IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/globus/v14y2013i3p429-451.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Globalization, Policy Reforms and Productivity Growth in Developing Countries: Evidence from Sri Lanka

Author

Listed:
  • Yapa M.W.Y. Bandara

    (Yapa M.W.Y. Bandara is Lecturer in Economics, School of Accounting and Finance, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, Australia. E-mail: ybandara@csu.edu.au)

  • Neil D. Karunaratne

    (Neil D. Karunaratne is Associate Professor, School of Economics, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. E-mail: nkarunaratne@uq.edu.au)

Abstract

Sri Lanka’s economic policy strategies radically moved away from inward-looking import-substituting industrialization to outward-looking export-oriented industrialization (EOI) in 1977. The EOI strategy was implemented through a broad agenda of reforms including trade liberalization, privatization of state owned enterprises and financial deregulation. These reforms had a profound impact on productivity in the export oriented production sector (primarily manufacturing) and laid the foundation for rapid growth and structural change. This study empirically analyzes the impact of policy reforms on the total factor productivity (TFP) of manufacturing industries in Sri Lanka. A balanced panel data set of all 27 manufacturing industries over 21 years is used. The industry heterogeneity effects are taken into account through the validation of a fixed effects model. The empirical results confirm, in general, that post 1977 pursuit of the EOI strategy has resulted in TFP growth. However, in an uncertain investment and economic climate due to the ethnic conflict that has engulfed Sri Lanka, TFP growth has reversed dramatically since 1994. The findings reinforce the view that in order to increase productivity and growth in developing countries in this era of Globalization the pursuit of open economy policies alone is insufficient. Fostering of a stable political environment is also necessary.

Suggested Citation

  • Yapa M.W.Y. Bandara & Neil D. Karunaratne, 2013. "Globalization, Policy Reforms and Productivity Growth in Developing Countries: Evidence from Sri Lanka," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 14(3), pages 429-451, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:globus:v:14:y:2013:i:3:p:429-451
    DOI: 10.1177/0972150913496810
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0972150913496810
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/0972150913496810?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Krugman, Paul R, 1987. "Is Free Trade Passe?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 1(2), pages 131-144, Fall.
    2. Gene M. Grossman & Elhanan Helpman, 1994. "Endogenous Innovation in the Theory of Growth," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 8(1), pages 23-44, Winter.
    3. Kishor Sharma & Sisira Jayasuriya & Edward Oczkowski, 2000. "Liberalization and Productivity Growth: The Case of Manufacturing Industry in Nepal," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(2), pages 205-222.
    4. Satish Chand & Kunal Sen, 2002. "Trade Liberalization and Productivity Growth: Evidence from Indian Manufacturing," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 6(1), pages 120-132, February.
    5. repec:ilo:ilowps:336632 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Harrison, Ann, 1996. "Openness and growth: A time-series, cross-country analysis for developing countries," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(2), pages 419-447, March.
    7. Tybout, James R, 1992. "Linking Trade and Productivity: New Research Directions," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 6(2), pages 189-211, May.
    8. Dani Rodrik, 1992. "The Limits of Trade Policy Reform in Developing Countries," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 6(1), pages 87-105, Winter.
    9. Newey, Whitney & West, Kenneth, 2014. "A simple, positive semi-definite, heteroscedasticity and autocorrelation consistent covariance matrix," Applied Econometrics, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), vol. 33(1), pages 125-132.
    10. Pedro Cavalcanti Ferreira & JosÈ Luiz Rossi, 2003. "New Evidence from Brazil on Trade Liberalization and Productivity Growth," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 44(4), pages 1383-1405, November.
    11. Sonali Deraniyagala, 2001. "The Impact of Technology Accumulation on Technical Efficiency: An Analysis of the Sri Lankan Clothing and Agricultural Machinery Industries," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(1), pages 101-114.
    12. Havrylyshyn, Oli, 1990. "Trade Policy and Productivity Gains in Developing Countries: A Survey of the Literature," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 5(1), pages 1-24, January.
    13. Edwards, Sebastian, 1998. "Openness, Productivity and Growth: What Do We Really Know?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 108(447), pages 383-398, March.
    14. Prema-Chandra Athukorala, 2007. "Outward-Oriented Policy Reforms And Industrialisation In Sri Lanka," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 26(4), pages 372-391, December.
    15. Nishimizu, Mieko & Robinson, Sherman, 1984. "Trade policies and productivity change in semi-industrialized countries," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 16(1-2), pages 177-206.
    16. Krueger, Anne O, 1997. "Trade Policy and Economic Development: How We Learn," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 87(1), pages 1-22, March.
    17. Greenaway, David & Morgan, Wyn & Wright, Peter, 2002. "Trade liberalisation and growth in developing countries," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(1), pages 229-244, February.
    18. Harrison, Ann E., 1994. "Productivity, imperfect competition and trade reform : Theory and evidence," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(1-2), pages 53-73, February.
    19. Rodrik, Rani, 1995. "Trade and industrial policy reform," Handbook of Development Economics, in: Hollis Chenery & T.N. Srinivasan (ed.), Handbook of Development Economics, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 45, pages 2925-2982, Elsevier.
    20. Lucas, Robert Jr., 1988. "On the mechanics of economic development," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 3-42, July.
    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. Deb Kusum Das, 2007. "Trade Liberalization and Industrial Productivity: An Assessment of Developing Country Experiences," Working Papers id:1009, eSocialSciences.
    2. Fernandes, Ana M., 2007. "Trade policy, trade volumes and plant-level productivity in Colombian manufacturing industries," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(1), pages 52-71, March.
    3. María Soledad Feal Zubimendi, 2008. "Crecimiento económico y apertura comercial: análisis de la influencia de los canales," Estudios Economicos, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Departamento de Economia, vol. 25(50), pages 37-73, January-j.
    4. Tarlok Singh, 2010. "Does International Trade Cause Economic Growth? A Survey," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(11), pages 1517-1564, November.
    5. Harrison, Ann E. & Rodriguez-Clare, Andres, 2009. "Trade, Foreign Investment, and Industrial Policy," MPRA Paper 15561, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Ferreira, Pedro Cavalcanti & Trejos, Alberto, 2001. "On the long run effects of barriers to trade," FGV EPGE Economics Working Papers (Ensaios Economicos da EPGE) 436, EPGE Brazilian School of Economics and Finance - FGV EPGE (Brazil).
    7. Niclas Berggren & Henrik Jordahl, 2005. "Does free trade really reduce growth? Further testing using the economic freedom index," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 122(1), pages 99-114, January.
    8. Edward Oczkowski & Kishor Sharma, 2001. "Imperfect Competition, Returns To Scale and Productivity Growth In Australian Manufacturing: A Smooth Transition Approach To Trade Liberalisation," International Economic Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(2), pages 99-113, June.
    9. Francis Teal & Måns Söderbom, 2003. "Openness and Human Capital as Sources of Productivity Growth: An Empirical Investigation," Economics Series Working Papers WPS/2003-06, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    10. Jayanthakumaran, Kankesu, 2002. "The Impact of Trade Liberalisation on Manufacturing Sector Performance in Developing Countries: A Survey of the Literature," Economics Working Papers wp02-07, School of Economics, University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
    11. Anthony Enisan Akinlo, 2005. "Impact of Macroeconomic Factors on Total Factor Productivity in Sub-Saharan African Countries," WIDER Working Paper Series RP2005-39, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    12. Renuka Mahadevan, 2002. "Trade liberalization and productivity growth in Australian manufacturing industries," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 30(2), pages 170-185, June.
    13. Måns Söderbom & Francis Teal, 2003. "Openness and human capital as sources of productivity growth: An empirical investigation," CSAE Working Paper Series 2003-06, Centre for the Study of African Economies, University of Oxford.
    14. Saon Ray, 2014. "What Explains the Productivity Decline in Manufacturing in the Nineties in India?," Working Papers id:6280, eSocialSciences.
    15. Leonid Azarnert, 2014. "Agricultural Exports, Tariffs and Growth," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 25(4), pages 797-807, September.
    16. Alali, Walid Y., 2009. "Economic Performance and Institutions: Measuring Technical Efficiency Using SPF Approach," MPRA Paper 114336, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Aug 2009.
    17. Harrison, Ann & Rodríguez-Clare, Andrés, 2010. "Trade, Foreign Investment, and Industrial Policy for Developing Countries," Handbook of Development Economics, in: Dani Rodrik & Mark Rosenzweig (ed.), Handbook of Development Economics, edition 1, volume 5, chapter 0, pages 4039-4214, Elsevier.
    18. Alali, Walid Y., 2010. "Cross Countries Economic Performances - SPF Approach," EconStor Preprints 269923, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    19. Satish Chand & Kunal Sen, 2002. "Trade Liberalization and Productivity Growth: Evidence from Indian Manufacturing," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 6(1), pages 120-132, February.
    20. L. ALAN WINTERS & NEIL McCULLOCH & ANDREW McKAY, 2015. "Trade Liberalization and Poverty: The Evidence So Far," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Non-Tariff Barriers, Regionalism and Poverty Essays in Applied International Trade Analysis, chapter 14, pages 271-314, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..

    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:sae:globus:v:14:y:2013:i:3:p:429-451. 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: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.imi.edu/ .

    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.