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Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2012

International Economics

Henk LM Kox

Articles 1 - 4 of 4

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Import Decisions And Firm Performance - An Empirical Analysis For The Netherlands, Henk Lm Kox Sep 2012

Import Decisions And Firm Performance - An Empirical Analysis For The Netherlands, Henk Lm Kox

Henk LM Kox

This paper investigates the relation between import decisions and productivity performance for Dutch firms. Importer productivity premiums appear to be larger than those for exporting firms. In the perspective of recent trade theory this indicates that trade costs for importers are at least as important as they are for exporting firms. For import starters I find evidence that ex ante productivity-based self selection is important. This also points in the direction of considerable sunk trade costs for firms that engage in direct imports.

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Unleashing Competition In Eu Business Services, Henk Lm Kox Sep 2012

Unleashing Competition In Eu Business Services, Henk Lm Kox

Henk LM Kox

This policy brief provides research results indicating that a lack of competitive selection contributes to the productivity stagnation in European business services. Competition between small firms and large firms in business services is found to be weak. Inefficiencies also persist within size classes, which indicates a lack of competitive pressure. Markets for business services appear to work best in countries with flexible regulation on employment change, and with low regulatory costs for firms that start-up or exit a business. Countries with more openness to foreign competition perform better in terms of competitive selection and productivity. Policy simulations show that many …

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Dynamic Market Selection In Eu Business Services, Henk Lm Kox, George Van Leeuwen Jul 2012

Dynamic Market Selection In Eu Business Services, Henk Lm Kox, George Van Leeuwen

Henk LM Kox

European business services has witnessed about two decades of virtual productivity stagnation. The paper investigates whether this is caused by weak dynamic market selection. The time pattern of scale-related inefficiencies is used as an indicator for the effectiveness of market selection. We use a DEA method to construct the productivity frontier by sub-sector and size class, for business services in 13 EU countries. From this we derive scale economies and their development over time. Between 1999 and 2005 we observe a persistence of scale inefficiencies and X-inefficiencies , with scale efficiency falling rather than growing over time. This indicates malfunctioning …

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Export Decisions Of Services Firms Between Agglomeration Effects And Market-Entry Costs, Henk Lm Kox Apr 2012

Export Decisions Of Services Firms Between Agglomeration Effects And Market-Entry Costs, Henk Lm Kox

Henk LM Kox

The paper tests the role of agglomeration effects on the export decision of services firms. Recent theories on trade with heterogeneous firms predict that export participation goes along with sunk market-entry costs. Only the more productive firms will be able to overcome these sunk costs. This leads to a process of - ex ante - self selection. These predictions are tested for the services industry, with due account for the possible role of agglomeration effects in large-city areas. Standard empirical tests of the new trade models consistently find productivity-based ex ante self selection by exporters, and this effect is mostly …

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