "Output and Productivity Comparisons of the Transport and Communication Sectors of South Korea and Australia, 1990 to 1998," School of Economics and Finance Discussion Papers and Working Papers Series 081, School of Economics and Finance, Queensland University of Technology.
    2. Lee, Boon & Shepherd, William, 2002. "Comparative Analysis of Transport and Communications Korea and Australia," MPRA Paper 10412, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Boon L. Lee & William Shepherd, 2009. "Output and Productivity Performance of Hong Kong and Singapore's Transport and Communications Sector, 1990 to 2005," Asian Economic Journal, East Asian Economic Association, vol. 23(1), pages 65-91, March.
    4. Timmer, Marcel P., 1999. "Climbing the Technology Ladder Too Fast? An International Comparison of Productivity in South and East- Asian Manufacturing, 1963-1993," Working Papers 99.2, Eindhoven Center for Innovation Studies.
    5. Boon Lee, 2011. "Distribution Trade Sector Output and Productivity Performance: A Case Study of Singapore and Hong Kong 2001-2008," School of Economics and Finance Discussion Papers and Working Papers Series 270, School of Economics and Finance, Queensland University of Technology.
    6. Ypma, Gerard, 2007. "Productivity Levels in Transport, Storage and Communication: A New ICOP 1997 Data Set," GGDC Research Memorandum GD-85, Groningen Growth and Development Centre, University of Groningen.
    7. Boon Lee & William Shepherd, 2002. "Comparative Analysis of Output and Productivity in the Transport and Communication Sector: South Korea and Australia, 1990 to 1999," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 27(1), pages 53-75, June.
    8. repec:dgr:rugccs:199919 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Prasada Rao, D.S. & Timmer, Marcel, 2000. "Multilateralisation of manufacturing sector comparisons : issues, methods and empirical results," GGDC Research Memorandum 200047, Groningen Growth and Development Centre, University of Groningen.
    10. Castaldi, Carolina & Sapio, Sandro, 2006. "The Properties of Sectoral Growth: Evidence from Four Large European Economies," GGDC Research Memorandum GD-88, Groningen Growth and Development Centre, University of Groningen.
    11. repec:dgr:rugggd:199840 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Robert J. Hill, 2004. "Constructing Price Indexes across Space and Time: The Case of the European Union," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(5), pages 1379-1410, December.
    13. Timmer, Marcel P., 1998. "Catch up patterns in newly industrializing countries : an international comparison of manufacturing productivity in Taiwan, 1961-1993," GGDC Research Memorandum 199840, Groningen Growth and Development Centre, University of Groningen.
    14. repec:dgr:rugggd:gd-85 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Timmer, Marcel P., 2002. "Climbing the Technology Ladder Too Fast? New Evidence on Comparative Productivity Performance in Asian Manufacturing," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 16(1), pages 50-72, March.
    16. repec:dgr:rugggd:199729 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. Timmer, Marcel & Ypma, Gerard & van Ark, Bart van, 2007. "PPPs for Industry Output: A New Dataset for International Comparisons," GGDC Research Memorandum GD-82, Groningen Growth and Development Centre, University of Groningen.
    18. Hu, Jin-Li & Kao, Chih-Hung, 2007. "Efficient energy-saving targets for APEC economies," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 373-382, January.
    19. Lee, Boon L. & Rao, D.S. Prasada & Shepherd, William, 2007. "Comparisons of real output and productivity of Chinese and Indian manufacturing, 1980-2002," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(1), pages 378-416, September.
    20. Sangho Kim & Young Hoon Lee, 2006. "The productivity debate of East Asia revisited: a stochastic frontier approach," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(14), pages 1697-1706.
    21. Boon Lee, 2002. "Output and Productivity Comparisons of the Wholesale and Retail Trade Sector: US and Australia, 1991 to 1999," School of Economics and Finance Discussion Papers and Working Papers Series 125, School of Economics and Finance, Queensland University of Technology.
    22. Hofman, André A., 2000. "The economic development of Latin America in the twentieth century," Copublicaciones, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), number 1650 edited by Eclac.
    23. repec:dgr:rugggd:gd-88 is not listed on IDEAS
    24. Bryan Cheang, 2024. "What Can Industrial Policy Do? Evidence from Singapore," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 37(1), pages 1-34, March.
    25. Inklaar, Robert & Wu, Harry & Ark, Bart van, 2003. ""Losing ground" : Japanese labour productivity and unit laboour cost manufacturing in comparison to the U.S," GGDC Research Memorandum 200364, Groningen Growth and Development Centre, University of Groningen.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:asiaec:v:23:y:2009:i:1:p:65-91. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/eaeaaea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.