Abstract
This study examines the productivity performance of Balkan firms within and
outside the European Union (EU), including the influence of loans. A
multiple treatment model is used to compare the effects on productivity of
membership and loans both separately and collectively, which in the case of
loans allows a separate analysis of their influence on firms in non-member
states. The use of conditional quantile regressions measures the effect on
productivity of membership and loans separately as treatment variables. This
provides an analysis of where the treatment influence is greatest across the
distribution curve and identifies the significance of selected control
variables on the outcome. In the full sample, the findings indicate that EU
membership and loans have a positive effect on productivity, with membership
being more important than loans. Outside the EU, firms in receipt of loans
are more productive than those without. However, the significance of both
membership and loans is restricted to the lower end of the productivity
distribution curve. The manufacturing sample shows that EU membership has a
significant positive effect across 70% of the deciles measured, whilst the
influence of loans is restricted to the lower deciles, with rental capital
(leasing) also positively significant in the lower four deciles. In the
services sector, however, membership is significant up to 90% of the
distribution, with loans at 60%.
Citation
ID:
198925
Ref Key:
p.2017ekonomskifirm