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What drives differences in management practices?

Author

Listed:
  • Bloom, Nicholas
  • Brynjolfsson, Erik
  • Foster, Lucia
  • Jarmin, Ron
  • Patnaik, Megha
  • Saporta-Eksten, Itay
  • Van Reenen, John
Abstract
Partnering with the US Census Bureau, we implement a new survey of "structured" management practices in two waves of 35,000 manufacturing plants in 2010 and 2015. We fnd an enormous dispersion of management practices across plants, with 40 percent of this variation across plants within the same frm. Management practices account for more than 20 percent of the variation in productivity, a similar, or greater, percentage as that accounted for by R&D, ICT, or human capital. We fnd evidence of two key drivers to improve management. The business environment, as measured by right-to-work laws, boosts incentive management practices. Learning spillovers, as measured by the arrival of large "Million Dollar Plants" in the county, increases the management scores of incumbents.

Suggested Citation

  • Bloom, Nicholas & Brynjolfsson, Erik & Foster, Lucia & Jarmin, Ron & Patnaik, Megha & Saporta-Eksten, Itay & Van Reenen, John, 2019. "What drives differences in management practices?," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 101175, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:101175
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • L25 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Performance
    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • L60 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - General
    • M11 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Production Management
    • M50 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - General

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