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Distortions and the size distribution of plants: evidence from cross-country data

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Abstract

We study the relationship between economic distortions and the size distribution of plants using comparable plant-level data across 104 developing countries. Our main result is to show that, other things equal, countries with larger economic distortions allocate more labor to small unproductive units. By decomposing the business environment into different type of distortions, we find that poor access to financial credit is the one driving our results. We also show that there exists a significant cross-country relationship between the size distribution and aggregate productivity. These results are consistent with a large recent literature on misallocation of resources across firms. Copyright The Author(s) 2015

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  • Manuel García-Santana & Roberto Ramos, 2015. "Distortions and the size distribution of plants: evidence from cross-country data," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 6(3), pages 279-312, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:series:v:6:y:2015:i:3:p:279-312
    DOI: 10.1007/s13209-015-0129-y
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    Cited by:

    1. Pedro Gomes & Zoe Kuehn, 2017. "Human capital and the size distribution of firms," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 26, pages 164-179, October.
    2. Tamkoc,Mehmet Nazim, 2022. "Bribery, Plant Size and Size Dependent Distortions," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10159, The World Bank.
    3. Jan Hagemejer & Joanna Tyrowicz, 2021. "Structural change and misallocation: Firm‐level evidence from Poland," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(1), pages 95-122, January.
    4. Nezih Guner & Andrii Parkhomenko & Gustavo Ventura, 2017. "Managers and Productivity Differences," Working Papers wp2018_1710, CEMFI.
    5. Silvia Giacomelli & Carlo Menon, 2017. "Does weak contract enforcement affect firm size? Evidence from the neighbour’s court," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 17(6), pages 1251-1282.
    6. Amaia Iza, 2020. "Entrepreneurial Skills, Technological Progress, and Firm Growth," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 122(4), pages 1374-1402, October.
    7. Amaia Iza, 2016. "Entrepreneurial skills, technological progress and firm growth," EcoMod2016 9469, EcoMod.
    8. Julieta Caunedo & Emircan Yurdagul, 2019. "Who Quits Next? Firm Growth In Growing Economies," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 57(1), pages 33-49, January.
    9. Decarolis, Francesco & Mattera, Gianpiero & Menon, Carlo, 2020. "Delays at the Border: Court Efficiency and Delays in Public Contracts," CEPR Discussion Papers 14856, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    10. Nezih Guner & Andrii Parkhomenko & Gustavo Ventura, 2018. "Managers and Productivity Differences," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 29, pages 256-282, July.
    11. Roman Fossati & Heiko Rachinger & Matheus Stivali, 2021. "Extent and potential determinants of resource misallocation: A cross‐sectional study for developing countries," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(5), pages 1338-1379, May.
    12. Felipe Saffie & Sina Ates, 2016. "Project Heterogeneity and Growth: The Impact of Financial Selection on Firm Entry," 2016 Meeting Papers 1486, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    13. Lopez-Martin, Bernabe & Perez-Reyna, David, 2021. "Contracts, firm dynamics, and aggregate productivity," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    14. Hernández Martínez, Pedro Jesús, 2016. "Reassessing the link between firm size and exports," Economics Discussion Papers 2016-25, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    15. repec:udc:esteco:v:44:y:2017:i:2:p:31-46 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Kodila-Tedika, Oasis & Ngunza Maniata, Kevin, 2018. "Financial Constraints and Poverty," MPRA Paper 84839, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Pedro Gomes & Zoe Kuehn, 2017. "Human capital and the size distribution of firms," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 26, pages 164-179, October.
    18. Markus Poschke, 2018. "The Firm Size Distribution across Countries and Skill-Biased Change in Entrepreneurial Technology," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 10(3), pages 1-41, July.
    19. Manuel García-Santana, 2013. "Foreign Firms, Distribution of Income, and the Welfare of Developing Countries," 2013 Meeting Papers 1044, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    20. Mallick, Debdulal & Maqsood, Nabeel, 2022. "Capital-labor substitution and misallocation," MPRA Paper 115090, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    TFP; Plant size distribution; Economic distortions; L11; L53; O47;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • L53 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Enterprise Policy
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence

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