IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ags/hwwadp/26250.html

Unobserved Firm Heterogeneity and the Size - Exports Nexus: Evidence from German Panel Data

Author

Listed:
  • Wagner, Joachim

Abstract

This paper starts from the stylized fact that firm size and exporting tends to be positively related. Using large sets of establishment panel data for three different industries from official statistics evidence is presented that the familiar picture of an export/sales ratio that ceteris paribus increases (at a decreasing rate) with firm size vanishes if unobserved firm heterogeneity is controlled for in a fixed effects fractional logit regression model. This finding is well in line with the fact that many small firms are "hidden export champions". Das Papier geht von dem stilisierten Faktum aus, dass Unternehmensgröße und Exportorientierung positiv miteinander zusammenhängen. Auf der Grundlage eines umfangreichen Betriebsdatensatzes der amtlichen Statistik für drei Zweige des Verarbeitenden Gewerbes wird dieser Zusammenhang in einem fraktionalen logit Regressionsmodell mit fixed effects näher untersucht. Dabei verschwindet das gewohnte Bild einer degressiv mit der Betriebsgröße steigenden Exportquote, wenn die unbeobachtete Heterogenität der Betriebe kontrolliert wird. Dies Ergebnis stimmt gut mit der Tatsache überein, dass viele kleinere Firmen als "hidden export champions" anzusehen sind.

Suggested Citation

  • Wagner, Joachim, 2002. "Unobserved Firm Heterogeneity and the Size - Exports Nexus: Evidence from German Panel Data," Discussion Paper Series 26250, Hamburg Institute of International Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:hwwadp:26250
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.26250
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/26250/files/dp020194.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22004/ag.econ.26250?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
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alessandro Sterlacchini, 2001. "The determinants of export performance: A firm-level study of Italian manufacturing," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 137(3), pages 450-472, September.
    2. Andrew Bernard & Joachim Wagner, 1997. "Exports and success in German manufacturing," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 133(1), pages 134-157, March.
    3. Caves, Richard E., 1989. "International differences in industrial organization," Handbook of Industrial Organization, in: R. Schmalensee & R. Willig (ed.), Handbook of Industrial Organization, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 21, pages 1225-1250, Elsevier.
    4. Joseph Hilbe, 1993. "Generalized linear models," Stata Technical Bulletin, StataCorp LLC, vol. 2(11).
    5. R. Schmalensee & R. Willig (ed.), 1989. "Handbook of Industrial Organization," Handbook of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, edition 1, volume 1, number 1.
    6. Hirsch, Seev & Adar, Zvi, 1974. "Firm size and export performance," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 2(7), pages 41-46, July.
    7. Alan S. Blinder, 1990. "Learning by Asking Those Who Are Doing," Eastern Economic Journal, Eastern Economic Association, vol. 16(4), pages 297-306, Oct-Dec.
    8. Papke, Leslie E & Wooldridge, Jeffrey M, 1996. "Econometric Methods for Fractional Response Variables with an Application to 401(K) Plan Participation Rates," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 11(6), pages 619-632, Nov.-Dec..
    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. Davide Castellani, 2002. "Export behavior and productivity growth: Evidence from Italian manufacturing firms," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 138(4), pages 605-628, December.
    2. Matteo Bugamelli & Luigi Infante, 2003. "Sunk Costs of Exports," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 469, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    3. Hanh Vu Thi, 2015. "Essays on the Export Performance of Vietnam/Essais sur la Performance à l'Exportation du Vietnam," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/216765, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    4. Ousmanou Njikam, 2017. "Export market destination and performance: Firm-level evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of African Trade, Springer, vol. 4(1), pages 1-19, March.
    5. Joachim Wagner, 2009. "Exporte und Firmenerfolg: Welche Firmen profitieren wie vom internationalen Handel?," AStA Wirtschafts- und Sozialstatistisches Archiv, Springer;Deutsche Statistische Gesellschaft - German Statistical Society, vol. 3(2), pages 109-122, October.
    6. Helmut Fryges & Joachim Wagner, 2021. "Exports and Productivity Growth — First Evidence from a Continuous Treatment Approach," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Joachim Wagner (ed.), MICROECONOMETRIC STUDIES OF FIRMS’ IMPORTS AND EXPORTS Advanced Methods of Analysis and Evidence from German Enterprises, chapter 6, pages 57-86, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    7. Wagner, Joachim, 2006. "International Firm Activities and Innovation: Evidence from Knowledge Production Functions for German Firms," HWWA Discussion Papers 344, Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWA).
    8. Helmut Fryges & Joachim Wagner, 2016. "Exports and Profitability — First Evidence for German Manufacturing Firms," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Microeconometrics of International Trade, chapter 7, pages 245-277, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    9. Francesco Serti & Chiara Tomasi, 2008. "Self-Selection and Post-Entry Effects of Exports: Evidence from Italian Manufacturing Firms," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 144(4), pages 660-694, December.
    10. R Harris & Q Li, "undated". "Exporting, R&D and Absorptive Capacity in UK Establishments: Evidence from the 2001 Community Innovation Survey," Working Papers 2006_19, Business School - Economics, University of Glasgow.
    11. Joachim Wagner, 2016. "From Estimation Results to Stylized Facts: Twelve Recommendations for Empirical Research in International Activities of Heterogeneous Firms," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Microeconometrics of International Trade, chapter 15, pages 479-514, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    12. Magnus Lodefalk, 2014. "The role of services for manufacturing firm exports," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 150(1), pages 59-82, February.
    13. Stephan Brunow & Luise Pestel & Mark Partridge, 2019. "Exports of firms and diversity: an empirical assessment for Germany," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 46(1), pages 151-175, February.
    14. Antonietti,Roberto & Marzucchi,Alberto, 2013. "Green investment strategies and export performance: A firm-level investigation," INGENIO (CSIC-UPV) Working Paper Series 201302, INGENIO (CSIC-UPV).
    15. Andrzej Cieślik & Łukasz Goczek, 2015. "Corruption and Export Performance in Post-communist Countries: Evidence from Firm-level Data," Ekonomia journal, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw, vol. 42.
    16. Christmann, Petra & Day, Diana & Yip, George S., 1999. "The relative influence of country conditions, industry structure, and business strategy on multinational corporation subsidiary performance," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 5(4), pages 241-265.
    17. Nishimura, Kiyohiko G. & Ohkusa, Yasushi & Ariga, Kenn, 1999. "Estimating the mark-up over marginal cost: a panel analysis of Japanese firms 1971-1994," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 17(8), pages 1077-1111, November.
    18. Zsolt Becsi & Ping Wang & Mark A. Wynne, 1998. "Endogenous market structures and financial development," FRB Atlanta Working Paper 98-15, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
    19. Alvaro CUERVO-CAZURRA & Luis Alfonso DAU, 2008. "Structural Reform And Firm Profitability In Developing Countries," William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series wp940, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.
    20. Stephan Brunow & Luise Grünwald, 2014. "Exports, agglomeration and workforce diversity: An empirical assessment of German establishments," Norface Discussion Paper Series 2014008, Norface Research Programme on Migration, Department of Economics, University College London.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;

    JEL classification:

    • F10 - International Economics - - Trade - - - General
    • L60 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - General
    • D21 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Theory

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:ags:hwwadp:26250. 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: AgEcon Search (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/hwwaade.html .

    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.