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Eric J. Bartelsman

Bio: Eric J. Bartelsman is an academic researcher from VU University Amsterdam. The author has contributed to research in topics: Productivity & Total factor productivity. The author has an hindex of 31, co-authored 91 publications receiving 8420 citations. Previous affiliations of Eric J. Bartelsman include Tinbergen Institute & Institute for the Study of Labor.


Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This article reviewed research that uses longitudinal microdata to document productivity movements and examine factors behind productivity growth, including the dispersion of productivity across firms and establishments, the persistence of productivity differentials, the consequences of entry and exit, and the contribution of resource reallocation across firms to aggregate productivity growth.
Abstract: This paper reviews research that uses longitudinal microdata to document productivity movements and to examine factors behind productivity growth. The research explores the dispersion of productivity across firms and establishments, the persistence of productivity differentials, the consequences of entry and exit, and the contribution of resource reallocation across firms to aggregate productivity growth. The research also reveals important factors correlated with productivity growth, such as managerial ability, technology use, human capital, and regulation. The more advanced literature in the field has begun to address the more difficult questions of the causality between these factors and productivity growth.

1,394 citations

Posted Content
TL;DR: The authors reviewed research that uses longitudinal microdata to document productivity movements and examine factors behind productivity growth, including the dispersion of productivity across firms and establishments, the persistence of productivity differentials, the consequences of entry and exit, and the contribution of resource reallocation across firms to aggregate productivity growth.
Abstract: This paper reviews research that uses longitudinal microdata to document productivity movements and to examine factors behind productivity growth. The research explores the dispersion of productivity across firms and establishments, the persistence of productivity differentials, the consequences of entry and exit, and the contribution of resource reallocation across firms to aggregate productivity growth. The research also reveals important factors correlated with productivity growth, such as managerial ability, technology use, human capital, and regulation. The more advanced literature in the field has begun to address the more difficult questions of the causality between these factors and productivity growth.

1,074 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the effect of idiosyncratic (firm-level vel) policy distortions on aggregate outcomes is investigated, and it is shown that there is substantial and systematic cross-country variation in the within-industry covariance between size and productivity.
Abstract: This paper investigates the effect of idiosyncratic ( firm-le vel) policy distortions on aggregate outcomes. Exploiting harmonized firm - level data for a number of countries, we show that there is substantial and systematic cross - country variation in the within-industry covariance between size and productivity. We develop a model in which heterogeneous firms face adjustment frictions (overhead labor and quasi-fixed capital) and distortions. The model can be readily calibrated so that variations in the distribution of distortions allow matching the observed cross-country moments. We show that the differences in the distortions that account for the size-productivity covariance imply substantial differences in aggregate performance. (JEL D24, L25, O47) A vast theoretical and empirical literature has been devoted to identify the sources of the large and persistent differences in productivity across countries. At the same time, a parallel strand of research has emerged over the past decade suggesting large and persistent heterogeneity in firm-level productivity, even in narrowly defined industries, in a variety of countries (e.g., Bartelsman, Haltiwanger, and Scarpetta 2004).

918 citations

BookDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide an analysis of the process of creative destruction across 24 countries and 2-digit industries over the past decade, using a newly assembled dataset that draws from different micro data sources (business registers, census, or representative enterprise surveys).
Abstract: This paper provides an analysis of the process of creative destruction across 24 countries and 2-digit industries over the past decade. It relies on a newly assembled dataset that draws from different micro data sources (business registers, census, or representative enterprise surveys). The novelty of the approach is in the harmonization of firm level data across countries, which enables international comparisons and the identification of country-specific factors as opposed to sectoral and time effects. All countries display a massive reallocation of resources, with the entry and exit of many firms in all markets, the failure of many newcomers and the expansion of successful ones. This process of creative destruction affects productivity directly, by reallocating resources towards more productive uses, but also indirectly through the effects of increased market contestability. There are also large differences across groups of countries. While entry and exit rates are fairly similar across industrial countries, post entry performance differs markedly between Europe and the U.S., a potential indication of the importance of barriers to firm growth as opposed to barriers to entry. Transition economies show an even more impressive process of creative destruction and, amongst them, those that have progressed the most towards a market economy show better outcomes from this process. Finally, Mexico shows large firm dynamics with many new firms entering the battle but also many failing rapidly, while Argentina resembles more of Continental Europe with smaller flows and less impressive post-entry growth of successful firms.

586 citations

Posted Content
TL;DR: The NBER Manufacturing Productivity Database (MPDB) as discussed by the authors provides information on 450 4-digit manufacturing industries for the period 1958 through 1991 and provides estimates of total factor productivity growth for each industry.
Abstract: This paper provides technical documentation to accompany the NBER manufacturing productivity (MP) database. The database contains information on 450 4-digit manufacturing industries for the period 1958 through 1991. The data are compiled from various official sources, most notably the Annual Survey of Manufactures and Census of Manufactures. Also provided are estimates of total factor productivity (TFP) growth for each industry. The paper further discusses alternate methods of deflation and aggregation and their impact on TFP calculations.

570 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors surveys and evaluates recent empirical work addressing the question of why businesses differ in their measured productivity levels, and lays out what I see are the major questions that research in the area should address going forward.
Abstract: Economists have shown that large and persistent differences in productivity levels across businesses are ubiquitous. This finding has shaped research agendas in a number of fields, including (but not limited to) macroeconomics, industrial organization, labor, and trade. This paper surveys and evaluates recent empirical work addressing the question of why businesses differ in their measured productivity levels. The causes are manifold, and differ depending on the particular setting. They include elements sourced in production practices -- and therefore over which producers have some direct control, at least in theory -- as well as from producers' external operating environments. After evaluating the current state of knowledge, I lay out what I see are the major questions that research in the area should address going forward. (JEL D24, G31, L11, M10, O30, O47)

2,380 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors reconcile trade theory with plant-level export behavior, extending the Ricardian model to accommodate many countries, geographic barriers, and imperfect competition, and examine the impact of globalization and dollar appreciation on productivity, plant entry and exit, and labor turnover.
Abstract: We reconcile trade theory with plant-level export behavior, extending the Ricardian model to accommodate many countries, geographic barriers, and imperfect competition. Our model captures qualitatively basic facts about U.S. plants: (i) productivity dispersion, (ii) higher productivity among exporters, (iii) the small fraction who export, (iv) the small fraction earned from exports among exporting plants, and (v) the size advantage of exporters. Fitting the model to bilateral trade among the United States and 46 major trade partners, we examine the impact of globalization and dollar appreciation on productivity, plant entry and exit, and labor turnover in U.S. manufacturing. (JEL F11, F17, O33)

2,280 citations

Book ChapterDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors consider the empirical literature on the nature and sources of urban increasing returns, also known as agglomeration economies, and show that the effects of aggoglomeration extend over at least three different dimensions.
Abstract: This paper considers the empirical literature on the nature and sources of urban increasing returns, also known as agglomeration economies. An important aspect of these externalities that has not been previously emphasized is that the effects of agglomeration extend over at least three different dimensions. These are the industrial, geographic, and temporal scope of economic agglomeration economies. In each case, the literature suggests that agglomeration economies attenuate with distance. Recently, the literature has also begun to provide evidence on the microfoundations of external economies of scale. The best known of these sources are those attributed to Marshall (1920): labor market pooling, input sharing, and knowledge spillovers. Evidence to date supports the presence of all three of these forces. In addition, there is also evidence that natural advantage, home market effects, consumption opportunities, and rent-seeking all contribute to agglomeration.

2,027 citations

Posted Content
TL;DR: In this article, the authors consider the empirical literature on the nature and sources of urban increasing returns, also known as agglomeration economies, and show that the effects of aggoglomeration extend over at least three different dimensions.
Abstract: This paper considers the empirical literature on the nature and sources of urban increasing returns, also known as agglomeration economies. An important aspect of these externalities that has not been previously emphasized is that the effects of agglomeration extend over at least three different dimensions. These are the industrial, geographic, and temporal scope of economic agglomeration economies. In each case, the literature suggests that agglomeration economies attenuate with distance. Recently, the literature has also begun to provide evidence on the microfoundations of external economies of scale. The best known of these sources are those attributed to Marshall (1920): labor market pooling, input sharing, and knowledge spillovers. Evidence to date supports the presence of all three of these forces. In addition, there is also evidence that natural advantage, home market effects, consumption opportunities, and rent-seeking all contribute to agglomeration.

2,004 citations

ReportDOI
TL;DR: This paper measured sizable gaps in marginal products of labor and capital across plants within narrowly defined industries in China and India compared with the United States, and calculated manufacturing TFP gains of 30%-50% in China, and 40%-60% in India.
Abstract: Resource misallocation can lower aggregate total factor productivity (TFP).We use microdata on manufacturing establishments to quantify the potential extent of misallocation in China and India versus the United States. We measure sizable gaps in marginal products of labor and capital across plants within narrowly defined industries in China and India compared with the United States. When capital and labor are hypothetically reallocated to equalize marginal products to the extent observed in the United States, we calculate manufacturing TFP gains of 30%–50% in China and 40%–60% in India.

1,995 citations