Barriers to Competition and Productivity: Evidence from India
Barriers to Competition and Productivity: Evidence from India
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竞争和生产力的障碍：来自印度的证据
DOI：
10.2202/1935-1682.2161
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发表时间：
2009
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Jagadeesh Sivadasan
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Jagadeesh Sivadasan
许多经济理论认为，竞争壁垒会导致现有企业效率低下。在本文中，我们使用一个详细的工厂级数据集来研究两项改革（始于1991年）对生产率的影响，这两项改革旨在提高印度产品市场的竞争力--外国直接投资（FDI）自由化和关税税率的降低。首先，我们研究了自由化政策对目标行业平均工厂生产率的影响。我们发现，外国直接投资和关税自由化行业的生产率显著提高，特别是从长期来看（1993- 1994年）。我们检查并发现我们的结果稳健的一系列鲁棒性测试。接下来，我们考察了集约型（工厂内生产率增长）和粗放型（从低生产率工厂向高生产率工厂的再分配）利润率在改革后生产率提高中的作用，并发现前者的主导作用。最后，我们评估了企业内部生产率提高的潜在渠道。与价格竞争的作用相一致，我们发现有证据表明，自由化部门的产出价格下降幅度更大，而且采取了集中措施。
Abstract A number of economic theories suggest that barriers to competition lead to higher levels of inefficiency among incumbents. In this paper, we use a detailed plant-level dataset to study the impact on productivity of two reforms (initiated in 1991) aimed at increasing product market competition in India -- liberalization of foreign direct investment (FDI) and reduction in tariff rates. First, we examine the effect of the liberalization policies on mean plant-level productivity in the targeted industries. We find significant increases in productivity in the FDI and tariff-liberalized industries, particularly in the longer term (1993-94). We check and find our results robust to a range of robustness tests. Next, we examine the role of intensive (within-plant productivity growth) and extensive (reallocation from less to more productive plants) margins in the post-reform productivity improvement, and find a predominant role for the former. Finally, we assess potential channels for within-firm productivity improvement. Consistent with a role for price competition, we find evidence of greater declines in output prices as well as concentration measures in the liberalized sectors.