On the productive efficiency of Australian businesses: firm size and age class effects
Journal article
Cowling, M and Tanewski, G. 2018. On the productive efficiency of Australian businesses: firm size and age class effects. Small Business Economics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-018-0070-0
| Authors | Cowling, M and Tanewski, G. |
|---|---|
| Abstract | After 26 years of growth, the Australian economy is beginning to show signs of stress and declining productivity. In this paper, we consider aspects of productive efficiency using an Australian business population data set. Using a production function approach, several key findings are uncovered. Firstly, decreasing returns to scale are identified as a significant feature of the Australian business sector. This implies that not all firm growth will lead to productivity gains. Secondly, there are significant differences in the way value added is created between small and large firms. In the largest 25% of firms, the capital contribution to value added is four times that of the smallest 25% of firms. Thirdly, efficiency follows an inverted ‘U’ shaped in firm age with the youngest (0–2 years) and oldest (> 9 years) firms being less productive than the middle 50% of firms. Fourthly, there are also huge industry sector variations in productivity. In particular, financial services appears to be the most productively efficient sector in the Australian economy and mining the least efficient. |
| Year | 2018 |
| Journal | Small Business Economics |
| Publisher | Elsevier |
| ISSN | 0921898X |
| 15730913 | |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-018-0070-0 |
| Web address (URL) | http://hdl.handle.net/10545/624078 |
| hdl:10545/624078 | |
| Publication dates | 22 Jun 2018 |
| Publication process dates | |
| Deposited | 06 Aug 2019, 15:37 |
| Contributors | University of Brighton |
Permalink -
https://repository.derby.ac.uk/item/923z9/on-the-productive-efficiency-of-australian-businesses-firm-size-and-age-class-effects
62
total views0
total downloads0
views this month0
downloads this month
Export as
Related outputs
Predicting future default on the Covid-19 bounce back loan scheme: The 46.5 billion question
Cowling, Marc, Wilson, N, Nightingale, P and Kacer, M 2022. Predicting future default on the Covid-19 bounce back loan scheme: The 46.5 billion question. International Small Business Journal.Has previous loan rejection scarred firms from applying for loans during Covid-19?
Cowling, Marc, Calabrese, Raffaella and Liu, Weixi 2021. Has previous loan rejection scarred firms from applying for loans during Covid-19? Small Business Economics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-021-00586-2Understanding the Dynamics of UK Covid-19 SME Financing
Calabrese, Raffaella, Cowling, Marc and Liu, Weixi 2021. Understanding the Dynamics of UK Covid-19 SME Financing. British Journal of Management. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.12576Access to Finance for Cleantech Innovation and Investment: Evidence from U.K. Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises
Cowling, Marc and Weixi, Liu 2021. Access to Finance for Cleantech Innovation and Investment: Evidence from U.K. Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management. https://doi.org/10.1109/TEM.2021.3066685The geographical impact of the Covid-19 crisis on precautionary savings, firm survival and jobs: Evidence from the United Kingdom’s 100 largest towns and cities
Brown, Ross and Cowling, Marc 2021. The geographical impact of the Covid-19 crisis on precautionary savings, firm survival and jobs: Evidence from the United Kingdom’s 100 largest towns and cities. International Small Business Journal: Researching Entrepreneurship. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266242621989326The covid-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom and subjective well-being: have the self-employed suffered more due to hours and income reductions?
Yue, Wei and Cowling, Marc 2021. The covid-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom and subjective well-being: have the self-employed suffered more due to hours and income reductions? International Small Business Journal: Researching Entrepreneurship. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266242620986763The geography of business angel investments in the UK: Does local bias (still) matter?
Cowling, Marc, Brown, Ross and Lee, Neil 2021. The geography of business angel investments in the UK: Does local bias (still) matter? Event and Planning A: Economy and Space. https://doi.org/10.1177/0308518X20984484Regional and spatial issues in the financing of small and medium-sized enterprises and new ventures
Cowling, Marc, Ughetto, Elisa and Lee, Neil 2019. Regional and spatial issues in the financing of small and medium-sized enterprises and new ventures. Regional Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2019.1601174Cost of capital and public loan guarantees to small firms
Ughetto, Elisa, Scellato, Giuseppe and Cowling, Marc 2017. Cost of capital and public loan guarantees to small firms. Small Business Economics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-017-9845-yInvestment motivations and UK business angels' appetite for risk taking: The moderating role of experience
Croce, Annalisa, Ughetto, Elisa and Cowling, Marc 2019. Investment motivations and UK business angels' appetite for risk taking: The moderating role of experience. British Journal of Management. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.12380Gender and bank lending after the global financial crisis: are women entrepreneurs safer bets?
Cowling, Marc, Marlow, Susan and Liu, Weixi 2019. Gender and bank lending after the global financial crisis: are women entrepreneurs safer bets? Small Business Economics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-019-00168-3Did you save some cash for a rainy COVID-19 day? The crisis and SMEs
Cowling, Marc, Brown, Ross and Rocha, Augusto 2020. Did you save some cash for a rainy COVID-19 day? The crisis and SMEs. International Small Business Journal: Research Entrepreneurship. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266242620945102The snowballing penalty effect: Multiple disadvantage and pay
Woodhams, Carol, Lutpon, Ben and Cowling, Marc 2013. The snowballing penalty effect: Multiple disadvantage and pay. British Journal of Management. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.12032LDBG loan and grant funding recipients
Cowling, Marc and Nadeem, Simon Peter 2019. LDBG loan and grant funding recipients. University of Derby.Entrepreneurial firms: With whom do they compete, and where?
Cowling, Marc and Nadeem, Simon Peter 2020. Entrepreneurial firms: With whom do they compete, and where? Review of Industrial Organization. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11151-020-09782-yCan local finance add value to local small business? Evidence from a UK local loan and grant fund
Cowling, Marc, Nadeem, Simon Peter, Foster, Carley and Baranova, Polina 2020. Can local finance add value to local small business? Evidence from a UK local loan and grant fund. International Review of Entrepreneurship.Depletion and Subjective Well-Being: Lessons from the UK Coronavirus Lockdown
Nunn, A. and Cowling, M. 2020. Depletion and Subjective Well-Being: Lessons from the UK Coronavirus Lockdown. Global Policy.Two decades of European self-employment: Is the answer to who becomes self-employed different over time and countries?
Millán, José María, Yue, Wei and Cowling, M 2019. Two decades of European self-employment: Is the answer to who becomes self-employed different over time and countries? Journal of Business Venturing Insights. 12, p. e00138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbvi.2019.e00138