世界银行-种族分化对劳动生产率的影响：企业规模重要吗？（英）-2023.3-104页_1mb

The Impact of Ethnic Fractionalization on Labor Productivity: Firm Size Matters

Core Research Questions

• Does ethnic diversity have differential effects on small vs. large firms?
• How do the associated mechanisms vary by firm size?
• What are the policy implications for mitigating negative effects?

Key Findings

Main Results

Ethnic fractionalization generally reduces labor productivity, with this effect magnified for smaller firms:

• One SD increase in ethnic fractionalization decreases labor productivity by -0.91 log points on average
• The negative impact is concentrated on SMEs (<100 employees), equivalent to an ~55% greater productivity decline in the most affected case
• The negative effect on SME productivity (-2.18 log points) is >3x larger than on large firms (+0.03 log points)

Mechanisms Driving Disparities

1. Resource Absorption: Larger firms better absorb negative externalities like:

   • Poor public infrastructure (power outages)
   • Institutional weaknesses (higher corruption)
   • More complex, diverse production structures

2. Management Capabilities: Large firms demonstrate superior ability to:

   • Implement diversity management practices
   • Leverage formal/institutional resources to mitigate conflicts

Robustness Evidence

• OLS and IV methods consistently show differential effects
• Multiple alternative measures of firm size replication confirm smaller firms consistently show stronger negative impacts
• Quality certification proxies demonstrate higher productivity resilience among larger firms

Policy Implications

Targeted interventions are needed:

• Address SME-specific barriers through improved infrastructure, training, and institutional support
• Design policies sensitive to smaller firm vulnerabilities in ethnically diverse contexts
• Prioritize SME-targeted anti-corruption initiatives

Conclusion

Firm size determines vulnerability to ethnic fractionalization's negative impact:

• SMEs face significantly amplified productivity costs
• Average firm size of 82 employees marks a critical threshold for differential impact
• Resource advantages and management capabilities of larger firms offset ethnic diversity costs