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Importing, Productivity and Absorptive Capacity in Sub-Saharan African Manufacturing and Services Firms

Author

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  • Neil Foster-McGregor
  • Anders Isaksson
  • Florian Kaulich

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between importing and firm-level productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using a recent firm-level survey for 19 Sub-Saharan African countries, the paper shows that there is a positive and significant relationship between importing and productivity for both manufacturing and services firms. Using a series of robustness tests, the paper finds that the importer-productivity relationship is robust in the case of manufacturing firms, but the results for services appear sensitive to the presence of extreme values. Finally, the paper shows that manufacturing firms with the highest levels of human capital show the strongest relationship between importing and productivity, a result consistent with a role for absorptive capacity in maximising the benefits of importing. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2016

Suggested Citation

  • Neil Foster-McGregor & Anders Isaksson & Florian Kaulich, 2016. "Importing, Productivity and Absorptive Capacity in Sub-Saharan African Manufacturing and Services Firms," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 27(1), pages 87-117, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:openec:v:27:y:2016:i:1:p:87-117
    DOI: 10.1007/s11079-015-9367-7
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Luke Emeka Okafor & Mita Bhattacharya & Harry Bloch, 2017. "Imported Intermediates, Absorptive Capacity and Productivity: Evidence from Ghanaian Manufacturing Firms," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(2), pages 369-392, February.
    2. Hoedoafia, Mabel Akosua, 2020. "On the Link between Trade Liberalization and Firm Productivity: Panel Data Evidence from Private Firms in Ghana," MPRA Paper 99568, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Pablo Blanchard & Adriana Peluffo & Dayna Zaclicever, 2019. "Revisando el rol de los productos intermedios importados en la productividad: un análisis a nivel de empresa para Uruguay," Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) 19-03, Instituto de Economía - IECON.
    4. Titus Isaiah Zayone & Shida Rastegari Henneberry & Riza Radmehr, 2020. "Effects of Agricultural, Manufacturing, and Mineral Exports on Angola’s Economic Growth," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-17, March.
    5. Shubin Yang & Chris Milner & Sandra Lancheros & Saileshsingh Gunessee, 2020. "Access to Finance, Technology Investments and Exporting Decisions of Indian Services Firms," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 31(5), pages 1009-1036, November.
    6. Alistair Dieppe, 2021. "Global Productivity," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 34015, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Importing; Productivity; Sub-Saharan Africa; Absorptive capacity; Human capital; D24; F10; M20; L10;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • F10 - International Economics - - Trade - - - General
    • M20 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Economics - - - General
    • L10 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - General

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