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The investment climate and the firm : firm-level evidence from China

Author

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  • Hallward-Driemeier, Mary
  • Wallsten, Scott
  • Lixin Colin Xu

Abstract

The importance of a country's"investment climate"for economic growth has recently received much attention. The authors address the general lack of appropriate data for measuring the investment climate and its effects. The authors use a new survey of 1,500 Chinese enterprises in five cities to more precisely define and measure components of the investment climate, highlight the importance of firm-level data for rigorous analysis of the investment climate, and investigate empirically the effects of this comprehensive set of measures on firm performance in China. Overall, their firm-level analysis reveals that the main determinants of firm performance in China are international integration, entry and exit, labor market issues, technology use, and access to external finance.

Suggested Citation

  • Hallward-Driemeier, Mary & Wallsten, Scott & Lixin Colin Xu, 2003. "The investment climate and the firm : firm-level evidence from China," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3003, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:3003
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    Cited by:

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    2. Kalantzis, Fotios & Niczyporuk, Hanna, 2022. "Labour productivity improvements from energy efficiency investments: The experience of European firms," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 252(C).
    3. Fan, Ying & Zhu, Lei, 2010. "A real options based model and its application to China's overseas oil investment decisions," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 627-637, May.
    4. John S Henley, 2006. "Chasing the dragon: Accounting for the under-performance of India by comparison with China in attracting foreign direct investment," Working Papers id:756, eSocialSciences.
    5. Jérôme Héricourt & Sandra Poncet, 2007. "FDI and credit constraints: firm level evidence in China," Documents de travail du Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne bla07009, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1), Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne.
    6. Wei Li & Taye Mengistae & Lixin Colin Xu, 2011. "Diagnosing Development Bottlenecks: China and India," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 73, pages 722-752, December.
    7. Lall, Somik V. & Mengistae, Taye, 2005. "The impact of business environment and economic geography on plant-level productivity : an analysis of Indian industry," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3664, The World Bank.
    8. Héricourt, Jérôme & Poncet, Sandra, 2009. "FDI and credit constraints: Firm-level evidence from China," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 1-21, March.
    9. Deininger, Klaus & Jin, Songqing & Sur, Mona, 2007. "Sri Lanka's Rural Non-Farm Economy: Removing Constraints to Pro-Poor Growth," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 35(12), pages 2056-2078, December.
    10. Tao Xiang & Jikun Huang & d’Artis Kancs & Scott Rozelle & Jo Swinnen, 2012. "Food Standards and Welfare: General Equilibrium Effects," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 63(2), pages 223-244, June.
    11. Eric J. Bartelsman & John Haltiwanger & Stefano Scarpetta, 2004. "Microeconomic Evidence of Creative Destruction in Industrial and Developing Countries," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 04-114/3, Tinbergen Institute.
    12. Fernandes, Ana M., 2008. "Firm Productivity in Bangladesh Manufacturing Industries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 36(10), pages 1725-1744, October.
    13. Galina Hale & Cheryl Long, 2011. "Are There Productivity Spillovers From Foreign Direct Investment In China?," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(2), pages 135-153, May.
    14. Long, Cheryl & Hale, Galina, 2006. "What Determines Technological Spillovers of Foreign Direct Investment: Evidence from China," Center Discussion Papers 28412, Yale University, Economic Growth Center.
    15. Galina Hale & Cheryl Long, 2006. "FDI spillovers and firm ownership in China: labor markets and backward linkages," Working Paper Series 2006-25, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.
    16. Wu, Jie, 2012. "Technological collaboration in product innovation: The role of market competition and sectoral technological intensity," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(2), pages 489-496.
    17. Karima Sayari, 2019. "Institutional Efficiency and Attraction of Foreign Direct Investment to Developing Countries," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 11(7), pages 1-54, July.
    18. Eric Bartelsman & John Haltiwanger & Stefano Scarpetta, 2009. "Measuring and Analyzing Cross-country Differences in Firm Dynamics," NBER Chapters, in: Producer Dynamics: New Evidence from Micro Data, pages 15-76, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    20. Jie Wu, 2013. "Diverse Institutional Environments and Product Innovation of Emerging Market Firms," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 39-59, February.
    21. Jie Wu & Nitin Pangarkar, 2010. "The bidirectional relationship between competitive intensity and collaboration: Evidence from China," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 27(3), pages 503-522, September.
    22. Kathuria, Vinish & Seethamma Natarajan, Rajesh Raj & Sen, Kunal, 2010. "State business relations and manufacturing productivity growth in India," MPRA Paper 20314, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    23. Geginat, Carolin & Ramalho, Rita, 2018. "Electricity connections and firm performance in 183 countries," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 344-366.
    24. Vinish Kathuria & Rajesh Raj S.N. & Kunal Sen, 2013. "Institution of State–Business Relation and Its Impact on Manufacturing Productivity Growth in India: A Post-reform Analysis," South Asia Economic Journal, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, vol. 14(1), pages 83-108, March.

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    Keywords

    Environmental Economics&Policies; Economic Theory&Research; Trade and Regional Integration; Health Monitoring&Evaluation; ICT Policy and Strategies;
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