A cross-country analysis of total factor productivity using micro-level data

Abstract

Total factor productivity (TFP) is a crucial measure of efŞciency and thus an important tool for policymakers. However, research on comparison of TFP performances using micro-level data across developingcountries has been limited due to the unavailability of homogenous data sources. This study aims toŞllthis crucial gap by using a data set which has been collected through a large body of surveys conductedacross 69 developing countries following the same methodology. The homogenous nature of the dataand the diverse set of questions included in the surveys provide unique opportunity to compare averageproductivity performances ofŞrms across a large set of characteristics and business environment factors.The analysis performed here provides the groundwork for testing various stylized facts about TFP and itsrelated factors such as exporting, innovation, access toŞnance, foreign ownership, and regulations acrossdeveloping countries.© 2018 Central Bank of The Republic of Turkey. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. This is an openaccess article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)