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The micro-level dynamics of regional productivity growth: The source of divergence in Finland

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  • Petri Böckerman
  • Mika Maliranta

Abstract

Productivity growth of the Finnish regions in 13 manufacturing industries is decomposed into micro-level sources by using plant-level data from 1975 to 1999. There are substantial regional differences in the intensity of productivity-enhancing restructuring. Dynamic competition is more intensive in Southern Finland, where the productivity level is also high. In contrast, plants located in Eastern Finland are equipped with low-productivity technologies owing to persistently sluggish micro-level dynamics. Productivity dispersion between plants within industries is greatest in Southern Finland. We argue that intensive experimentation is a more reasonable interpretation of this finding than large static X-inefficiency in this high productivity region.

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  • Petri Böckerman & Mika Maliranta, 2003. "The micro-level dynamics of regional productivity growth: The source of divergence in Finland," ERSA conference papers ersa03p32, European Regional Science Association.
  • Handle: RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa03p32
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    Cited by:

    1. Mika Maliranta & Petri Rouvinen & Pekka Ylä-Anttila, 2010. "Finland’s Path to the Global Productivity Frontier through Creative Destruction," International Productivity Monitor, Centre for the Study of Living Standards, vol. 20, pages 68-84, Fall.
    2. Catherine Fuss & Angelos Theodorakopoulos, 2018. "Compositional Changes in Aggregate Productivity in an Era of Globalisation and Financial Crisis," Working Papers of VIVES - Research Centre for Regional Economics 627696, KU Leuven, Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), VIVES - Research Centre for Regional Economics.
    3. Mertens, Matthias & Mueller, Steffen, 2022. "The East-West German gap in revenue productivity:Just a tale of output prices?," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(3), pages 815-831.
    4. Kuosmanen, Natalia & Maczulskij, Terhi, 2022. "The Role of Firm Dynamics in the Green Transition: Carbon Productivity Decomposition in Finnish Manufacturing," ETLA Working Papers 99, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.
    5. Maliranta, Mika & Määttänen, Niku, 2013. "Allocation and industry productivity: Accounting for firm turnover," ETLA Working Papers 11, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.
    6. Tomi Kyyrä & Mika Maliranta, 2008. "The micro-level dynamics of declining labour share: lessons from the Finnish great leap ," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 17(6), pages 1147-1172, December.
    7. Kuosmanen, Timo & Kuosmanen, Natalia, 2021. "Structural change decomposition of productivity without share weights," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 120-127.
    8. Tahir Mahmood & Eatzaz Ahmad, 2014. "Output growth and investment dynamics in Finland: a panel data analysis," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 41(4), pages 777-801, November.
    9. Maliranta, Mika, . "Micro Level Dynamics of Productivity Growth. An Empirical Analysis of the Great Leap in Finnish Manufacturing Productivity in 1975-2000," ETLA A, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy, number 38.
    10. Davide Consoli & Francesco Vona & Toni Saarivirta, 2013. "Analysis of the Graduate Labour Market in Finland: Spatial Agglomeration and Skill--Job Match," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(10), pages 1634-1652, November.
    11. Hyytinen, Ari & Maliranta, Mika, 2013. "Firm lifecycles and evolution of industry productivity," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(5), pages 1080-1098.
    12. Richard Harris, 2011. "Models Of Regional Growth: Past, Present And Future," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(5), pages 913-951, December.
    13. Fornaro, Paolo, 2018. "Economic Dynamics and Changes in Values and Attitudes among Finnish Regions: A Descriptive Analysis," ETLA Reports 82, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.
    14. Kauhanen, Antti & Maliranta, Mika, 2012. "Micro-components of aggregate wage dynamics," ETLA Working Papers 1, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.
    15. J. De Mulder & H. Godefroid, 2018. "Slowdown in productivity," Economic Review, National Bank of Belgium, issue iv, pages 51-66, december.
    16. Hyytinen, Ari & Maliranta, Mika, 2011. "Firm Lifecycles and External Restructuring," Discussion Papers 1253, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.
    17. Kuosmanen, Natalia & Kuosmanen, Timo, 2023. "Inter-industry and Intra-industry Switching as Sources of Productivity Growth: Structural Change of Finland’s ICT Industries," ETLA Working Papers 100, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.
    18. Zura Gamtenadze & Kristina Khupenia, "undated". "Comperative analysis of economic productivity in Georgian regions 2010-2020," Review of Socio - Economic Perspectives 202215, Reviewsep.

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