{
  "title": "Structural Reforms and Firms’ Productivity: Evidence from Developing Countries",
  "publication": "IMF Working Papers, March 19, 2018",
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2018/03/19/structural-reforms-and-firms-productivity-evidence-from-developing-countries-45718",
  "canonical": "https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2018/03/19/structural-reforms-and-firms-productivity-evidence-from-developing-countries-45718",
  "overlayPath": "/en/publications/wp/issues/2018/03/19/structural-reforms-and-firms-productivity-evidence-from-developing-countries-45718/index.md",
  "summary": "This paper assesses the effects of structural reforms on firm-level productivity for 37 developing countries from 2006 to 2014 period. It takes advantage of the IMF Monitoring of Fund Arrangements dataset for reform indexes and the World Bank Enterprise Surveys for firm-level productivity.",
  "sections": [
    {
      "heading": "Authors and publication",
      "content": "- By Wilfried A. Kouamé, Sampawende J Tapsoba\n- March 19, 2018\n- IMF Working Papers, Working Paper No. 2018/063, Issue: 063, Pages: 42\n- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781484347003.001\n- ISBN: 9781484347003\n- ISSN: 1018-5941"
    },
    {
      "heading": "Research question and data",
      "content": "- Research question: Assess the effects of structural reforms on firm-level productivity in developing countries.\n- Sample: 37 developing countries.\n- Time period: 2006 to 2014.\n- Reform indexes source: IMF Monitoring of Fund Arrangements dataset.\n- Firm-level productivity source: World Bank Enterprise Surveys."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Key empirical findings",
      "content": "- Structural reforms such as financial, fiscal, real sector, and trade reforms significantly improve firm-level productivity.\n- Real sector reforms have the most sizeable effects on firm-level productivity.\n- The relationship between structural reforms and firm-level productivity is nonlinear.\n- The effect of reforms on productivity is shaped by firm characteristics including financial access, the distortionary environment, and firm size.\n- Being a “strong reformer” (pace of reforms matters) is associated with a clear productivity dividend for firms.\n- Except for financial and trade reforms, all structural reforms under consideration are bilaterally complementary in improving firm-level productivity.\n- These findings are robust to several sensitivity checks."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Subject coverage and keywords",
      "content": "- Subjects: Business environment; Economic sectors; Fiscal policy; Labor productivity; Macrostructural analysis; Production; Productivity; Structural reforms.\n- Keywords included in the source: Business environment; Central Asia; Developing countries; East Asia; firm level; firm-level productivity; firms benefit; firms' characteristic; Global; growth potential; Labor productivity; Middle East, North Africa; Productivity; productivity gain; productivity gains; standard deviation; structural reform; Structural Reforms; WP."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Robustness and scope notes",
      "content": "- Results are reported as robust to several sensitivity checks (no additional numeric details provided on the page).\n- Analysis focuses on bilateral complementarities across reform types, with the exception noted for financial and trade reforms.\n\nSource: IMF Working Paper “Structural Reforms and Firms’ Productivity: Evidence from Developing Countries”, Wilfried A. Kouamé and Sampawende J Tapsoba, March 19, 2018.\n\n---\n\n Content in this bundle\n\n- Structural Reforms and Firms’ Productivity: Evidence from Developing Countries, WP/18/63, March 2018\n  - Structural Reforms and Firms’ Productivity: Evidence from Developing Countries, WP/18/63, March 2018 (Markdown version){rel=\"alternate\" type=\"text/markdown\"}\n  - Structural Reforms and Firms’ Productivity: Evidence from Developing Countries, WP/18/63, March 2018 (PDF){rel=\"external\" type=\"application/pdf\"}\n\n---\n\nSource: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2018/03/19/structural-reforms-and-firms-productivity-evidence-from-developing-countries-45718"
    }
  ],
  "bullets": [
    "[Markdown version](/en/publications/wp/issues/2018/03/19/structural-reforms-and-firms-productivity-evidence-from-developing-countries-45718/index.md)",
    "[Structured JSON version](/en/publications/wp/issues/2018/03/19/structural-reforms-and-firms-productivity-evidence-from-developing-countries-45718/index.json)",
    "[Bundle manifest](/en/publications/wp/issues/2018/03/19/structural-reforms-and-firms-productivity-evidence-from-developing-countries-45718/bundle-manifest.json)",
    "Authors: Wilfried A. Kouamé, Sampawende J Tapsoba",
    "Published: March 19, 2018",
    "Series: IMF Working Papers",
    "DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781484347003.001",
    "By Wilfried A. Kouamé, Sampawende J Tapsoba",
    "March 19, 2018",
    "IMF Working Papers, Working Paper No. 2018/063, Issue: 063, Pages: 42",
    "DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781484347003.001",
    "ISBN: 9781484347003",
    "ISSN: 1018-5941",
    "Research question: Assess the effects of structural reforms on firm-level productivity in developing countries.",
    "Sample: 37 developing countries.",
    "Time period: 2006 to 2014.",
    "Reform indexes source: IMF Monitoring of Fund Arrangements dataset.",
    "Firm-level productivity source: World Bank Enterprise Surveys.",
    "Structural reforms such as financial, fiscal, real sector, and trade reforms significantly improve firm-level productivity.",
    "Real sector reforms have the most sizeable effects on firm-level productivity.",
    "The relationship between structural reforms and firm-level productivity is nonlinear.",
    "The effect of reforms on productivity is shaped by firm characteristics including financial access, the distortionary environment, and firm size.",
    "Being a “strong reformer” (pace of reforms matters) is associated with a clear productivity dividend for firms.",
    "Except for financial and trade reforms, all structural reforms under consideration are bilaterally complementary in improving firm-level productivity.",
    "These findings are robust to several sensitivity checks.",
    "Subjects: Business environment; Economic sectors; Fiscal policy; Labor productivity; Macrostructural analysis; Production; Productivity; Structural reforms.",
    "Keywords included in the source: Business environment; Central Asia; Developing countries; East Asia; firm level; firm-level productivity; firms benefit; firms' characteristic; Global; growth potential; Labor productivity; Middle East, North Africa; Productivity; productivity gain; productivity gains; standard deviation; structural reform; Structural Reforms; WP.",
    "Results are reported as robust to several sensitivity checks (no additional numeric details provided on the page).",
    "Analysis focuses on bilateral complementarities across reform types, with the exception noted for financial and trade reforms.",
    "**Structural Reforms and Firms’ Productivity: Evidence from Developing Countries, WP/18/63, March 2018**"
  ],
  "related": [
    {
      "title": "Structural Reforms and Firms’ Productivity: Evidence from Developing Countries, WP/18/63, March 2018",
      "role": "document",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/wp/2018/wp1863.pdf",
      "summary": {
        "path": "/-/media/files/publications/wp/2018/wp1863.pdf.md",
        "mime": "text/markdown"
      },
      "binary": {
        "path": "/-/media/files/publications/wp/2018/wp1863.pdf",
        "mime": "application/pdf"
      }
    }
  ],
  "alternates": {
    "markdown": "/en/publications/wp/issues/2018/03/19/structural-reforms-and-firms-productivity-evidence-from-developing-countries-45718/index.md",
    "json": "/en/publications/wp/issues/2018/03/19/structural-reforms-and-firms-productivity-evidence-from-developing-countries-45718/index.json",
    "bundleManifest": "/en/publications/wp/issues/2018/03/19/structural-reforms-and-firms-productivity-evidence-from-developing-countries-45718/bundle-manifest.json"
  },
  "generatedAtUtc": "2026-09-18T13:09:51.189Z"
}