Exceptional Exporter Performance: Cause, Effect, or Both?

35 Pages Posted: 27 Aug 2000 Last revised: 22 Aug 2022

See all articles by Andrew B. Bernard

Andrew B. Bernard

Dartmouth College - Tuck School of Business; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

J. Bradford Jensen

Georgetown University - McDonough School of Business; Peterson Institute for International Economics

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: November 1997

Abstract

A growing body of empirical work has documented the superior performance characteristics" of exporting plants and firms relative to non-exporters. Employment, shipments and capital intensity are all higher at exporters at any given moment. This paper asks whether good" firms become exporters or whether exporting improves firm performance. The evidence is quite" clear on one point: good firms become exporters, both growth rates and levels of success measures" are higher ex-ante for exporters. The benefits of exporting for the firm are less clear. Employment" growth and the probability of survival are both higher for exporters; however growth is not superior, particularly over longer horizons.

Suggested Citation

Bernard, Andrew B. and Jensen, J. Bradford, Exceptional Exporter Performance: Cause, Effect, or Both? (November 1997). NBER Working Paper No. w6272, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=226029

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Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) ( email )

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J. Bradford Jensen

Georgetown University - McDonough School of Business ( email )

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Peterson Institute for International Economics ( email )

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