IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/unu/wpaper/wp-2017-72.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The missing middle: Growing and strengthening Vietnam's micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises

Author

Listed:
  • Catherine Y. Co
  • Thu Kim Nguyen
  • Tung Nhu Nguyen
  • Que Nguyet Tran

Abstract

We study the exporting and subcontracting decisions, mark-ups, market concentration, and growth of a panel of Vietnamese private micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. Our main findings are as follows. First, we find that among subcontractors, subcontracting is a supplementary rather than primary activity. Second, there is strong evidence that the propensity to export increases with managers' or owners' knowledge of customs law. Third, all else equal, mark-ups are lower for larger micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises.

Suggested Citation

  • Catherine Y. Co & Thu Kim Nguyen & Tung Nhu Nguyen & Que Nguyet Tran, 2017. "The missing middle: Growing and strengthening Vietnam's micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2017-72, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2017-72
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.wider.unu.edu/sites/default/files/wp2017-72.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cletus C. Coughlin & Dennis Novy, 2013. "Is the International Border Effect Larger than the Domestic Border Effect? Evidence from US Trade," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo Group, vol. 59(2), pages 249-276, June.
    2. Flora Bellone & Patrick Musso & Lionel Nesta & Stefano Schiavo, 2010. "Financial Constraints and Firm Export Behaviour," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(3), pages 347-373, March.
    3. de Mel, Suresh & McKenzie, David J. & Woodruff, Christopher, 2009. "Measuring microenterprise profits: Must we ask how the sausage is made?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(1), pages 19-31, January.
    4. Hayashi, Mitsuhiro, 2002. "The role of subcontracting in SME development in Indonesia:: Micro-level evidence from the metalworking and machinery industry," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 13(1), pages 1-26.
    5. Jan De Loecker & Frederic Warzynski, 2012. "Markups and Firm-Level Export Status," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 102(6), pages 2437-2471, October.
    6. Thorsten Schank & Claus Schnabel & Joachim Wagner, 2016. "Higher Wages in Exporting Firms: Self-selection, Export Effect, or Both? First Evidence from Linked Employer–Employee Data," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Microeconometrics of International Trade, chapter 6, pages 215-241, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    7. Joachim Wagner, 2016. "Credit Constraints and Exports: A Survey of Empirical Studies Using Firm Level Data," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Microeconometrics of International Trade, chapter 12, pages 401-421, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    8. Agnès Bénassy‐Quéré & Maylis Coupet & Thierry Mayer, 2007. "Institutional Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(5), pages 764-782, May.
    9. Marc J. Melitz, 2003. "The Impact of Trade on Intra-Industry Reallocations and Aggregate Industry Productivity," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 71(6), pages 1695-1725, November.
    10. Manova, Kalina & Yu, Zhihong, 2016. "How firms export: Processing vs. ordinary trade with financial frictions," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 120-137.
    11. John Rand, 2007. "‘Credit Constraints and Determinants of the Cost of Capital in Vietnamese Manufacturing’," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 29(1), pages 1-13, June.
    12. Sascha Becker & Peter Egger, 2013. "Endogenous product versus process innovation and a firm’s propensity to export," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 44(1), pages 329-354, February.
    13. Andrew B. Bernard & J. Bradford Jensen, 2004. "Why Some Firms Export," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 86(2), pages 561-569, May.
    14. Jun Su & Yuefan Sun, 2011. "Informal finance, trade credit and private firm performance," Nankai Business Review International, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 2(4), pages 383-400, October.
    15. Rauch, James E., 1999. "Networks versus markets in international trade," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 7-35, June.
    16. Carol Newman & John Rand & Finn Tarp & Thi Tue Anh Nguyen, 2014. "Exporting and Productivity: The Role of Ownership and Innovation in the Case of Vietnam," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2014-070, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    17. Pierre‐Guillaume Méon & Khalid Sekkat, 2008. "Institutional Quality And Trade: Which Institutions? Which Trade?," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 46(2), pages 227-240, April.
    18. Ayyagari,Meghana & Juarros,Pedro Francisco & Martinez Peria,Maria Soledad & Singh,Sandeep, 2016. "Access to finance and job growth : firm-level evidence across developing countries," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7604, The World Bank.
    19. Mary Amiti & David E. Weinstein, 2011. "Exports and Financial Shocks," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 126(4), pages 1841-1877.
    20. Berman, Nicolas & Héricourt, Jérôme, 2010. "Financial factors and the margins of trade: Evidence from cross-country firm-level data," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(2), pages 206-217, November.
    21. Matthew Potoski & Aseem Prakash, 2009. "Information asymmetries as trade barriers: ISO 9000 increases international commerce," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(2), pages 221-238.
    22. Anderson, John & Sutherland, Dylan, 2015. "Entry mode and emerging market MNEs: An analysis of Chinese greenfield and acquisition FDI in the United States," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 88-103.
    23. Sharpston, Michael, 1975. "International Sub-Contracting," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 27(1), pages 94-135, March.
    24. Hinh T. Dinh, 2014. "Light Manufacturing in Vietnam : Creating Jobs and Prosperity in a Middle-Income Economy," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 16598, December.
    25. John Haltiwanger & Ron S. Jarmin & Javier Miranda, 2013. "Who Creates Jobs? Small versus Large versus Young," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 95(2), pages 347-361, May.
    26. Tiziano Razzolini & Davide Vannoni, 2011. "Export Premia and Subcontracting Discount: Passive Strategies and Performance in Domestic and Foreign Markets," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(6), pages 984-1013, June.
    27. Anh Ngoc Nguyen & Ngoc Quang Pham & Chuc Dinh Nguyen & Nhat Duc Nguyen, 2008. "Innovation and exports in Vietnam's SME sector," The European Journal of Development Research, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 20(2), pages 262-280.
    28. David Atkin & Azam Chaudhry & Shamyla Chaudhry & Amit K. Khandelwal & Eric Verhoogen, 2015. "Markup and Cost Dispersion across Firms: Direct Evidence from Producer Surveys in Pakistan," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(5), pages 537-544, May.
    29. James Levinsohn & Amil Petrin, 2003. "Estimating Production Functions Using Inputs to Control for Unobservables," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 70(2), pages 317-341.
    30. World Bank, 2015. "World Development Indicators 2015," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 21634, December.
    31. Ayyagari, Meghana & Demirguc-Kunt, Asli & Maksimovic, Vojislav, 2011. "Small vs. young firms across the world : contribution to employment, job creation, and growth," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5631, The World Bank.
    32. World Bank, 2016. "World Development Indicators 2016," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 23969, December.
    33. Yilmaz Akyüz, 2011. "Export Dependence and Sustainability of Growth in China," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 19(1), pages 1-23, January.
    34. Alexander Plum, 2016. "bireprob: An estimator for bivariate random-effects probit models," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 16(1), pages 96-111, March.
    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. Catherine Y. Co & Thu Kim Nguyen & Tung Nhu Nguyen & Que Nguyet Tran, 2017. "The missing middle: Growing and strengthening Vietnam’s micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises," WIDER Working Paper Series 072, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    2. Co, Catherine Y. & Nguyen, Thu Kim & Nguyen, Tung Nhu & Tran, Que Nguyet, 2018. "The exporting and subcontracting decisions of Viet Nam's small- and medium-sized enterprises," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 449-466.
    3. Muûls, Mirabelle, 2015. "Exporters, importers and credit constraints," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(2), pages 333-343.
    4. Angelo Secchi & Federico Tamagni & Chiara Tomasi, 2016. "Export price adjustments under financial constraints," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 49(3), pages 1057-1085, August.
    5. Nguyen, Quyen T.K. & Almodóvar, Paloma & Wei, Ziyi, 2022. "Intra-firm and arm’s length export propensity and intensity of MNE foreign subsidiaries," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 288-308.
    6. Torres Mazzi, Caio & Foster-McGregor, Neil, 2021. "Imported intermediates, technological capabilities and exports: Evidence from Brazilian firm-level data," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(1).
    7. Angelo Secchi & Federico Tamagni & Chiara Tomasi, 2011. "Exporting under financial constraints: margins, switching dynamics and prices," LEM Papers Series 2011/24, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
    8. Roberto Alvarez & Ricardo López, 2013. "Financial development, exporting and firm heterogeneity in Chile," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 149(1), pages 183-207, March.
    9. David Kohn & Fernando Leibovici & Michal Szkup, 2021. "Financial Frictions and International Trade," Working Papers 2021-009, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
    10. Federico J. Diez & Jesse Mora & Alan C. Spearot, 2016. "Firms in international trade," Working Papers 16-25, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
    11. Juan A. Máñez Castillejo & Oscar Vicente-Chirivella, 2019. "Exports of Spanish manufacturing firms and financial constraints," Working Papers 1921, Department of Applied Economics II, Universidad de Valencia.
    12. Pietro de Matteis & Filomena Pietrovito & Alberto Franco Pozzolo, 2016. "Determinants of exports: firm heterogeneity and local context," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 352, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    13. Raffaele Brancati & Emanuela Marrocu & Manuel Romagnoli & Stefano Usai, 2018. "Innovation activities and learning processes in the crisis: evidence from Italian export in manufacturing and services," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 27(1), pages 107-130.
    14. Saira Qasim & Marian Rizov & Xufei Zhang, 2021. "Financial constraints and the export decision of Pakistani firms," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(3), pages 4557-4573, July.
    15. Claudia Buch & Iris Kesternich & Alexander Lipponer & Monika Schnitzer, 2014. "Financial constraints and foreign direct investment: firm-level evidence," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 150(2), pages 393-420, May.
    16. Rossi, Stefania Patrizia Sonia & Bonanno, Graziella & Giansoldati, Marco & Gregori, Tullio, 2021. "Export starters and exiters: Do innovation and finance matter?," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 280-297.
    17. Fauceglia, Dario, 2015. "Credit constraints, firm exports and financial development: Evidence from developing countries," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 53-66.
    18. M. Padmaja & Subash Sasidharan, 2021. "Financing constraints and exports: evidence from India," Journal of Economics and Finance, Springer;Academy of Economics and Finance, vol. 45(1), pages 118-145, January.
    19. Federici, Daniela & Parisi, Valentino & Ferrante, Francesco, 2020. "Heterogeneous firms, corporate taxes and export behavior: A firm-level investigation for Italy," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 98-112.
    20. Zhou, Tianhang & Li, Xue & Yan, Guo & Li, Jie, 2022. "How productivity and credit constraints affect exports differently? Firm-level evidence from China," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 207-230.

    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:unu:wpaper:wp-2017-72. 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: Siméon Rapin (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/widerfi.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.