Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/163039 
Year of Publication: 
2017
Series/Report no.: 
WIDER Working Paper No. 2017/68
Publisher: 
The United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER), Helsinki
Abstract: 
Using a rich panel dataset of SMEs active in the manufacturing sector in Viet Nam, this paper investigates the drivers of firm productivity, focusing on the role played by international management standards certification. We develop and test the hypothesis that, controlling for technological innovation (product and process) and other variables related to technological capabilities, international standards are still conducive to higher productivity, through improved management practices associated with their adoption. In line with the requirement of continuous improvement implied by most international standards, the main findings show that the possession of an internationally recognized standard certificate leads to significant productivity premium. We further investigate the relationship between technological innovation and standard adoption. We find that the likelihood of certificate adoption is higher when firms implement technological innovations and that the effect of certification on productivity is particularly strong for firms with technological innovation.
Subjects: 
management standards
ISO certification
technological innovation
productivity
Viet Nam
JEL: 
D22
D24
L20
O12
O30
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
ISBN: 
978-92-9256-292-2
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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