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Productivity dispersion, competition and productivity measurement

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  • Martin, Ralf

Abstract

A startling fact of firm level productivity analysis is the large and persistent differences in both labour productivity and total factor productivity (TFP) between firms in narrowly defined sectoral classes. The competitiveness of an industry is potentially an important factor explaining this productivity dispersion. The degree of competition has also implications for the measurement of TFP at the firm level. This paper firstly develops a novel control function approach to production function and TFP estimation explicitly taking imperfect competition into account. This addresses a number of issues with the control function approach to productivity estimation. Secondly, applying this new approach to UK data it shows that productivity dispersion on average is about 50 percent higher than with standard TFP measures. It also shows that accounting for imperfect competition matters for estimates of the persistence of TFP. Thirdly, the paper finds a negative relationship between competition and productivity dispersion.

Suggested Citation

  • Martin, Ralf, 2008. "Productivity dispersion, competition and productivity measurement," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 19573, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:19573
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    Cited by:

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    3. Martin, Ralf, 2009. "Why is the US so energy intensive? Evidence from US multinationals in the UK," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 28703, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    4. Richard Fabling & David C Maré, 2015. "Production function estimation using New Zealand’s Longitudinal Business Database," Working Papers 15_15, Motu Economic and Public Policy Research.
    5. Richard Harris & John Moffat, 2012. "Total Factor Productivity Growth in Local Economic Partnership Regions in Britain, 1997-2008," SERC Discussion Papers 0112, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    6. 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.
    7. Steven Davis & Cheryl Grim & John Haltiwanger, 2008. "Productivity Dispersion and Input Prices: The Case of Electricity," Working Papers 08-33, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    8. Kilinc, U., 2010. "Measuring competition in a frictional economy," Serie Research Memoranda 0012, VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Econometrics.
    9. Kılınç, Umut, 2014. "Estimating entrants' productivity when prices are unobserved," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 640-647.
    10. Eric Bartelsman & George van Leeuwen & Michael Polder, 2017. "CDM using a cross-country micro moments database," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(1-2), pages 168-182, February.
    11. G. Jacob Blackwood & Lucia S. Foster & Cheryl A. Grim & John Haltiwanger & Zoltan Wolf, 2021. "Macro and Micro Dynamics of Productivity: From Devilish Details to Insights," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 13(3), pages 142-172, July.
    12. Richard Harris & John Moffat, 2015. "Plant-level determinants of total factor productivity in Great Britain, 1997–2008," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 44(1), pages 1-20, August.
    13. Richard Harris & John Moffat, 2013. "The Direct Contribution of FDI to Productivity Growth in Britain, 1997–2008," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(6), pages 713-736, June.
    14. Buch, Claudia M. & Koch, Cathérine T. & Koetter, Michael, 2011. "Size, productivity, and international banking," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(2), pages 329-334.
    15. Richard Harris & John Moffat, 2011. "Plant-level Determinants of Total Factor Productivity in Great Britain, 1997-2006," SERC Discussion Papers 0064, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    16. Chiara Criscuolo & Ralf Martin, 2009. "Multinationals and U.S. Productivity Leadership: Evidence from Great Britain," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 91(2), pages 263-281, May.
    17. Priit Vahter, 2009. "Productivity in Estonian Enterprises: the Role of Innovation and Competition," Chapters, in: David G. Mayes (ed.), Microfoundations of Economic Success, chapter 4, pages 131-167, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    18. Jiangteng Zhou, 2023. "The impacts of highways on firm size distribution: Evidence from China," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(2), pages 482-506, June.
    19. Tapas Mishra & Bazoumana Ouattara & Mamata Parhi, 2011. "A Note on Shock Persistence in Total Factor Productivity Growth," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 31(2), pages 1869-1893.
    20. Richard Harris & John Moffat, 2015. "Total Factor Productivity Growth in Local Enterprise Partnership Regions in Britain, 1997-2008," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(6), pages 1019-1041, June.
    21. Amitabh Chandra & Amy Finkelstein & Adam Sacarny & Chad Syverson, 2013. "Healthcare Exceptionalism? Productivity and Allocation in the U.S. Healthcare Sector," NBER Working Papers 19200, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    22. Atsuyuki Kato, 2012. "Productivity, returns to scale and product differentiation in the retail trade industry: an empirical analysis using Japanese firm-level data," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 38(3), pages 345-353, December.
    23. Kilinc, U., 2010. "Price-cost markups and productivity dynamics of entrant plants," Serie Research Memoranda 0011, VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Econometrics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Productivity Measurement; Imperfect Competition; Productivity Dispersion; Productivity Spread;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L25 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Performance
    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • C81 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs - - - Methodology for Collecting, Estimating, and Organizing Microeconomic Data; Data Access

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