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TFP growth and its determinants: a model averaging approach

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  • Michael Danquah
  • Enrique Moral-Benito
  • Bazoumana Ouattara

Abstract

Total Factor Productivity (TFP) accounts for a sizable proportion of the income differences across countries. Two challenges remain to researchers aiming to explain these differences: on the one hand, TFP growth is hard to measure empirically; on the other hand, model uncertainty hampers consensus on its key determinants. This paper combines a non-parametric measure of TFP growth with Bayesian model averaging techniques in order to address both issues. Our empirical findings suggest that the most robust TFP growth determinants are time-invariant unobserved heterogeneity and trade openness. We also investigate the main determinants of two TFP components: efficiency change (i.e., catching up) and technological progress. Copyright Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Danquah & Enrique Moral-Benito & Bazoumana Ouattara, 2014. "TFP growth and its determinants: a model averaging approach," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 47(1), pages 227-251, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:empeco:v:47:y:2014:i:1:p:227-251
    DOI: 10.1007/s00181-013-0737-y
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    3. Joseph, Andreas & Osbat, Chiara, 2016. "How you export matters: the disassortative structure of international trade," Working Paper Series 1958, European Central Bank.
    4. Osbat, Chiara & Zollino, Francesco & Aiello, Giovanni & Bluhm, Benjamin & Buelens, Christian & Cavallini, Flavia & Joseph, Andreas & Leonte, Alexandru & Lommatzsch, Kirsten & Momchilov, Georgi & Giord, 2015. "Compendium on the diagnostic toolkit for competitiveness," Occasional Paper Series 163, European Central Bank.
    5. Almas Heshmati & Masoomeh Rashidghalam, 2020. "Estimation of technical change and TFP growth based on observable technology shifters," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 21-36, February.
    6. Arkadiusz Kijek & Tomasz Kijek, 2020. "Nonlinear Effects of Human Capital and R&D on TFP: Evidence from European Regions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-14, February.
    7. Razzaq, Asif & An, Hui & Delpachitra, Sarath, 2021. "Does technology gap increase FDI spillovers on productivity growth? Evidence from Chinese outward FDI in Belt and Road host countries," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    8. Duong, Khanh & Nguyen Phuc Van, 2023. "Innovation and Globalization: Benefactors or Barriers to Inclusive Growth?," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1357, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    9. Osabutey, Ellis L.C. & Croucher, Richard, 2018. "Intermediate institutions and technology transfer in developing countries: The case of the construction industry in Ghana," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 154-163.
    10. Klaus Weyerstrass, 2018. "How to Boost Productivity in the EU," EconPol Policy Brief 8, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    11. Mitsuhiko Kataoka, 2022. "Perspiration versus inspiration: sources of national and provincial output growth in Indonesia [1990–2015] using province-level non-parametric frontier analysis," Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science, Springer, vol. 6(1), pages 113-139, February.
    12. Ng, Adam & Ibrahim, Mansor H. & Mirakhor, Abbas, 2016. "Does trust contribute to stock market development?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 52(PA), pages 239-250.
    13. repec:ecb:ecbops:2012163 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Mariarosaria Comunale & Anh Dinh Minh Nguyen & Soroosh Soofi-Siavash, 2019. "Convergence and growth decomposition: an analysis on Lithuania," Bank of Lithuania Discussion Paper Series 17, Bank of Lithuania.
    15. K. Benkovskis & B. Bluhm & E. Bobeica & C. Osbat & S. Zeugner, 2020. "What drives export market shares? It depends! An empirical analysis using Bayesian model averaging," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 59(2), pages 817-869, August.
    16. ADACHI Yusuke & OGAWA Hikaru & TSUBUKU Masafumi, 2019. "Productivity Dynamics during Major Crises in Japan: A Quantile Approach," Discussion papers 19015, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    17. Aidar Abdychev & La-Bhus Fah Jirasavetakul & Mr. Andrew W Jonelis & Mr. Lamin Y Leigh & Ashwin Moheeput & Friska Parulian & Ara Stepanyan & Albert Touna Mama, 2015. "Increasing Productivity Growth in Middle Income Countries," IMF Working Papers 2015/002, International Monetary Fund.
    18. Makiela, Kamil & Ouattara, Bazoumana, 2018. "Foreign direct investment and economic growth: Exploring the transmission channels," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 296-305.
    19. Sin-Yu Ho & Bernard Njindan Iyke, 2020. "The Determinants of Economic Growth in Ghana: New Empirical Evidence," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 21(3), pages 626-644, June.
    20. Ng, Adam & Dewandaru, Ginanjar & Ibrahim, Mansor H., 2015. "Property rights and the stock market-growth nexus," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 48-63.
    21. Klaus Weyerstrass, 2018. "How to Boost Productivity in the EU," EconPol Policy Brief 08, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    22. Sibabrata Das & Mukti Upadhyay, 2019. "Growth of Real GDP and Total Factor Productivity in Asia with an Emphasis on Malaysian Growth," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 47(4), pages 391-413, December.
    23. Iván Kataryniuk & Jaime Martínez-Martín, 2019. "TFP Growth and Commodity Prices in Emerging Economies," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(10), pages 2211-2229, August.
    24. Karina Alfaro‐Moreno & José Javier Núñez‐Velázquez & Luisa Fernanda Bernat‐Diaz, 2019. "How does wage polarization affect productivity? The case of Spanish regions," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 98(3), pages 1317-1333, June.
    25. Kluge, Jan & Lappoehn, Sarah & Plank, Kerstin, 2020. "The Determinants of Economic Competitiveness," IHS Working Paper Series 24, Institute for Advanced Studies.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Bayesian model averaging; Productivity; Nonparametric methods; O47; C11; C14; C23;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence
    • C11 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Bayesian Analysis: General
    • C14 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods: General
    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models

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