Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/148921 
Year of Publication: 
2016
Series/Report no.: 
ZEW Discussion Papers No. 16-092
Publisher: 
Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung (ZEW), Mannheim
Abstract: 
Missing values are a major problem in all econometric applications based on survey data. A standard approach assumes data are missing-at-random and uses imputation methods, or even listwise deletion. This approach is justified if item non-response does not depend on the potentially missing variables' realization. However, assuming missing-at-random may introduce bias if non-response is, in fact, selective. Relevant applications range from financial or strategic firm-level data to individual-level data on income or privacy-sensitive behaviors. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to deal with selective item nonresponse in the model's dependent variable. Our approach is based on instrumental variables that affect selection only through potential outcomes. In addition, we allow for endogenous regressors. We establish identification of the structural parameter and propose a simple two-step estimation procedure for it. Our estimator is consistent and robust against biases that would prevail when assuming missingness at random. We implement the estimation procedure using firm-level survey data and a binary instrumental variable to estimate the effect of outsourcing on productivity.
Subjects: 
endogenous selection
IV-estimation
inverse probability weighting
missing data
productivity
outsourcing
semiparametric estimation
JEL: 
C14
C36
D24
L24
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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