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The Land that Lean Manufacturing Forgot? Management Practices in Transition Countries

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  • Nicholas Bloom
  • Helena Schweiger
  • John Van Reenen

Abstract

We have conducted the first survey on management practices in transition countries. We found that Central Asian transition countries, such as Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, have on average very poor management practices. Their average scores are below emerging countries such as Brazil, China and India. In contrast, the central European transition countries such as Poland and Lithuania operate with management practices that are only moderately worse than those of western European countries such as Germany. Since we find these practices are strongly linked to firm performance, this suggests poor management practices may be impeding the development of Central Asian transition countries. We find that competition, multinational ownership, private ownership and human capital are all strongly correlated with better management. This implies that the continued opening of markets to domestic and foreign competition, privatisation of state-owned firms and increased levels of workforce education should promote better management, and ultimately faster economic growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicholas Bloom & Helena Schweiger & John Van Reenen, 2011. "The Land that Lean Manufacturing Forgot? Management Practices in Transition Countries," CEP Discussion Papers dp1065, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
  • Handle: RePEc:cep:cepdps:dp1065
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Nicholas Bloom & John Van Reenen, 2007. "Measuring and Explaining Management Practices Across Firms and Countries," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 122(4), pages 1351-1408.
    2. Yuko Kinoshita & Nauro F. Campos, 2003. "Why Does Fdi Go Where it Goes? New Evidence From the Transition Economies," IMF Working Papers 2003/228, International Monetary Fund.
    3. Chad Syverson, 2011. "What Determines Productivity?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 49(2), pages 326-365, June.
    4. Nicholas Bloom & Benn Eifert & Aprajit Mahajan & David McKenzie & John Roberts, 2013. "Does Management Matter? Evidence from India," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 128(1), pages 1-51.
    5. Saul Estrin & Jan Hanousek & Evzen Kocenda & Jan Svejnar, 2009. "The Effects of Privatization and Ownership in Transition Economies," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 47(3), pages 699-728, September.
    6. Olley, G Steven & Pakes, Ariel, 1996. "The Dynamics of Productivity in the Telecommunications Equipment Industry," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 64(6), pages 1263-1297, November.
    7. Wolfgang Steffen & Johannes Stephan, 2008. "The Role of Human Capital and Managerial Skills in Explaining Productivity Gaps Between East and West," Eastern European Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(6), pages 5-24, November.
    8. Nicholas Bloom & Raffaella Sadun & John Van Reenen, 2012. "Americans Do IT Better: US Multinationals and the Productivity Miracle," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 102(1), pages 167-201, February.
    9. Nicholas Bloom & Christos Genakos & Raffaella Sadun & John Van Reenen, 2011. "Management Practices Across Firms and Countries," CEP Discussion Papers dp1109, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    10. Nicholas Bloom & John Van Reenen, 2010. "Why Do Management Practices Differ across Firms and Countries?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 24(1), pages 203-224, Winter.
    11. Valentin Zelenyuk & Vitaliy Zheka, 2006. "Corporate Governance and Firm’s Efficiency: The Case of a Transitional Country, Ukraine," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 25(1), pages 143-157, April.
    12. Ksenia Yudaeva & Kozlov Konstantin & Natalia Melentieva & Natalia Ponomareva, 2000. "Does Foreign Ownership Matter? Russian Experience," Working Papers w0005, New Economic School (NES).
    13. Timothy F. Bresnahan & Erik Brynjolfsson & Lorin M. Hitt, 2002. "Information Technology, Workplace Organization, and the Demand for Skilled Labor: Firm-Level Evidence," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 117(1), pages 339-376.
    14. J. David Brown & John S. Earle & Almos Telegdy, 2006. "The Productivity Effects of Privatization: Longitudinal Estimates from Hungary, Romania, Russia, and Ukraine," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 114(1), pages 61-99, February.
    15. Ksenia Yudaeva & Konstantin Kozlov & Natalia Melentieva & Natalia Ponomareva, 2003. "Does foreign ownership matter?," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 11(3), pages 383-409, September.
    16. Philippe Aghion & Heike Harmgart & Natalia Weisshaar, 2011. "Fostering Growth in CEE Countries: A Country-tailored Approach to Growth Policy," Chapters, in: Slavo Radosevic & Anna Kaderabkova (ed.), Challenges for European Innovation Policy, chapter 3, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    17. J. David Brown & John S. Earle & Almos Telegdy, "undated". "The Productivity Effects of Privatization: Longitudnal Estimates for Hungary, romania, Russia, and Ukraine," Upjohn Working Papers jse20063, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
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    Cited by:

    1. Van Reenen, John & Bloom, Nicholas & Brynjolfsson, Erik & Saporta-Eksten, Itay & Foster, Lucia & Patnaik, Megha & Jarmin, Ron, 2014. "IT and Management in America," CEPR Discussion Papers 9886, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Nicholas Bloom & Christos Genakos & Raffaella Sadun & John Van Reenen, 2011. "Management Practices Across Firms and Countries," CEP Discussion Papers dp1109, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    3. Aktoty Aitzhanova & Shigeo Katsu & Johannes F. Linn & Vladislav Yezhov (ed.), 2014. "Kazakhstan 2050: Toward a Modern Society for All," Books, Emerging Markets Forum, edition 1, number kazakh2050, May.
    4. Kushlin, Valery Ivanovich (Кушлин, Валерий Иванович) & Ustenko, V.S. (Устенко, В.С.), 2016. "Analysis of International Experience of Intensification of Scientific and Innovative Activity in the Modern Unstable Conditions [Анализ Международного Опыта Активизации Научно-Инновационной Деятель," Working Papers 2832, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.
    5. Martijn Boermans & Hein Roelfsema, 2015. "The Effects of Internationalization on Innovation: Firm-Level Evidence for Transition Economies," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 26(2), pages 333-350, April.
    6. Aleksandra Skorupinska & Joan Torrent Sellens, 2014. "Drivers of manufacturing firm's productivity in Germany and Poland: evidence from survey data," Review of Applied Socio-Economic Research, Pro Global Science Association, vol. 7(1), pages 117-124, June.
    7. Bernd Ebersberger & Nils Mevenkamp, 2016. "Open Innovation in Eastern Europe and Central Asia," Journal of Business Administration Research, Journal of Business Administration Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 5(2), pages 8-19, October.
    8. Shahid Yusuf, 2015. "Knowledge-based Economic Growth in Kazakhstan," Global Journal of Emerging Market Economies, Emerging Markets Forum, vol. 7(3), pages 257-286, September.
    9. Helena Schweiger & Guido Friebel, 2013. "Management Quality, Ownership, Firm Performance and Market Pressure in Russia," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 763-788, September.
    10. Guido Friebel & Helena Schweiger, 2012. "Management quality, firm performance and market pressure in Russia," Working Papers 144, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Office of the Chief Economist.
    11. Nicholas Bloom & Erik Brynjolfsson & Lucia Foster & Ron Jarmin & Itay Saporta-Eksten & John Van Reenen, 2013. "Management in America," Working Papers 13-01, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    management; firm performance; transition economies;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L2 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior
    • M2 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Economics
    • P21 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - Planning, Coordination, and Reform

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