PATTERNS AND DETERMINANTS OF PRODUCTIVE EFFICIENCY IN STATE MANUFACTURING*

ABSTRACT This paper uses a stochastic frontier production-function model to measure and compare productivity efficiency in the manufacturing sector of states in the United States over the period 1959–1972. Based on this model we find considerable variations in productive efficiency across states. A large portion of the variation is found to be related to regional differences in labor-force characteristics, levels of urbanization and industrial structure. We also examine the relationship between productive efficiency and the subsequent growth of manufacturing and find some evidence of a weak relationship between efficiency and the growth of employment.     

EXPORT PERFORMANCE AND EXPORT POTENTIALS: WESTERN CANADIAN EXPORTS OF MANUFACTURED END PRODUCTS

This paper analyses the export performance and export potentials of end products manufactured in western Canada. Exports are explicitly interpreted as part of the (progressive) internationalization of firms. A sample of manufacturing firms is classified according to a five-stage model of the internationalization of firms on the basis of variations in marketing and technological strategy. It is suggested that improvements in export performance would be facilitated by export stimulation programs that are sensitive to the varying resources and to constraints of firms in different stages of internationalization. More generally, export promotion should be seen as part of the problem of stimulating the growth of firms.
Cette communication analyse la situation actuelle et potentielle des exportations de produits fabriqués dans I'ouest canadien. On considère catégoriquement que les exportations font parti de I'internationalisation (progressive) des fabricants. Un échantillon de ces derniers est classifié selon un modèle, à cinq étapes, de I'internationalisation de ces socieétés, basé sur les variations dans leurs stratégies techniques et commerciales. II est sug-géré que les taux des exportations pourrait ětre améliorer par des programmes visant a les stimuler, en autant que ces efforts tiennent compte du bilan des ressources et des contraintes des sociétés, durant les différentes étapes de leur internationalisation. En général il ne devraitpas avoir de distinctions entre les efforts visant à stimuler les exportations et ceux qui encouragent la croissance des sociétés fabricantes.     

THE DETERMINANTS OF STATE MANUFACTURING GROWTH RATES: A TWO-DIGIT-LEVEL ANALYSIS*

ABSTRACT. This paper analyzes 1954–1987 state manufacturing employment growth in 19 two-digit industries. Markets were found to be the strongest influence in 18 industries. Labor was the second strongest, followed by a threshold variable. Weaker influences were resources, taxes, and amenities. Regional values for the market, labor, and threshold variables corresponded well with regional employment change in the Manufacturing Belt and all other regions of the U.S.     

AN EXAMINATION OF POPULATION-GROWTH-MANAGING COMMUNITIES

This paper examines the fiscal, social, economic and environmental characteristics of 228 cities and counties. Using cluster analysis, 210 communities were classified into eleven types of communities. The empirical typings appear to support the proposition that communities control population growth to avoid adverse fiscal and environmental impacts and maintain the social and economic character of the community.     

SERVICE EXPORTS AND REGIONAL GROWTH IN THE POSTINDUSTRIAL ERA*

ABSTRACT. The role of service industries in the regional growth process has been debated for decades. Although the importance of services in providing an essential framework for the development of exports has long been acknowledged, their ability to initiate growth has never been generally accepted. In this paper the change in composition of exports from Canada's four western provinces between 1974 and 1979 is analyzed. It was observed that service exports increased more rapidly than exports of goods on both a direct and a direct-plus-indirect basis in 88 percent of comparisons. In absolute terms, the gain in service exports was equal to 89 percent of that for goods exports.     

PRODUCTION FUNCTIONS AND THE DISAGGREGATION OF LABOR INPUTS IN MANUFACTURING PLANTS*

ABSTRACT. This paper investigates the assumption of homogeneous labor inputs underlying the production functions in many regional models. The results indicate that nonproduction and production labor within manufacturing plants are not strongly separable, and the homogeneous labor assumption is not therefore appropriate. Hence, regional models need to take this into account in order to give reliable results. Differences between industries provide useful additional insights into their labor and capital relationships.     

POLLUTION ABATEMENT EXPENDITURES AND REGIONAL MANUFACTURING ACTIVITY*

ABSTRACT. Using a sample of 63 SMSAs for the years 1974, 1978, and 1982 I find weak support for the argument that environmental regulations retard economic activity. Regression analysis of the relationship between per unit total and air pollution abatement expenditures in the manufacturing sector of these SMSAs and manufacturing employment and earnings levels reveals that these associations are negative but that the magnitudes are relatively small. For example, 10 percent higher per unit total pollution abatement costs are associated with, on average, 1064 fewer manufacturing workers (0.17 percent of total regional employment) in Sun Belt SMSAs during 1982.     

DEFENSE SPENDING AND STATE ECONOMIC GROWTH*

Little evidence is currently available on the regional growth effects of federal defense spending. In this study, econometric models for state personal income and manufacturing employment between 1976 and 1985 are specified and estimated. Pooled cross-sectional time-series data are used, and the estimation procedure corrects for serial correlation, heteroscedasticity, and contemporaneous cross-sectional correlation. The results indicate that aggregate defense spending has a positive effect on both growth measures. However, when defense expenditures are disaggregated, only investment-type outlays appear to consistently affect state economic growth.