Export-led growth: a survey of the empirical literature and some non-causality results. Part 1

The economic development and growth literature contains extensive discussions on relationships between exports and economic growth. One debate centres on whether countries should promote the export sector to obtain economic growth. An abundant empirical literature on this export-led growth (ELG) hypothesis has followed. We aim to contribute to this literature in two ways. In this paper, part 1, we provide a comprehensive survey of more than 150 export-growth applied papers. We describe the changes that have occurred, over the last two decades, in the methodologies used empirically to examine for relationships between exports and economic growth, and we provide information on the current findings.The last decade has seen an abundance of time series studies that focus on examining for causality via exclusions restrictions tests, impulse response function analysis and forecast error variance decompositions. Our second contribution is to examine some of these time series methods. We show, in part 2, that ELG results based on standard causality techniques are not typically robust to specification or method. We do this by reconsidering two export-led growth applications – Oxley’s (1993) study for Portugal, and Henriques and Sadorsky’s (1996) analysis for Canada. Our results suggest that extreme care should be exercised when interpreting much of the applied research on the ELG hypothesis.     

Time-series evidence for Balassa’s export-led growth hypothesis

This paper investigates Balassa’s export-led growth hypothesis for Greece, Ireland, Mexico, Portugal and Turkey by constructing a vector autoregression (VAR) model. On the basis of the Granger non-causality procedure developed by Toda and Yamamoto (1995), the results show that export and output are causally related in the long run for Ireland, Mexico and Portugal. Our findings cannot offer support for the causality link between export and output for Greece and Turkey. Granger-causality is uni-directional, running from export growth to economic growth in Ireland and Mexico, and running from economic growth to export growth in Portugal.     

Productivity and externalities: models of export-led growth

In developing countries, successful export-led growth (ELG) industrialization has been associated with rapid structural change and productivity growth. There are major difficulties in explaining this performance using a standard neoclassical growth model. To develop a more satisfactory framework, we start from empirical and theoretical work with models incorporating externalities. We develop a simple analytical model with an export externality that captures the large increase in both total factor productivity and trade share associated with ELG. A second model is developed to decompose growth into various components: (i) factor accumulation, (ii) a factor reallocation effect from moving factors from low to high productivity sectors, (iii) an export externality effect arising from exporting light and heavy manufactures and (iv) an import externality effect arising from importing capital goods (heavy manufactures). The second model is implemented with data for an archetype semi-industrial country. In addition to accounting for the higher total factor productivity growth observed in countries pursuing ELG strategies, the model captures the patterns of structural change experienced by such countries better than simpler neoclassical models without disequilibrium features or externalities.     

基于VAR模型的中国出口导向经济增长假说检验

由于数据结构、计量方法和变量选择的不同,有关ELG(出口导向型增长)假说的研究得出了不同的结论。系统分析FDI、出口贸易和经济增长的关系,将FDI纳入VAR模型中检验ELG假说,结果发现:中国是出口导向型经济增长,每增长1%的出口贸易开放度引发长期经济增长0.83%,出口贸易开放度是影响中国经济增长波动的主要因素,它对经济增长具有递增的促进作用;FDI具有持续提高中国出口贸易度的效应,从而促进中国的长期经济增长,FDI是引发中国出口贸易度提高和经济增长的Granger原因。     

From the Editor

This article empirically verifies the export-led growth hypothesis for Bangladesh and examines whether manufacturing exports have become a new engine of the export-led growth in Bangladesh, replacing the total exports-engine, as claimed by the so called de novo hypothesis. The empirical assessment based on the vector error correction modeling (VECM) that uses quarterly data over the period 1974–1999 suggests that both total exports and manufacturing exports have had positive and statistically significant impacts both in the long run and the short run. But an encompassing test in conjunction with the various non-nested tests suggests that total exports, as opposed to manufacturing exports in isolation, is the dominant engine of the export-led growth. This refutes the claim that manufacturing exports has become the sole determinant of the export-led growth in Bangladesh.     

Innovation-based strategic flexibility (ISF): Role of CEO ties with marketing and R&D

In this research, using a capability perspective, we first define innovation based, strategic flexibility (ISF) as consisting of three lower-level capabilities- market sensing, resource reconfiguration, and proactiveness; then link it to new-product/innovation outcomes, and develop a new metric of ISF that is input–output based. This metric captures a firm’s realized flexibility in translating market opportunities into innovation output. We then examine the role of CEO ties with marketing and R&D in driving a firm's ISF. Combining survey data of 191 CEOs with objective performance data, we find that (a) ISF is positively influenced by the frequency and duration of the CEO's relationship with the two functional units, but negatively influenced by CEO's relationship closeness, and (b) ISF contributes to future profit growth of firms. We test the robustness of our findings to the potential violation of sequential-ignorability assumption as defined in the causal mediation literature and find the results to be robust. The results provide insights into the role of CEO characteristics in driving innovation, and upper echelon’s contributions to marketing.     

Causality nexus of exports,FDI and economic growth of the ASEAN5 economies: evidence from panel data analysis

This paper analyzes the causal relationships between exports, FDI and economic growth among the ASEAN5 countries. We have used a three-stage procedure based on unit root, co-integration and causality tests applied to the panel data from 1981 to 2013. The results reveal that there is a bi-directional causal relationship between FDI and growth in the long run, while there is a unidirectional causal relationship from FDI to exports in the short run. Our results also confirm that the export-led growth (ELG) and FDI-led growth hypotheses hold true in the long and short run. To reinforce the FDI inflows, authorities should continue the progressive reduction of barriers, and increase the sophistication of quality exports to compete in the global market. This paper is the first of its kind to analyze the role of both FDI and exports in the ASEAN5 economies using panel analysis.     

FDI,Trade, and Growth Dynamics: New Evidence from the Post-Reform India

This article has two aims: first, review the related literature on the relationship among Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), Trade, and Economic Growth, and second, empirically examine the linkage between these variables. Our review of the literature indicates that despite a large volume of literature on the relationship among these variables, the direction of causality among them is far from over. Therefore, after observing a gap in the empirical literature, especially for developing economies, we investigate the linkage by using a Vector Autoregression (VAR) model applying the Ganger non-causality test of Toda and Yamamoto (1995) for the period 1991Q3 to 2006Q3. The evidence shows that there is bidirectional causality (two-way feedback) between FDI and economic growth. At the same time, there is also a unidirectional causality exists between exports and FDI, which runs from the former to the latter. Results of the test of causality between FDI and imports indicate the presence of a two-way feedback relationship between the variables.     

扩大内需与中国制造业出口结构优化:基于“母市场效应”理论的研究

中国过往低价竞争的畸形出口遇到了阻碍,因而应扩大内需,但中国经济的增长还应是内外并举的,内需拉动增长和出口拉动增长并不矛盾,出口拉动经济增长的政策并未过时,中国的就业等压力也不允许出口大幅被替代,我们要的是在内需的扩大中寻找中国制造业出口的新优势,同时优化出口结构,而不是排挤或替代出口。本文利用"母市场效应"理论,通过对中国制造业各部门对外贸易"母市场效应"存在性的检验,从理论上和实证上证明了扩大内需政策会导致中国制造业出口结构优化。     

产业内贸易与经济增长:基于协整关系的分析

运用Engle-Granger协整关系检验法和Granger因果关系检验法,利用修正后的产业内贸易指数,对我国1985-2007年间产业内贸易与经济增长之间关系进行实证研究。结果显示这两者之间存在长期稳定的关系,产业内贸易与我国经济增长之间存在双向因果关系,并提出相应的政策建议。     

The role of exports in India's economic growth

We analyze the role of exports in India's economic growth and examine whether the export-led growth hypothesis (ELGH) applies to India. Our causality analysis provides support for the validity of the ELGH for India in the trade liberalization phase. Error variance decomposition and other analyses are also undertaken; these corroborate the results of the causality analysis and suggest that the rapid growth of exports has played a substantial role in increasing the growth rate in India following the economic reforms of 1991.     

1980～2008外贸对四川经济增长的拉动

对外贸易和经济增长的关系问题历来是经济学的一个重要课题。运用计量法分析四川省1980~2008年的相关数据,并采用平稳性检验、协整检验、误差修正模型、Granger因果检验等手段进行检验,结果表明,四川省进、出口贸易和经济增长之间存在长期稳定关系;进、出口贸易增长分别对四川经济增长有正向拉动作用,相比之下,出口对经济增长的拉动比进口要大。     

Export-led growth and the Four Little Dragons

This paper examines the hypothesis of export-led growth for the ‘Four Little Dragons' in Asia. The framework of analysis is a five-variable vector autoregressive model. The relationship between exports and output is evaluated through the computation of variance decompositions, impulse response functions, and cointegration. The variance decompositions indicate significant feedback relations between exports and output. The impulse response functions indicate significant, positive feedback effects in the short run. The cointegration test, however, does not yield similar results for the long-run relations. The results are at odds with the export-led growth hypothesis, but the short-run results appear consistent with the feedback model in which export promotion and economic growth reinforce each other in the process of economic development.     

INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMPOSITION AND MEDIUM-RUN GROWTH: Evidence of a Causal Relationship

The motivation for this article stems from Mazumdar's (1996) hypothesis that international trade composition impacts a country's ability to achieve transitional economic growth. In his article, Mazumdar suggested that developing economies, generally known for exporting consumption goods and importing capital goods, benefit more from international trade than do developed economies. In addition to static gains, developing economies experience a decline in the replacement costs of capital as the relative price of capital falls with trade. To empirically test this hypothesis, a trade composition variable is created using unpublished SITC export and import data of both consumption and capital goods. Incorporating this variable into a linear equation, a Granger Causality test and a more extensive VAR test are performed for a select group of developed and developing economies. The empirical results are suggestive, and indicate some support for the hypothesis that trade composition "causes" medium-run transition.     

The income inequality,financial depth and economic growth nexus in China

Income inequality has increased in China despite rapid economic growth. Income inequality could impinge on future development, leading to social tension or political instability. Our study investigates the short-run and long-run relationship between three important macroeconomic indicators—income inequality, economic growth and financial depth. We utilise a two-step procedure of ARDL bounds and Granger causality for the analysis. The bounds test indicates the presence of a cointegrating relationship between income inequality, financial depth and economic growth in the long run. In the second step, we utilise the Granger causality approach. Results show a bidirectional causality between financial depth-growth and a unidirectional causality between inequality-growth in the short run. In the long run, results reveal that growth and financial depth determine Gini. Our findings provide support for the inequality-widening effect due to economic growth and higher credit provided to the private sector. We find no evidence of inequality-narrowing or income-equalising effect in the long run for the period of study. It is possible that the government's inclusive growth policies which started less than a decade ago have not taken effect for us to capture the inverted U-shape income equalising effect significantly.     

福建省物流运输与农业经济增长的实证研究

选取福建省1978—2010年的货运量、客运量和农业生产总值作为分析指标,在对时间序列进行平稳性检验后,对福建省货运量、客运量与农业生产总值进行Johansen协整分析,并对它们进行回归分析,然后对货运量和客运量与农业生产总值之间进行了Granger因果检验。实证结果表明,福建省农业生产总值的变动与货运量和客运量的变动密切相关,货运量的增长对农业经济的发展有显著的促进作用,同时农业经济的发展也积极带动了货运量和客运量的增长。     

上海住宅建设投资与经济发展协整分析

利用协整理论和误差修正模型理论对上海市住宅建设投资和国民经济发展之间的相关关系进行研究。通过实证分析看出,上海市的住宅建设和经济发展之间具有长期的均衡关系;短期投资对于经济发展也能起到促进作用,但结果不显著;格兰杰因果分析显示,上海市住宅建设与经济发展互为因果关系。     

出口贸易对我国城镇贫困的影响——基于1985—2005年中国数据的协整分析和格兰杰因果检验

贸易自由化能够通过很多渠道影响发展中国家贫困人口的生活状况,但理论分析和经验验证都表明其效果是不明确的。在总结相关文献的基础上,利用1985—2005年的数据,对我国出口贸易和城镇贫困之间的关系进行协整分析和格兰杰因果检验。结果表明,出口贸易降低了我国三种城镇贫困人口的收入份额,但缩小了他们内部的收入差距。对于这一不同于传统贸易理论的事实,可以从城乡劳动力流动等角度进行解释。     

Swinging a double-edged sword: The effect of slack on entrepreneurial management and growth

Resource slack represents a double-edged sword, simultaneously fueling and hindering growth. Drawing on Penrose's growth theory and Stevenson's entrepreneurial management theory, we have developed and tested a conceptual model that provides a more nuanced account of the resource slack-growth relationship. Using a large dataset spanning six years, we have found that slack has a positive direct effect on growth but a negative effect on entrepreneurial management, and that entrepreneurial management has a positive effect on growth. Our empirical and conceptual findings are important to the development of firm growth theory and explicate causal mechanisms transforming slack into firm-level outcomes.     

On exports and economic growth: the case of Italy

The export-led growth hypothesis for the Italian economy (1960-98) is tested through a VAR model with four macroeconomic variables: an index of the GDP of the rest of the world; the Italian real exchange rate; Italian real exports; and the Italian real GDP. Our results provide clear empirical support for the hypothesis. They also suggest that the Kaldorian approach is very useful in analysing short-run as well as long-run growth and fluctuations of an open economy such as Italy.