IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/fpr/ifprid/2020.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Africa’s manufacturing puzzle: Evidence from Tanzanian and Ethiopian firms

Author

Listed:
  • Diao, Xinshen
  • Ellis, Mia
  • McMillan, Margaret S.
  • Rodrik, Dani

Abstract

Recent growth accelerations in Africa are characterized by increasing productivity in agriculture, a declining share of the labor force employed in agriculture and declining productivity in modern sectors such as manufacturing. To shed light on this puzzle, we disaggregate firms in the manufacturing sector by size using two newly created panels of manufacturing firms, one for Tanzania covering 2008-2016 and one for Ethiopia covering 1996-2017. Our analysis reveals a dichotomy between larger firms that exhibit superior productivity performance but do not expand employment much, and small firms that absorb employment but do not experience any productivity growth. We suggest the poor employment performance of large firms is related to use of capital-intensive techniques associated with global trends in technology.

Suggested Citation

  • Diao, Xinshen & Ellis, Mia & McMillan, Margaret S. & Rodrik, Dani, 2021. "Africa’s manufacturing puzzle: Evidence from Tanzanian and Ethiopian firms," IFPRI discussion papers 2020, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    • Handle: RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2020
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.ifpri.org/cdmref/p15738coll2/id/134392/filename/134604.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Abebe, Girum & McMillan, Margaret & Serafinelli, Michel, 2022. "Foreign direct investment and knowledge diffusion in poor locations," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    2. Cali,Massimiliano & Francois,Joseph & Hollweg,Claire Honore & Manchin,Miriam & Oberdabernig,Doris Anita & Rojas Romagosa,Hugo Alexander & Rubinova,Stela & Tomberger,Patrick, 2016. "The labor content of exports database," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7615, The World Bank.
    3. Mc Millan,Margaret & Rodrik,Dani & Sepulveda,Claudia Paz, 2017. "Structural change, fundamentals, and growth : a framework and case studies," Policy Research Working Paper Series 8041, The World Bank.
    4. Sala-i-Martin, Xavier X., 1996. "Regional cohesion: Evidence and theories of regional growth and convergence," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 40(6), pages 1325-1352, June.
    5. Huang, Sophia Wu, 1993. "Structural Change in Taiwan's Agricultural Economy," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 42(1), pages 43-65, October.
    6. Dani Rodrik, 2018. "New Technologies, Global Value Chains, and the Developing Economies," CESifo Working Paper Series 7307, CESifo.
    7. Leslie A. Martin & Shanthi Nataraj & Ann E. Harrison, 2017. "In with the Big, Out with the Small: Removing Small-Scale Reservations in India," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(2), pages 354-386, February.
    8. Chang-Tai Hsieh & Benjamin A. Olken, 2014. "The Missing "Missing Middle"," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 28(3), pages 89-108, Summer.
    9. Christopher Blattman & Stefan Dercon, 2018. "The Impacts of Industrial and Entrepreneurial Work on Income and Health: Experimental Evidence from Ethiopia," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 10(3), pages 1-38, July.
    10. Dani Rodrik, 2016. "Premature deindustrialization," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 1-33, March.
    11. Alan Gelb & Vijaya Ramachandran & Christian J. Meyer & Divyanshi Wadhwa & Kyle Navis, 2020. "Can Sub-Saharan Africa Be a Manufacturing Destination? Labor Costs, Price Levels, and the Role of Industrial Policy," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 335-357, June.
    12. Kaplinsky, Raphael, 2011. "Schumacher meets Schumpeter: Appropriate technology below the radar," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 193-203, March.
    13. John Haltiwanger & Ron S. Jarmin & Javier Miranda, 2013. "Who Creates Jobs? Small versus Large versus Young," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 95(2), pages 347-361, May.
    14. Dani Rodrik, 2013. "Unconditional Convergence in Manufacturing," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 128(1), pages 165-204.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Leone, Fabrizio, 2021. "Foreign Ownership and Robot Adoption," CEPREMAP Working Papers (Docweb) 2111, CEPREMAP.
    2. Anton Korinek & Joseph E. Stiglitz, 2021. "Artificial Intelligence, Globalization, and Strategies for Economic Development," Working Papers Series inetwp146, Institute for New Economic Thinking.
    3. Kouakou Jean Fidele SIÉ, 2023. "Industrial policy and labour productivity growth in Africa: does the technology choice matter?," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 12(1), pages 1-24, December.
    4. Calì, Massimiliano & Presidente, Giorgio, 2021. "Robots For Economic Development," GLO Discussion Paper Series 942, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    5. Naudé, Wim & Tregenna, Fiona, 2023. "Africa's Industrialization Prospects: A Fresh Look," IZA Discussion Papers 16043, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Hagen Kruse & Emmanuel Mensah & Kunal Sen & Gaaitzen Vries, 2023. "A Manufacturing (Re)Naissance? Industrialization in the Developing World," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 71(2), pages 439-473, June.
    7. AJEIGBE Omowumi Monisola & OLOMOLA Phillip Akanni & ADELEKE Oluwayemisi Khadijat, 2021. "Dynamics of Manufacturing Sector Development and Youth Unemployment in Africa," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 5(7), pages 599-606, July.
    8. Céline Zipfel, 2022. "The demand side of Africa's demographic transition: desired fertility, wealth, and jobs," STICERD - Economic Organisation and Public Policy Discussion Papers Series 71, Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines, LSE.
    9. Çakır, Muhammet Sait & Aydemir, Resul, 2022. "A Dutch disease approach into the premature deindustrialization," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 46(4).
    10. Emmanuel Umoru Haruna & Usman Alhassan, 2022. "Does digitalization limit the proliferation of the shadow economy in African countries? An in‐depth panel analysis," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 34(S1), pages 34-62, July.
    11. Dani Rodrik, 2023. "A Comment on: “Presidential Address: Demand‐Side Constraints in Development: The Role of Market Size, Trade, and (In)Equality,” by Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg and Tristan Reed," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 91(6), pages 1959-1962, November.
    12. AJEIGBE Omowumi Monisola & OLOMOLA Phillip Akanni & ADELEKE Oluwayemisi Khadijat, 2021. "Dynamics of Manufacturing Sector Development and Youth Unemployment in Africa," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 5(07), pages 599-606, July.
    13. Jörg Mayer, 2021. "Development strategies for middle‐income countries in a digital world—Insights from modern trade economics," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(9), pages 2515-2546, September.
    14. Abdul A. Erumban & Gaaitzen de Vries, 2021. "Industrialization in developing countries: is it related to poverty reduction?," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2021-172, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    15. Hyojung Kang, 2022. "The Effect of Foreign Direct Investment on Employment in Manufacturing Industry Sectors in Sub-Saharan African Countries," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper2205, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Stefan Pahl & Marcel P. Timmer, 2020. "Do Global Value Chains Enhance Economic Upgrading? A Long View," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(9), pages 1683-1705, July.
    2. Mensah, Emmanuel B. & Owusu, Solomon & Foster-McGregor, Neil, 2023. "Productive efficiency, structural change, and catch-up within Africa," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 78-100.
    3. Çakır, Muhammet Sait & Aydemir, Resul, 2022. "A Dutch disease approach into the premature deindustrialization," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 46(4).
    4. Avdiu,Besart & Bagavathinathan,Karan Singh & Chaurey,Ritam & Nayyar,Gaurav, 2022. "India's Services Sector Growth : The Impact of Services Trade on Non-tradable Services," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10094, The World Bank.
    5. Emre Özçelik & Erdal Özmen, 2020. "Premature Deindustrialisation: The International Evidence," ERC Working Papers 2001, ERC - Economic Research Center, Middle East Technical University, revised Sep 2020.
    6. Ajit K. Ghose, 2021. "Structural Change and Development in India," Indian Journal of Human Development, , vol. 15(1), pages 7-29, April.
    7. Gozgor, Giray, 2018. "Does the structure of employment affect the external imbalances? Theory and evidence," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 77-83.
    8. Taguchi, Hiroyuki & Elbek, Abdullaev, 2022. "Premature deindustrialization in post-Soviet economies," MPRA Paper 114413, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Joël Cariolle & Maëlan le Goff, 2023. "Spatial Internet Spillovers in Manufacturing," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 59(8), pages 1163-1186, August.
    10. Kunling Zhang, 2021. "Economic Structural Transformation in Emerging Market Countries," Global Journal of Emerging Market Economies, Emerging Markets Forum, vol. 13(2), pages 216-238, May.
    11. David Kunst, 2019. "Deskilling among Manufacturing Production Workers," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 19-050/VI, Tinbergen Institute, revised 30 Dec 2020.
    12. David McKenzie, 2017. "Identifying and Spurring High-Growth Entrepreneurship: Experimental Evidence from a Business Plan Competition," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(8), pages 2278-2307, August.
    13. World Bank Group, 2015. "Tanzania Mainland Poverty Assessment," World Bank Publications - Reports 22021, The World Bank Group.
    14. Valeriy V. Mironov & Liudmila D. Konovalova, 2019. "Structural changes and economic growth in the world economy and Russia," Russian Journal of Economics, ARPHA Platform, vol. 5(1), pages 1-26, April.
    15. Saúl N. Keifman & Diego Herrero, 2020. "Convergencia económica e industrial entre países. ¿Qué dice la evidencia?," Asociación Argentina de Economía Política: Working Papers 4361, Asociación Argentina de Economía Política.
    16. Myovella, Godwin & Karacuka, Mehmet & Haucap, Justus, 2020. "Digitalization and economic growth: A comparative analysis of Sub-Saharan Africa and OECD economies," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(2).
    17. Adrian Wood, 2017. "Variation in structural change around the world, 1985–2015: Patterns, causes and implications," WIDER Working Paper Series 034a, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    18. Diao, Xinshen & McMillan, Margaret, 2018. "Toward an Understanding of Economic Growth in Africa: A Reinterpretation of the Lewis Model," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 511-522.
    19. Alistair Dieppe, 2021. "Global Productivity," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 34015, December.
    20. Kym Anderson & Sundar Ponnusamy, 2019. "Structural Transformation to Manufacturing and Services: What Role for Trade?," Asian Development Review, MIT Press, vol. 36(2), pages 32-71, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    TANZANIA; EAST AFRICA; AFRICA SOUTH OF SAHARA; AFRICA; ETHIOPIA; manufacturing; growth; productivity; enterprises; firms; labour productivity; labour; technology; innovation; structural transformation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2020. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/ifprius.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.