Privatization in Bolivia: The Impact on Firm Performance

This report studies the change in performance of Bolivian State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) that have been transferred to the private sector. The paper focuses particularly on how ownership affects management by measuring the characteristics of management and relating them to both ownership structure and performance. It argues that the characteristics of private management that follow privatization are a key factor in determining the effects of privatization on performance. To determine the impact of privatization on the performance of the 31 firms studied, the authors performed two ratio analyses, one with unadjusted and the other with adjusted ratios. For this purpose, they undertook two regression analyses, one with panel data and the other with a cross section analysis. Two methods were used to conduct privatization of Bolivian SOEs, and the process took place in three stages. The methods were traditional, or standard, privatization and capitalization. Traditional privatization consisted of the complete transfer (assets and shares) to the private sector of companies operating in competitive markets. Capitalization involved attracting private firms to invest in and manage key SOEs. SOEs were not sold outright. Instead, private investors gained managerial control but no more than 50 percent of equity.