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High productivity before or after exports? An empirical analysis of Korean manufacturing firms

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  • Kim, Soo-Il
  • Gopinath, Munisamy
  • Kim, Hanho

Abstract

This study investigates whether exporting is a cause or an effect of high productivity of firms' in the Korean manufacturing industries. For this purpose, a panel database is assembled with 1335 firms from eight Korean manufacturing industries during 1997-2003. Evidence that high productivity causes exporting, referred to as self-selection, is found in three out of eight industries. However, we do not find support for the hypothesis that high productivity is affected by exporting, except in one industry. Sunk-cost or previous-export-experience effect on the current export status is statistically significant and robust across industries unlike that of firms' productivity and size.

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  • Kim, Soo-Il & Gopinath, Munisamy & Kim, Hanho, 2009. "High productivity before or after exports? An empirical analysis of Korean manufacturing firms," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 20(4), pages 410-418, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:asieco:v:20:y:2009:i:4:p:410-418
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    Cited by:

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    2. Maria Isabel Pisa & Rosario Sánchez, 2018. "Un análisis regional de las empresas manufactureras españolas para el periodo 2004-2009: Un patrón Noroeste/Suroeste," Revista de Estudios Regionales, Universidades Públicas de Andalucía, vol. 3, pages 221-241.
    3. Ke Li & Jie Zhang & Yihua Yu & Zhibiao Liu, 2010. "Does Market‐Oriented Economic Transition Enhance Enterprise Productivity? Evidence From China'S Enterprises," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(5), pages 719-742, December.
    4. Marie-Ange Véganzonès-Varoudakis & Arup Mitra & Chandan Sharma, 2012. "Are Reforms Productive? Explaining Productivity and Efficiency in the Indian Manufacturing," Post-Print hal-03058727, HAL.
    5. Vito Amendolagine & Rosa Capolupo & Nadia Petragallo, 2011. "Export Status and Productivity Performance: Evidence from Matched Italian Firms," Aussenwirtschaft, University of St. Gallen, School of Economics and Political Science, Swiss Institute for International Economics and Applied Economics Research, vol. 66(2), pages 151-180, June.
    6. Rosario Sanchez & Angeles Díaz, 2014. "Innovation, exports and technical efficiency in Spain," EcoMod2014 6783, EcoMod.
    7. Cenk Gokce ADAS, 2016. "Exporting Firms, Productivity And Profitabiliy: A Survey Of The Evidence From Manufacturing Industries," Proceedings of International Academic Conferences 3606362, International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences.
    8. Adriana Peluffo & Inmaculada Martinez-Zarzoso & Ernesto Silva, 2020. "New stuff or better ways: what matters to access international markets?," Journal of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(1), pages 656-678, January.
    9. Marcelo José Braga Nonnenberg & Ana Paula Avellar, 2013. "Exportações e Processos Inovativos: Um Estudo Para a América Latina e a Europa do Leste," Discussion Papers 1899, Instituto de Pesquisa Econômica Aplicada - IPEA.
    10. Quang-Thanh Ngo & Canh Thi Nguyen, 2020. "Do export transitions differently affect firm productivity? Evidence across Vietnamese manufacturing sectors," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(8), pages 1011-1037, November.
    11. Hu, Cui & Tan, Yong, 2016. "Product differentiation, export participation and productivity growth: Evidence from Chinese manufacturing firms," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 234-252.
    12. Vu, Van Huong, 2012. "Higher productivity in Exporters: self-selection, learning by exporting or both? Evidence from Vietnamese manufacturing SMEs," MPRA Paper 40708, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Quang-Thanh Ngo & Quang-Van Tran & Tien-Dung Nguyen & Trung-Thanh Nguyen, 2020. "How Heterogeneous Are the Determinants of Total Factor Productivity in Manufacturing Sectors? Panel-Data Evidence from Vietnam," Economies, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-25, July.
    14. Mi Kyung Pai, 2016. "Firms’ strategies, vertical integration, and productivity growth in Korea's core growth-leading industries," Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(4), pages 628-650, October.

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