IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ces/ceswps/_6236.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Political Connections, State Ownership and Productivity in China

Author

Listed:
  • Richard Harris
  • Nigar Hashimzade
  • Sai Ding

Abstract

Subordination of business to political influence has remains pervasive in China. We construct a Schumpeterian-type model of growth with managerial time allocation between productive activities and building up political connections. The model predicts the impact of different patterns of state ownership and/or political connectedness on firm productivity linked to a period of liberalization. We then investigate the relationship between political connections, state ownership, and total factor productivity (TFP) using firm-level data for China between 1998 and 2007. We find, consistent with the model, that the firms with the highest levels of TFP had low levels of political affiliation and/or state ownership.

Suggested Citation

  • Richard Harris & Nigar Hashimzade & Sai Ding, 2016. "Political Connections, State Ownership and Productivity in China," CESifo Working Paper Series 6236, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_6236
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.cesifo.org/DocDL/cesifo1_wp6236.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Daniel Berkowitz & Hong Ma & Shuichiro Nishioka, 2017. "Recasting the Iron Rice Bowl: The Reform of China's State-Owned Enterprises," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 99(4), pages 735-747, July.
    2. Li, Hongbin & Meng, Lingsheng & Wang, Qian & Zhou, Li-An, 2008. "Political connections, financing and firm performance: Evidence from Chinese private firms," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(2), pages 283-299, October.
    3. Sai Ding & Alessandra Guariglia & Richard Harris, 2016. "The determinants of productivity in Chinese large and medium-sized industrial firms, 1998–2007," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 45(2), pages 131-155, April.
    4. Philippe Aghion & Robin Burgess & Stephen Redding & Fabrizio Zilibotti, 2005. "Entry Liberalization and Inequality in Industrial Performance," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 3(2-3), pages 291-302, 04/05.
    5. Wenfeng Wu & Chongfeng Wu & Oliver M. Rui, 2012. "Ownership and the Value of Political Connections: Evidence from China," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 18(4), pages 695-729, September.
    6. Xia, Jun & Li, Shaomin & Long, Cheryl, 2009. "The Transformation of Collectively Owned Enterprises and its Outcomes in China, 2001-05," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(10), pages 1651-1662, October.
    7. Qian Sun & Wilson H. S. Tong & Jing Tong, 2002. "How Does Government Ownership Affect Firm Performance? Evidence from China's Privatization Experience," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(1&2), pages 1-27.
    8. Zhou, Wubiao, 2013. "Political connections and entrepreneurial investment: Evidence from China's transition economy," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 299-315.
    9. Ehrlich, Isaac & Georges Gallais-Hamonno & Zhiqiang Liu & Randall Lutter, 1994. "Productivity Growth and Firm Ownership: An Analytical and Empirical Investigation," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 102(5), pages 1006-1038, October.
    10. I. Ehrlich & Georges Gallais-Hamonno & Zh Liu & R. Lutter, 1994. "Productivy Growth & Firm Ownership : an Analytical & Empirical Investigation," Post-Print halshs-00276861, HAL.
    11. Matthias Duschl & Shi-Shu Peng, 2015. "The patterns of Chinese firm growth: a conditional estimation approach of the asymmetric exponential power density," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 24(3), pages 539-563.
    12. Clement Chow & Michael Fung & Kevin Lam & Heibatollah Sami, 2012. "Investment opportunity set, political connection and business policies of private enterprises in China," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 38(3), pages 367-389, April.
    13. Mara Faccio, 2006. "Politically Connected Firms," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 96(1), pages 369-386, March.
    14. Xiaodan Yu & Giovanni Dosi & Jiasu Lei & Alessandro Nuvolari, 2015. "Editor's Choice Institutional change and productivity growth in China’s manufacturing: the microeconomics of knowledge accumulation and "creative restructuring"," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 24(3), pages 565-602.
    15. James Levinsohn & Amil Petrin, 2003. "Estimating Production Functions Using Inputs to Control for Unobservables," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 70(2), pages 317-341.
    16. Lucia Foster & John C. Haltiwanger & C. J. Krizan, 2001. "Aggregate Productivity Growth: Lessons from Microeconomic Evidence," NBER Chapters, in: New Developments in Productivity Analysis, pages 303-372, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    17. Tan, Justin & Li, Shaomin & Xia, Jun, 2007. "When iron fist, visible hand, and invisible hand meet: Firm-level effects of varying institutional environments in China," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 60(7), pages 786-794, July.
    18. Chen, Shimin & Sun, Zheng & Tang, Song & Wu, Donghui, 2011. "Government intervention and investment efficiency: Evidence from China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 259-271, April.
    19. Qian Sun & Wilson H. S. Tong & Jing Tong, 2002. "How Does Government Ownership Affect Firm Performance? Evidence from China’s Privatization Experience," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(1‐2), pages 1-27.
    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. Richard Harris & Shengyu Li, 2019. "Government assistance and total factor productivity: firm-level evidence from China," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 52(1), pages 1-27, December.
    2. Liu, Li & Liu, Qigui & Tian, Gary & Wang, Peipei, 2018. "Government connections and the persistence of profitability: Evidence from Chinese listed firms," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 110-129.
    3. Zhi Wang & Miao Yu, 2022. "Political embeddedness and firms' growth," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 75(1), pages 127-153, February.
    4. Hyejeong Shin & Ji-Young Ahn, 2021. "CEO’s Political Connection and Organization Efficiency: Evidence from Public Institutions in Korea," Public Organization Review, Springer, vol. 21(3), pages 419-435, September.
    5. Richard Harris & Shengyu Li, 2016. "Government Assistance and Total Factor Productivity: Firm-level Evidence from China, 1998-2007," CEMAP Working Papers 2016_04, Durham University Business School.
    6. Zhi Wang & Geert Braam & Daniel Reimsbach & Jiaxin Wang, 2020. "Political embeddedness and firms’ choices of earnings management strategies in China," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 60(5), pages 4723-4755, December.
    7. Calomiris, Charles W. & Fisman, Raymond & Wang, Yongxiang, 2010. "Profiting from government stakes in a command economy: Evidence from Chinese asset sales," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(3), pages 399-412, June.
    8. Sai Ding & John Knight & Xiao Zhang, 2019. "Does China overinvest? Evidence from a panel of Chinese firms," The European Journal of Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(6), pages 489-507, April.
    9. Lin, Chen & Lin, Ping & Zou, Hong, 2012. "Does property rights protection affect corporate risk management strategy? Intra- and cross-country evidence," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 311-330.
    10. Kusnadi, Yuanto & Yang, Zhifeng & Zhou, Yuxiao, 2015. "Institutional development, state ownership, and corporate cash holdings: Evidence from China," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(2), pages 351-359.
    11. Abubakr Saeed & Yacine Belghitar & Ephraim Clark, 2014. "Theoretical motives of corporate cash holdings and political connections: firms level evidence from a developing economy," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(6), pages 813-831, September.
    12. Walheer, Barnabé & He, Ming, 2020. "Technical efficiency and technology gap of the manufacturing industry in China: Does firm ownership matter?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    13. Fawad Rauf & Cosmina Lelia Voinea & Hammad Bin Azam Hashmi & Cosmin Fratostiteanu, 2020. "Moderating Effect of Political Embeddedness on the Relationship between Resources Base and Quality of CSR Disclosure in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-19, April.
    14. Li, Qian & Wang, Shihao & Song, Victor, 2023. "Product competition, political connections, and the costs of high leverage," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    15. Jun Du & Alessandra Guariglia & Alexander Newman, 2015. "Do Social Capital Building Strategies Influence the Financing Behavior of Chinese Private Small and Medium–Sized Enterprises?," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 39(3), pages 601-631, May.
    16. Sai Ding & Alessandra Guariglia & Richard Harris, 2016. "The determinants of productivity in Chinese large and medium-sized industrial firms, 1998–2007," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 45(2), pages 131-155, April.
    17. Suchard, Jo-Ann & Humphery-Jenner, Mark & Cao, Xiaping, 2021. "Government ownership and Venture Capital in China," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    18. Xie, Jun & Zhang, Yifan, 2020. "Anti-corruption, government intervention, and corporate cash holdings: Evidence from China," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 44(1).
    19. Lin, Karen Jingrong & Tan, Jinsong & Zhao, Liming & Karim, Khondkar, 2015. "In the name of charity: Political connections and strategic corporate social responsibility in a transition economy," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 327-346.
    20. Bao, Xiaolu & Johan, Sofia & Kutsuna, Kenji, 2016. "Do political connections matter in accessing capital markets? Evidence from China," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 24-41.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    TFP; political connections; state ownership; China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology
    • O43 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Institutions and Growth

    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:ces:ceswps:_6236. 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: Klaus Wohlrabe (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/cesifde.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.