Do Firms Learn by Exporting or Learn to Export? Evidence from Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Swedish Manufacturing

Kent Eliasson (), Pär Hansson () and Markus Lindvert ()
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Kent Eliasson: Growth Analysis, Postal: Studentplan 3, SE-831 40, Östersund
Markus Lindvert: Growth Analysis, Postal: Studentplan 3, SE-831 40, Östersund

No 793, Umeå Economic Studies from Umeå University, Department of Economics

Abstract: Using a matching approach, we compare the productivity trajectories of future exporters and matched and unmatched non-exporters. Future exporters have higher productivity than do unmatched non-exporters before entry into the export market, which indicates self-selection into exports. More interestingly, we also find a productivity increase among future exporters relative to matched non-exporters 1-2 years before export entry. However, the productivity gap between future exporters and matched non-exporters does not continue to grow after export entry. Our results suggest that learning-to-export occurs but that learning-by-exporting does not. In contrast to previous studies on Swedish manufacturing, we focus particularly on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Keywords: productivity; learning-to-export; learning-by-exporting; matching (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D24 F14 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 34 pages
Date: 2009-11-27
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-eff, nep-ent and nep-int
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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Working Paper: Do Firms Learn by Exporting or Learn to Export? Evidence from Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Swedish Manufacturing (2009)
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