What Determines Productivity?

Chad Syverson

No 15712, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

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-codes: D2 D24 E2 E23 F1 L1 L11 L2 L23 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cba, nep-eff and nep-hpe
Note: EFG IO PR
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (83)

Published as Chad Syverson, 2011. "What Determines Productivity?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 49(2), pages 326-65, June.

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Journal Article: What Determines Productivity? (2011)
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