| Peer-Reviewed

The Determinants of Labor Productivity in Jordan During the Period 1980-2017

Received: 30 December 2019    Accepted: 9 January 2020    Published: 27 January 2020
Views:       Downloads:
Abstract

This study aims at investigating the long-run and short-run relationships between labor productivity in Jordan and each of capital intensity, wages, trade openness and regulatory quality over the period 1980-2017. All the study variables are found to be stationary at the first difference. Johansen cointegration test revealed that there is a unique cointegrating equation. Therefore, Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) was implemented to estimate the short and long-run effects. The empirical results show that capital intensity, wages and regulatory quality have significant long-run positive impact on Jordanian labor productivity. However, all the independent variables have insignificant short-run effects on labor productivity during the study period. The significant negative coefficient of the error correction term (ECT) confirms the existence of long-run relationships. Moreover, this paper highlights the important role of regulatory quality as a governance indicator in improving labor productivity in Jordan, thus the study recommends improving public administration, strengthening governance, and applying the appropriate policies and regulations that promote and enhance national and foreign direct investments, and ensure efficient allocation of resources.

Published in International Journal of Business and Economics Research (Volume 9, Issue 1)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijber.20200901.13
Page(s) 21-28
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Capital Intensity, Governance, Labor Productivity, Trade Openness

References
[1] Freeman, R. (2008). Labour Productivity Indicators. OECD Publications, Division of Structural Economic Statistics, July 2008. http://www.oecd.org/employment/labour-stats/41354425.pdf.
[2] International Monetary Fund (2018). Opportunity for All: Promoting Growth and Inclusiveness in the Middle East and North Africa. Middle East and Central Asia Department, IMF Departmental Paper No. 18/11 (Washington, DC). https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/Departmental-Papers-Policy-Papers/Issues/2018/07/10/Opportunity-for-All Promoting-Growth-and-Inclusiveness-in-the-Middle-East-and-North-Africa-45981.
[3] International Labour Organization (2018). Decent Work Country Programme: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan/International Labour Office. - Geneva: ILO, 2018, pp. 1-44. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---arabstates/---ro-beirut/documents/genericdocument/wcms_656566.pdf.
[4] Abdul-khaliq, S., Soufan, T. and Shihab, R. (2013). Intensive Economic Growth in Jordan during 1978-2010. International Journal of Business and Management, 8 (12), pp. 143-154.
[5] AL-Raimony, A. (2011). The Determinants of Economic Growth in Jordan. Abhath Al-Yarmouk, Humanities and Social Sciences Series, 27 (3), pp. 2297-2305.
[6] International Labour Organization (2013). Decent Work Country Profile: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan / International Labour Office. - Geneva: ILO, 2013, pp. 1-136. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---integration/documents/publication/wcms_232764.pdf.
[7] Wakeford, J. (2004). The Productivity-Wage Relationship in South Africa: An Empirical Investigation. Development Southern Africa, Paper prepared for the TIPS/DPRU Conference, Johannesburg, September 200321, pp. 109–132. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/227610895_The_productivity-wage_relationship_in_South_Africa_An_empirical_investigation.
[8] Gordon, R. J. (1997). Productivity, Wages and Price Inside and Outside of Manufacturing in the U.S., Japan, and Europe. National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper, 2070, pp. 1-73. https://www.nber.org/papers/w2070.
[9] Kumar, S., Webber, D. J. and Perry, G. (2009). Real Wages, Inflation and Labour Productivity in Australia. Department of Business Economics, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand, pp. 1-15. https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/19293/1/MPRA_paper_19293.pdf.
[10] Tamasauskiene, Z. and Stankaityte, A. (2013). Evaluating of the Relationship between Wages and Labor Productivity in Lithuania: Territorial and Sectoral Approaches. Social Research, 1 (30), pp. 24-35.
[11] Goh, S. K. and Wong, K. N. (2010). Analysing the Productivity-Wage-Unemployment Nexus in Malaysia: Evidence from the Macroeconomic Perspective. Discussion paper 12/10. Melbourne: Monash University. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/46443073_Analyzing_the_Productivity-Wage-Unemployment_Nexus_in_Malaysia_Evidence_from_the_Macroeconomic_Perspective.
[12] Narayan, P. K. and Smyth, R. (2009). The Effect of Inflation and Real Wages on Productivity: New Evidence from a Panel of G7 Countries. Applied Economics, 41 (10), pp. 1285-1291.
[13] Erenburg, S. J. (1998). Productivity, Private and Public Capital, and Real Wage in the US. Applied Economics Letters, 5 (8), pp. 491-495.
[14] Huizinga, F. and Broer, P. (2004). Wage Moderation and Labour Productivity. CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis, pp. 1-36. https://ideas.repec.org/p/cpb/discus/28.html.
[15] Nayak, S. R. and Patra, S. (2013). Wage-Labour Productivity Relationship in Manufacturing Sector of Odisha: An Observed Analysis. International Journal of Engineering Science Invention, 2 (3), pp. 8-11.
[16] Trpeski, P., Eftimov, L. and Cvetanoska, M. (2016). Labor Productivity and Real Wages in Macedonia: An Overview Before and After the Global Economic Crisis. European Scientific Journal, 12 (10), pp. 1-14.
[17] Powell, I., Montgomery, M. and Cosgrove, J. (1994). Compensation Structure and Establishment Quit and Fire Rates. Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, 33 (2), pp. 229–248.
[18] Krueger, A. B. and Summers, L. H. (1987). Reflections on the Inter-Industry Wage Structure. NBER Working Paper, 1968, pp. 48-81. https://www.nber.org/papers/w1968.
[19] Romei, V. (2017). How Wages Fell in the UK While the Economy Grew. Financial Times. https://www.ft.com/content/83e7e87e-fe64-11e6-96f8-3700c5664d30?mhq5j=e2.
[20] Tsoku, J. T. and Matarise, F. (2014). An Analysis of the Relationship between Remuneration (Real Wage) and Labour Productivity in South Africa. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 4 (6), pp. 1-10.
[21] Romer, P. M. (1986). Increasing Returns and Long-Run Growth. Journal of Political Economy, 94 (5), pp. 1002-1037.
[22] Arrow, K. (1962). Economic Welfare and the Allocation of Resources for Invention. The Rate and Direction of Inventive Activity: Economic and Social Factors. National Bureau of Economic Research, pp. 609-626. https://www.nber.org/chapters/c2144.pdf.
[23] Pack, H. (1994). Endogenous Growth Theory: Intellectual Appeal and Empirical Shortcomings. American Economic Association, 8 (1), pp. 55-72.
[24] Becker, G. S. (1964). Human Capital: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis with Special Reference to Education. New York: National Bureau of Economic Research. https://www.academia.edu/35396287/HUMAN_CAPITAL_A_Theoretical_and_Empirical_Analysis_with_Special_Reference_to_Education_THIRD_EDITION.
[25] Aggrey, N., Eliab, L. and Joseph, S. (2010). Human Capital and Labor Productivity in East African Manufacturing Firms. Current Research Journal of Economic Theory, 2 (2), pp. 48-54.
[26] Afrooz, A., Rahim, K. B. A., Noor, Z. B. M. and Chin, L. (2010). Human Capital and Labor Productivity in Food Industries of Iran. International Journal of Economics and Finance, 2 (4), pp. 47-51.
[27] Arvanitis, S. and Loukis, E. N. (2009). Information and Communication Technologies, Human Capital, Workplace Organization and Labour Productivity: A Comparative Study Based on Firm-Level Data for Greece and Switzerland. Information Economics and Policy, 21 (1), pp. 43-61.
[28] Banerjee, R. and Wilson, J. K. (2015). Roles of Education in Productivity Growth in Australia. Economic Record, pp. 1860–1939. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1475-4932.12226.
[29] Mat, N. A., Mansur, K. and Mahmud, R. (2015). The Relationship between Human Capital Investment and Economic Development in Sabah. Malaysian Journal of Business and Economics, 2 (1), pp. 83-107.
[30] Nowak, A. and Kijek, T. (2016). The Effect of Human Capital on Labour Productivity of Farms in Poland. Studies in Agricultural Economics, 118 (1), pp. 16-21.
[31] Nurudeen, A. and Usman, A. (2010). Government Expenditure and Economic Growth in Nigeria, 1970-2008: A Disaggregated Analysis. Business and Economics Journal, pp. 1-11. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284570921_Government_Expenditure_And_Economic_Growth_In_Nigeria_1970-2008_A_Disaggregated_Analysis.
[32] Fallahi, F., Sakineh, S. and Mehin, A. N. (2010). Determinants of Labor Productivity in Iran’s Manufacturing Firms: With Emphasis on Labor Education and Training. MPRA Paper, 27447, University Library of Munich, Germany. https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/27447/1/MPRA_paper_27447.pdf.
[33] Barro, R. (1990). Government Spending in a Simple Model of Endogenous Growth. Journal of Political Economy, 98, pp. 103-125.
[34] Barrel, R. and Pain, N. (1997). Foreign Direct Investment, Technological Change and Economic Growth within Europe. Economic Journal, 107, pp. 243-265.
[35] Kiran, R. and Kaur, M. (2007). Is Liberalization Associated With Higher Productivity? A Case Study of Punjab Manufacturing. The Journal of Business Prospective, 11 (4), pp. 53-66.
[36] Lam, T. D. (2015). A Review of Modern International Trade Theories. American Journal of Economics, Finance and Management, 1 (6), pp. 604-614.
[37] Berggren, N. and Jordahl, H. (2005). Does Free Trade Really Reduce Growth? Further Testing Using the Economic Freedom Index. Public Choice, 122 (1–2), pp. 99-114.
[38] Josheski, D., Lazarov, D. and Koteski, C. (2011). Cobb-Douglas Production Function Revisited, VAR and VECM Analysis and a Note on Fischer/Cobb-Douglass Paradox. Munich Personal RePEc Archive. https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/33576/, 1-22.
[39] Razmi, M. J. and Refaei, R. (2013). The Effect of Trade Openness and Economic Freedom on Economic Growth: The Case of Middle East and East Asian Countries. International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, 3 (2), pp. 376-385.
[40] Petrakos, G., Paschalis, A. and Sotiris, P. (2007). Determinants of Economic Growth: The Experts’ View, DYNREG Dynamic Regions in a Knowledge Driven Global Economy. Lessons and Policy Implications, EU WORKING PAPERS, No. 20. https://ideas.repec.org/p/esr/wpaper/dynreg20.html.
[41] Solow, R. (1956). A Contribution to the Theory of Economic Growth. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 70 (1), pp. 65-94.
[42] Brems, H. (1970). A Growth Model of International Direct Investment. American Economic Review, 60 (3), pp. 320-331.
[43] Kida, N. M. (2014). Foreign Direct Investment Environment and Economic Growth. Economica, 10 (4), pp. 31-41.
[44] Smith, A. (1776). The Wealth of Nations. Great Britain: United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.
[45] Barro, R. (1991). Economic Growth in a Cross Section of Countries. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 106 (2), pp. 407-443.
[46] Barro, R. J. (1996). Determinants of Economic Growth: A Cross Country Empirical Study. National Bureau of Economic Research, (NBER) Working Paper, 5698, 1050 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02138. https://www.nber.org/papers/w5698.
[47] Lahouij, H. (2016). Does Governance Matter to Economic Growth? Evidence from MENA Countries. Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creative Activity-Documents 5. http://thekeep.eiu.edu/lib_awards_2016_docs/5.
[48] Greene, W. H. (2002). Econometric Analysis (Fifth Ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
[49] Bolaky, B. and Freund, C. (2006). Trade, Regulations, and Growth. Conference on Trade and Growth. Research Department. Hosted by the IMF, pp. 1-42. https://www.imf.org/external/np/res/seminars/2006/trade/pdf/freund.pdf.
[50] Huchet-Bourdon, M., Le Mouel, C. and Vijil, M. (2018). The Relationship between Trade Openness and Economic Growth: Some New Insights on the Openness Measurement Issue. The World Economy, 41 (1), pp. 59–76.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Elham Mohammad Mustafa Alhaj Yousef. (2020). The Determinants of Labor Productivity in Jordan During the Period 1980-2017. International Journal of Business and Economics Research, 9(1), 21-28. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijber.20200901.13

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    Elham Mohammad Mustafa Alhaj Yousef. The Determinants of Labor Productivity in Jordan During the Period 1980-2017. Int. J. Bus. Econ. Res. 2020, 9(1), 21-28. doi: 10.11648/j.ijber.20200901.13

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    Elham Mohammad Mustafa Alhaj Yousef. The Determinants of Labor Productivity in Jordan During the Period 1980-2017. Int J Bus Econ Res. 2020;9(1):21-28. doi: 10.11648/j.ijber.20200901.13

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.ijber.20200901.13,
      author = {Elham Mohammad Mustafa Alhaj Yousef},
      title = {The Determinants of Labor Productivity in Jordan During the Period 1980-2017},
      journal = {International Journal of Business and Economics Research},
      volume = {9},
      number = {1},
      pages = {21-28},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijber.20200901.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijber.20200901.13},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijber.20200901.13},
      abstract = {This study aims at investigating the long-run and short-run relationships between labor productivity in Jordan and each of capital intensity, wages, trade openness and regulatory quality over the period 1980-2017. All the study variables are found to be stationary at the first difference. Johansen cointegration test revealed that there is a unique cointegrating equation. Therefore, Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) was implemented to estimate the short and long-run effects. The empirical results show that capital intensity, wages and regulatory quality have significant long-run positive impact on Jordanian labor productivity. However, all the independent variables have insignificant short-run effects on labor productivity during the study period. The significant negative coefficient of the error correction term (ECT) confirms the existence of long-run relationships. Moreover, this paper highlights the important role of regulatory quality as a governance indicator in improving labor productivity in Jordan, thus the study recommends improving public administration, strengthening governance, and applying the appropriate policies and regulations that promote and enhance national and foreign direct investments, and ensure efficient allocation of resources.},
     year = {2020}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - The Determinants of Labor Productivity in Jordan During the Period 1980-2017
    AU  - Elham Mohammad Mustafa Alhaj Yousef
    Y1  - 2020/01/27
    PY  - 2020
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijber.20200901.13
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijber.20200901.13
    T2  - International Journal of Business and Economics Research
    JF  - International Journal of Business and Economics Research
    JO  - International Journal of Business and Economics Research
    SP  - 21
    EP  - 28
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2328-756X
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijber.20200901.13
    AB  - This study aims at investigating the long-run and short-run relationships between labor productivity in Jordan and each of capital intensity, wages, trade openness and regulatory quality over the period 1980-2017. All the study variables are found to be stationary at the first difference. Johansen cointegration test revealed that there is a unique cointegrating equation. Therefore, Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) was implemented to estimate the short and long-run effects. The empirical results show that capital intensity, wages and regulatory quality have significant long-run positive impact on Jordanian labor productivity. However, all the independent variables have insignificant short-run effects on labor productivity during the study period. The significant negative coefficient of the error correction term (ECT) confirms the existence of long-run relationships. Moreover, this paper highlights the important role of regulatory quality as a governance indicator in improving labor productivity in Jordan, thus the study recommends improving public administration, strengthening governance, and applying the appropriate policies and regulations that promote and enhance national and foreign direct investments, and ensure efficient allocation of resources.
    VL  - 9
    IS  - 1
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

Author Information
  • Business Economics Department, Faculty of Business, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan

  • Sections