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Privatization and productivity in China

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  • Yuyu Chen
  • Mitsuru Igami
  • Masayuki Sawada
  • Mo Xiao

Abstract

We study how ownership affects productivity in the context of China's privatization of state‐owned enterprises (SOEs). Its true impact remains unclear and controversial, partly because the government selectively privatized or liquidated nonperforming SOEs. To address this selection problem, we augment the Gandhi–Navarro–Rivers nonparametric production function to incorporate endogenous ownership changes. Results suggest private firms are 53% more productive than SOEs on average, but the benefits of privatization take several years to fully materialize. This productivity gap is smaller among larger firms and in economically more liberal times and places; it is larger in consumer‐facing and high‐tech industries.

Suggested Citation

  • Yuyu Chen & Mitsuru Igami & Masayuki Sawada & Mo Xiao, 2021. "Privatization and productivity in China," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 52(4), pages 884-916, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:randje:v:52:y:2021:i:4:p:884-916
    DOI: 10.1111/1756-2171.12395
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    Cited by:

    1. Huobao Xie & Weiwei Yang & Qingyuan Li, 2022. "Can New Private Shareholders Help Improve SOEs' Total Factor Productivity? Evidence from the Chinese Listed SOEs," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 23(1), pages 23-62, May.
    2. Yoonseok Lee & Mary E. Lovely & Hoang Pham, 2023. "Dynamic and non‐neutral productivity effects of foreign ownership: A nonparametric approach," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 38(1), pages 24-48, January.
    3. Paul Schrimpf & Michio Suzuki & Hiroyuki Kasahara, 2015. "Identification and Estimation of Production Function with Unobserved Heterogeneity," 2015 Meeting Papers 924, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    4. Chuyuan Zhang & Sang‐Ho Lee, 2023. "Entry decision of a vertically integrated foreign firm with downstream subsidization and upstream privatization," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 94(1), pages 273-299, March.
    5. Mauro Caselli & Arpita Chatterjee & Shengyu Li, 2023. "Productivity and Quality of Multi-product Firms," Discussion Papers 2023-10, School of Economics, The University of New South Wales.
    6. Wang, Chang & Guo, Yue & Yang, Yu & Chen, Shiyi, 2022. "The environmental benefits of electricity industry restructuring in China: Ownership mixing vs. vertical unbundling," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).

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