Business Services as a Production Factor

Based on the assumption that business services are influential production factors, an empirical analysis of the relation between business service inputs and production output in user sectors is carried out. Danish data from 52 manufacturing and service sectors covering the period 1970-95 are applied in the analysis. A sectoral dimension is introduced by dividing the 52 sectors into eight sectoral groupings and then allowing the slopes of the different variables included in the model to vary between the eight groups. The empirical analysis offers some support to the assumption that business services can have an effect comparable to traditional production factors, although this only applies to service sectors, and, partly, to low-knowledge manufacturing.