This paper investigates the impact of foreign acquisition on domestic firm productivity. In contrast to previous studies it applies a difference-in-differences methodology based on a matched panel of firms in order to trace out such changes. It finds evidence of significant positive productivity...

This paper focuses on the pattern of returns to scale and productivity growth in UK manufacturing establishments in the electronics and food industries. Our results show that foreign establishments tend to have lower returns to scale than their domestic counterparts. Moreover, foreign...

This paper examines the effect that the ÔCadbury reformsÕ have had on the pay determination process of executives in the UK Our results suggest that, on average, the impact has been disappointing. The relationship between pay and performance remains weak and the link to firm size has, if...

Using a comprehensive micro dataset spanning the period 1998-2005, this paper provides a systematic investigation of the relationship between financial structure and firm growth in China, controlling for the endogeneity of the former. It finds that financial structure does matter for firm growth...

This paper investigates the two way relationship between R&D and export activity. In particular, we concern ourselves with the question whether R&D stimulates exports and, perhaps more importantly, whether export activity leads to increasing innovative activity in terms of R&D (learning by...

This paper analyses the role of political connections in the post-entry performance of private start-up companies in China. It documents robust evidence that political affiliation enhances firms’ survival and growth prospects, even if politically neutral start-ups enjoy faster productivity...

This paper investigates whether returns to schooling in Ethiopia vary across the wage distribution of individuals. To do so, it adopts an instrumental variables quantile regression framework that allows for both endogeneity of schooling resulting from unmeasured ability, and possible...

This paper seeks to identify the causal effect of foreign acquisitions on wages of skilled and unskilled workers, using difference-in-differences propensity score matching estimators. Our results suggest that there is substantial heterogeneity in the post-acquisition wage effect depending on the...