IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eso/journl/v47y2016i2p213-245.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Analysing the Drivers of Services Firm Performance: Evidence for Ireland

Author

Listed:
  • Olubunmi Ipinnaiye

    (University of Limerick, Ireland)

  • Declan Dineen

    (University of Limerick, Ireland)

  • Helena Lenihan

    (University of Limerick, Ireland)

Abstract

We examine drivers of firm performance using a holistic multivariate model which relates services firm growth to firm-characteristic, firm strategy and macroeconomic variables. Using data for 905 services firms in Ireland over the period 2001-2007, we employ System Generalised Method of Moments estimations and multiple firm performance measures to address the possible endogeneity and multidimensionality of firm-level performance. This paper provides empirical evidence on the factors determining services firm performance and the channels through which this occurs. Results confirm the importance of macroeconomic conditions for firm performance. We also find that small services firms in Ireland grew quicker during this period.

Suggested Citation

  • Olubunmi Ipinnaiye & Declan Dineen & Helena Lenihan, 2016. "Analysing the Drivers of Services Firm Performance: Evidence for Ireland," The Economic and Social Review, Economic and Social Studies, vol. 47(2), pages 213-245.
  • Handle: RePEc:eso:journl:v:47:y:2016:i:2:p:213-245
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.esr.ie/article/view/569/138
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Helena Lenihan & Bernadette Andreosso-O’Callaghan & Mark Hart, 2010. "SMEs in a Globalised World: Conceptual Issues," Chapters, in: Helena Lenihan & Bernadette Andreosso-O’Callaghan & Mark Hart (ed.), SMEs in a Globalised World, chapter 1, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    2. Audretsch, David B., 1995. "Innovation, growth and survival," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 13(4), pages 441-457, December.
    3. Davide Castellani & Francesco Serti & Chiara Tomasi, 2010. "Firms in International Trade: Importers’ and Exporters’ Heterogeneity in Italian Manufacturing Industry," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(3), pages 424-457, March.
    4. David Roodman, 2009. "How to do xtabond2: An introduction to difference and system GMM in Stata," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 9(1), pages 86-136, March.
    5. Evans, David S, 1987. "The Relationship between Firm Growth, Size, and Age: Estimates for 100 Manufacturing Industries," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(4), pages 567-581, June.
    6. John Sutton, 1997. "Gibrat's Legacy," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 35(1), pages 40-59, March.
    7. Sven-Olov Daunfeldt & Niklas Elert, 2013. "When is Gibrat’s law a law?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 41(1), pages 133-147, June.
    8. Kim P. Huynh & Robert J. Petrunia & Marcel Voia, 2010. "The Impact Of Initial Financial State On Firm Duration Across Entry Cohorts," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(3), pages 661-689, September.
    9. Jeffrey M Wooldridge, 2010. "Econometric Analysis of Cross Section and Panel Data," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 2, volume 1, number 0262232588, December.
    10. Mariana Mazzucato & Stuart Parris, 2015. "High-growth firms in changing competitive environments: the US pharmaceutical industry (1963 to 2002)," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 44(1), pages 145-170, January.
    11. Martina Lawless, 2014. "Age or size? Contributions to job creation," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 42(4), pages 815-830, April.
    12. Eric Bartelsman & John Haltiwanger & Stefano Scarpetta, 2009. "Measuring and Analyzing Cross-country Differences in Firm Dynamics," NBER Chapters, in: Producer Dynamics: New Evidence from Micro Data, pages 15-76, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    13. Caglayan, Mustafa & Demir, Firat, 2014. "Firm Productivity, Exchange Rate Movements, Sources of Finance, and Export Orientation," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 204-219.
    14. Mercedes Teruel-Carrizosa, 2010. "Gibrat’s law and the learning process," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 34(4), pages 355-373, May.
    15. Alex Bryson & Satu Nurmi, 2011. "Private sector employment growth, 1998--2004: a panel analysis of British workplaces," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 35(1), pages 85-104.
    16. Erik Stam, 2010. "Growth beyond Gibrat: firm growth processes and strategies," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 35(2), pages 129-135, September.
    17. Thorsten Beck & Asli Demirgüç‐Kunt & Vojislav Maksimovic, 2005. "Financial and Legal Constraints to Growth: Does Firm Size Matter?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 60(1), pages 137-177, February.
    18. Jovanovic, Boyan, 1982. "Selection and the Evolution of Industry," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 50(3), pages 649-670, May.
    19. Stefanie A. Haller, 2012. "Intra-firm trade, exporting, importing, and firm performance," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 45(4), pages 1397-1430, November.
    20. Gil, Pedro Mazeda, 2010. "Stylised facts and other empirical evidence on firm dynamics, business cycle and growth," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(2), pages 73-80, June.
    21. Alexander Vogel & Joachim Wagner, 2016. "Higher Productivity in Importing German Manufacturing Firms: Self-selection, Learning from Importing or Both?," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Microeconometrics of International Trade, chapter 4, pages 139-174, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    22. World Bank, 2012. "World Development Indicators 2012," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 6014, December.
    23. Girma, Sourafel & Görg, Holger & Strobl, Eric & Walsh, Frank, 2008. "Creating jobs through public subsidies: An empirical analysis," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(6), pages 1179-1199, December.
    24. Richard E. Caves, 1998. "Industrial Organization and New Findings on the Turnover and Mobility of Firms," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 36(4), pages 1947-1982, December.
    25. Seamus Grimes, 2006. "Ireland's Emergence as a Centre for Internationally Traded Services," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(9), pages 1041-1054.
    26. Werner Hölzl, 2014. "Persistence, survival, and growth: a closer look at 20 years of fast-growing firms in Austria," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 23(1), pages 199-231, February.
    27. Sean Holly & Ivan Petrella & Emiliano Santoro, 2013. "Aggregate fluctuations and the cross-sectional dynamics of firm growth," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 176(2), pages 459-479, February.
    28. Harald Oberhofer, 2012. "Firm Growth, European Industry Dynamics and Domestic Business Cycles," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 59(3), pages 316-337, July.
    29. Paulo Nunes & Zélia Serrasqueiro & João Leitão, 2013. "Assessing the nonlinear nature of the effects of R&D intensity on growth of SMEs: a dynamic panel data approach," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 97-128, January.
    30. David Bailey & Helena Lenihan, 2015. "A Critical Reflection on Irish Industrial Policy: A Strategic Choice Approach," International Journal of the Economics of Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(1), pages 47-71, February.
    31. Goedhuys, Micheline, 2007. "The impact of innovation activities on productivity and firm growth: evidence from Brazil," MERIT Working Papers 2007-002, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    32. Georgios Fotopoulos & Ioannis Giotopoulos, 2010. "Gibrat’s law and persistence of growth in Greek manufacturing," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 35(2), pages 191-202, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Olubunmi Ipinnaiye & Declan Dineen & Helena Lenihan, 2017. "Drivers of SME performance: a holistic and multivariate approach," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 48(4), pages 883-911, April.
    2. Doina I. POPESCU & Sebastian - Ion CEPTUREANU & Eduard - Gabriel CEPTUREANU, 2017. "PECULIARITIES OF STRATEGY IN SMEs," Proceedings of the INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 11(1), pages 617-632, November.
    3. Canarella, Giorgio & Miller, Stephen M., 2018. "The determinants of growth in the U.S. information and communication technology (ICT) industry: A firm-level analysis," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 259-271.
    4. Aili Tang, 2015. "Does Gibrat’s law hold for Swedish energy firms?," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 49(2), pages 659-674, September.
    5. Alex Coad & Werner Hölzl, 2012. "Firm Growth: Empirical Analysis," Chapters, in: Michael Dietrich & Jackie Krafft (ed.), Handbook on the Economics and Theory of the Firm, chapter 24, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    6. Gavin Reid & Zhibin Xu, 2012. "Generalising Gibrat: using Chinese evidence founded on fieldwork," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 39(4), pages 1017-1028, November.
    7. Coad, Alex & Segarra, Agustí & Teruel, Mercedes, 2013. "Like milk or wine: Does firm performance improve with age?," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 173-189.
    8. Sven-Olov Daunfeldt & Niklas Elert, 2013. "When is Gibrat’s law a law?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 41(1), pages 133-147, June.
    9. Alex Coad & Sven-Olov Daunfeldt & Daniel Halvarsson, 2018. "Bursting into life: firm growth and growth persistence by age," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 50(1), pages 55-75, January.
    10. Dirk Burghardt & Marco Helm, 2015. "Firm growth in the course of mergers and acquisitions," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 44(4), pages 889-904, April.
    11. Geurts, Karen & Van Biesebroeck, Johannes, 2016. "Firm creation and post-entry dynamics of de novo entrants," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 59-104.
    12. Guidi, Francesco & Solomon, Edna & Trushin, Eshref & Ugur, Mehmet, 2015. "Inverted-U relationship between innovation and survival: Evidence from firm-level UK data," EconStor Preprints 110896, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    13. Blonigen, Bruce A. & Tomlin, KaSaundra, 2001. "Size and growth of Japanese plants in the United States," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 19(6), pages 931-952, May.
    14. Daria Ciriaci & Pietro Moncada-Paternò-Castello & Peter Voigt, 2016. "Innovation and job creation: a sustainable relation?," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 6(2), pages 189-213, August.
    15. Juan Federico & Joan-Lluis Capelleras, 2015. "The heterogeneous dynamics between growth and profits: the case of young firms," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 44(2), pages 231-253, February.
    16. Marko Peric & Vanja Vitezic, 2016. "Impact of global economic crisis on firm growth," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 46(1), pages 1-12, January.
    17. Kim, Jungho & Lee, Chang-Yang, 2016. "Technological regimes and firm survival," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(1), pages 232-243.
    18. Christos Axioglou & Nicos Christodoulakis, 2021. "Which firms survive in a crisis? Investigating Gibrat’s Law in Greece 2001–2014," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 48(2), pages 159-217, June.
    19. Nuno Silva & Pedro Dias Moreira, 2023. "On the forecasting power of corporate sales growth determinants," Economic Bulletin and Financial Stability Report Articles and Banco de Portugal Economic Studies, Banco de Portugal, Economics and Research Department.
    20. Marco Vivarelli, 2013. "Is entrepreneurship necessarily good? Microeconomic evidence from developed and developing countries," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 22(6), pages 1453-1495, December.

    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:eso:journl:v:47:y:2016:i:2:p:213-245. 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: Aedin Doris (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.esr.ie .

    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.