SOURCES OF PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH IN AUSTRALIAN TEXTILE AND CLOTHING FIRMS*

This paper estimates the sources of productivity growth in Australian textile and clothing firms based on the Business Longitudinal Survey (BLS) from 1995 to 1998. Productivity growth estimates have been obtained for each sub‐category of textile and clothing firms. Sources of growth in multifactor productivity (MFP) are examined with growth in technical efficiency and scale effects based on estimates of stochastic frontier production functions. Separate estimates of output growth have been compared with the productivity growth estimates for each of the product categories. MFP improved in all clothing firms and declined in textile firms over 1997–1998 by four‐digit level of Australia New Zealand Standard Industrial classification Scheme (ANZSIC). MFP declined in most major categories of both textile and clothing firms in 1995–1997. Changes in technical efficiency mostly dominated scale effects in the overall direction of MFPG in both textile and clothing firms. The findings of the study provide evidence for policies for improving the firms’ operative performance in the ongoing liberalised regime.     

ESTIMATES OF INTANGIBLE INVESTMENT BY INDUSTRY AND PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH IN JAPAN

In estimating intangible investment in Japan at the industry level, we find a high intangible investment/gross value added ratio in the information technology (IT) sector and negative growth rates in intangible capital in 13 industries over the decade from 2000. When we examine the impacts of intangible investment on total factor productivity growth, we find a significant and positive effect on total factor productivity growth in the market economy. In a revised estimation that considers intertemporal knowledge spillovers, the estimated rate of return on intangibles in the IT sector is quite high after the IT revolution. The results imply that intangible assets have been underinvested in the IT sector.     

MAJOR SOURCES OF PRODUCTION IMPROVEMENT AND INNOVATION GROWTH IN CHINESE ENTERPRISES

Abstract.  Using a data set based on a cross-sectional firm level survey conducted by the World Bank in year 2001, in this paper we investigate the major sources of production improvement and innovation growth of Chinese enterprises from ten major industries and five major cities. In terms of production improvement, the production network, R&D and innovation and openness are the crucial factors; and in terms of innovation growth, it could be enhanced through raising R&D inputs, training, improving managers' education, outsourcing and participating in a production network.     

INDUSTRIAL AND AGGREGATE MEASURES OF PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH IN CHINA, 1982–2000

We estimate productivity growth for 33 industries covering the entire Chinese economy using a time series of input–output tables covering 1982–2000. Capital input is measured using detailed investment data by asset and labor input uses demographic information from household surveys. We find a wide range of productivity performance at the industry level. We then show how these industry growth accounts may be consistently aggregated to deliver a decomposition of aggregate GDP growth. For the 1982–2000 period aggregate TFP growth was 2.5 percent per year; decelerating from a rapid rate in the early 1980s to negative growth during 1994–2000. The main source of growth during the 1982–2000 period was capital accumulation, with a small negative contribution from the reallocation of factors across industries.     

中国劳动生产率的增长及其因素分解

长期来看,中国劳动生产率呈现持续上升趋势,改革开放之后的增速更是显著。劳动生产率增长主要依靠各产业内部生产率的提高来实现。相对地,劳动配置结构变化的贡献度并不显著,这种状况在改革开放之后得到了强化。劳动配置结构变化贡献度较小,与劳动力跨部门流转的交易成本较高有关,而行业内部生产率提高与分工演进、资本深化、资本有机构成提高等密切相关。     

我国电信服务业与经济增长的相关性分析

自20世纪90年代以来,我国服务业对经济增长的贡献一直徘徊在三分之一左右,明显低于同等发展水平国家。但是,我国电信服务业在同期却以高于国民经济增长数倍的速度快速发展,对国民经济增长起着较好的支撑与拉动作用。电信服务业已成为拉动我国经济增长的重要力量。     

THE FIFTH ASIAN DRAGON: SOURCES OF GROWTH IN GUANGDONG, 1979–1994

This paper presents a growth accounting exercise to uncover the sources of spectacular growth in the Guangdong Province in China, the so-called "Fifth Dragon" in Asia, for the post-open-door period 1979–1994. A large fraction of Guangdong's output growth cannot be attributed to the growth in its capital and labor inputs. Of the unexplained residuals, foreign direct investment is a significant growth-spurring engine while export expansion is not. In this sense, China's open door policy did not generate export-led growth although it did stimulate capital accumulation through the importation of foreign capital.
"East Asia has a remarkable record of high and sustained economic growth. From 1965 to 1990 the twenty-three economies of East Asia grew faster than all other regions of the world…. Most of this achievement is attributable to seemingly miraculous growth in just eight economies: Japan; the 'Four Tigers' —Hong Kong, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan, China; and three newly industrializing economies (NIEs) of Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand…."     

国际贸易、技术进步和中国工业行业的生产率增长

本文研究了一国的最优银行结构怎样随着经济中资本的积累而变化。我们证明了,经济增长过程中,随着资本的积累,最优银行结构所要求的银行规模越来越大。对这种银行结构的偏离会导致福利的严格下降,并有可能使经济中某些成员无法获得银行服务。本文的结论说明,我国作为一个发展中国家,由于资本的相对稀缺,更应该发展中小银行。这样可以促进经济的成长并提高福利。     

中国制造业劳动生产率:1980-1999

本研究是测算中国制造业1980-1999年的劳动生产率的变动趋势,研究的重点是对工业和制造业就业人数、产出构成的时间序列的概念、覆盖范围和一致性问题进行深入分析,在数据分析的基础上,我们将构建调查后的1980-1999年共15个制造业部门的劳动生产率时间序列,无论是在投入方面、产出方面,还是在时间堆中,这些时间序列在概念和覆盖范围方面都是一致的.研究显示中国制造业的劳动生产率的增长在90年代展示了令人瞩目的加速.中美劳动生产率的追赶进程已经开始.     

MEASURING THE COST OF LIVING INDEX,OUTPUT GROWTH,AND PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH IN THE RETAIL INDUSTRY: AN APPLICATION TO JAPAN

This study applies a framework that enables one to estimate quality, exact cost of living (COL) indexes, and output growth for the retail industry. The framework is based on discrete choice theory, in which product differentiation and quality change are explicitly modeled. For illustration, the framework is then applied to the Japanese retail industry. The estimated quality index shows that, between 1985 and 1999, Japanese retail services quality improved, and the estimated COL index declined monotonically. Furthermore, the results from growth accounting suggest that ignoring both differentiation in the retail services market and changes in service quality may downwardly bias estimated output and productivity growth.     

LEGAL ENVIRONMENTS, VENTURE CAPITAL, AND TOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH OF TAIWANESE INDUSTRY

This study provides a new explanation of total factor productivity growth of Taiwanese industry. Besides the channels identified in the literature, this study finds that the venture capital (VC) industry development significantly promotes productivity growth. In addition, an indicator of legal environment has been established to record changes in VC-related legislation during the past two decades in Taiwan. The legal indicator serves as an instrumental variable that can avoid estimation bias resulting from potential endogeneity between VC development and productivity growth. ( JEL G24, K23, O47).     

THE SOURCES OF AGGREGATE PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH: US MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES, 1958–1996

The sources of aggregate productivity growth are explored using detailed data for four‐digit US manufacturing industries during 1958–96 and a decomposition formula that allows us to quantify the contribution of structural change. Labour productivity as well as total factor productivity are considered with either value‐added or employment shares serving as aggregation weights. It is shown that structural change generally works in favour of industries with increasing productivity. This effect is particularly strong in the years since 1990, in high‐tech industries and in durable goods producing industries. The impact of the computer revolution can be clearly identified.     

PRODUCTIVITY, WORKPLACE PERFORMANCE AND ICT: INDUSTRY AND FIRM-LEVEL EVIDENCE FOR EUROPE AND THE US

This paper considers the contribution of information and communications technology (ICT), to international productivity performance. It first uses an international industry data set and a growth accounting framework, to show that ICT has typically had a lower impact on productivity in Europe than in the US, although there is considerable variation within Europe. The paper also analyses the European situation in greater depth by examining micro‐economic data from Germany, Italy and the UK. While direct comparisons between the national findings are difficult, the results suggest that the UK experience with ICT has been closer to the US than other European countries.     

中国外贸产业层面的"贫困化增长"及其矫正

通过对"贫困化增长"模型及其相关实证的分析,我们可以发现,比巴格瓦蒂所描述的现象更严重的是,中国的出口贫困化增长隐患不仅存在于国家层面,而且更多地发生在产业层面。因此,我国必须加快外贸增长方式的转变,实现从"价格接受者"到"价格制定者"的角色转变,以合法正当的手段,绕开甚至最终填平"贫困化增长"陷阱。     

ICT AND EUROPE's PRODUCTIVITY PERFORMANCE: INDUSTRY-LEVEL GROWTH ACCOUNT COMPARISONS WITH THE UNITED STATES

In this paper we present a new industry-level database to analyze sources of growth in four major European countries: France, Germany, Netherlands and the United Kingdom (EU-4), in comparison with the United States for the period 1979–2000. Aggregate labor productivity growth is decomposed into industry-level contributions of labor quality, ICT and non-ICT capital deepening and TFP. A small set of service industries is mainly responsible for the acceleration in ICT capital deepening in both regions, but their contribution to growth is lower in the EU-4 than in the U.S. TFP in these ICT-intensive services accelerated in the U.S. in the 1990s, but not in Europe. In addition, widespread deceleration in non-ICT capital deepening in the EU-4 has led to a European labor productivity slowdown.     

中国银行业市场结构与绩效的实证分析

中国银行业市场结构与绩效关系的实证研究表明,市场份额越大、市场集中度越高,银行业整体绩效越低;国有股比例和国内生产总值与我国银行业的绩效之间不存在显著的关系。银行业绩效的提升有赖于市场份额、市场集中度、杠杆比率和营业费用率等影响因素的进一步优化。