Management standard certification and firm productivity: micro-evidence from Africa

Micheline Goedhuys and Pierre Mohnen

No 2016-012, MERIT Working Papers from United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT)

Abstract: Using micro evidence from manufacturing and services firms located in 55 African countries, this paper shows that better management practice, reflected by international management certification, helps firms to raise productivity. Larger and older firms and firms operating closer to the technological frontier are more likely to possess international management standards certification, as do firms engaged in international transactions. Certification in turn raises productivity levels further, in line with a process of continuous improvement. The findings hold for both manufacturing and services firms.

Keywords: standards; productivity; Africa; manufacturing; services (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D02 D24 L15 O33 O55 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016-03-15
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-afr, nep-bec, nep-eff and nep-sbm
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https://unu-merit.nl/publications/wppdf/2016/wp2016-012.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: Management Standard Certification and Firm productivity: Micro-evidence from Africa (2017)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:unm:unumer:2016012

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