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Assessing Economic Performance among North American Manufacturing Establishments, 1870/71: Data, Methodology and Measurement Issues

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  • Kris Inwood

    () (University of Guelph)

  • Ian Keay

    () (Queen's University)

Abstract

A number of conceptually robust and empirically practical approaches are available to assess relative economic performance among producers who operate on either side of an international border. In this paper we discuss the impact that data compilation, methodological choice, and variable definitions may have on the quantitative and qualitative assessment of cross-border performance comparisons. As an illustrative example we use manuscript census data from 1870/71 to compare total factor productivity (TFP) among a sample of manufacturing establishments located along the Canada-US border. We briefly discuss issues associated with the preparation of manuscript census data for the measurement of cross-border TFP differentials and the establishment of industry selection criteria. We also review TFP measurement techniques, such as growth accounting calculations, cost and production function index number approaches, and econometric estimation. However, the central focus of the paper is an investigation of the impact that variable definitions have on our assessment of TFP performance. In particular, we probe the relationship between the size of cross-border TFP differentials and the reliance on a variety of common definitions for labour, capital, output, input weights, and prices.

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File URL: http://qed.econ.queensu.ca/working_papers/papers/qed_wp_1030.pdf
File Function: First version 2006
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Bibliographic Info

Paper provided by Queen's University, Department of Economics in its series Working Papers with number 1030.

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Length: 40 pages
Date of creation: Feb 2006
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:qed:wpaper:1030

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Keywords: Productivity Measurement; International Performance Comparisons; North American Industrialization;

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  1. Diewert, W. E., 1976. "Exact and superlative index numbers," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 4(2), pages 115-145, May.
  2. Goldin, Claudia & Sokoloff, Kenneth, 1982. "Women, Children, and Industrialization in the Early Republic: Evidence from the Manufacturing Censuses," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 42(04), pages 741-774, December.
  3. Caves, Douglas W & Christensen, Laurits R, 1980. "The Relative Efficiency of Public and Private Firms in a Competitive Environment: The Case of Canadian Railroads," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 88(5), pages 958-76, October.
  4. Sokoloff, Kenneth & Goldin, Claudia, 1982. "Women, Children, and Industrialization in the Early Republic: Evidence from the Manufacturing Censuses," Scholarly Articles 2664292, Harvard University Department of Economics.
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Cited by:
  1. Michael N.A. Hinton, 2012. "Infant Industry Protection and the Growth of Canada's Cotton Mills: A Test of the Chang Hypothesis," Working Paper Series 55_12, The Rimini Centre for Economic Analysis.
  2. Michael Hinton, 2011. "Was Canadian Manufacturing Inefficient before WWI? The Case of the Cotton Textile Industry, 1870-1910," Working Paper Series 44_11, The Rimini Centre for Economic Analysis.

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