Does the investment climate matter? : : microeconomic foundations of growth in Latin America / / edited by Pablo Fajnzylber, J. Luis Guasch, and J. Humberto Lopez

• Record Nr.: UNINA9910782666703321
• Pubbl/distr/stampa: Washington, DC : , : World Bank; Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire ; ; New York : , : Palgrave Macmillan, , [2009]; copyright 2009
• ISBN: 0-8213-7687-X; 1-281-95968-5; 9786611959685; 0-8213-7412-5
• Descrizione fisica: xxi, 321 pages : illustrations ; ; 23 cm
• Collana: Latin American development forum
• Altri autori (Persone): FajnzylberPablo; GuaschJ. Luis; LopezJ. Humberto
• Disciplina: 338.5098
• Soggetti: Investments - Latin America; Finance - Latin America
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Note generali: Description based upon print version of record.
• Nota di bibliografia: Includes bibliographical references and index.
• Nota di contenuto: Contents; Preface; Acknowledgments; Abbreviations; 1 Is Another Study of Economic Performance in Latin America and the Caribbean Needed?; Figure 1.1 Per Capita Growth in Latin America and the Caribbean, 1963-2006; Figure 1.2 Per Capita Growth in Latin America and the Caribbean, Taking into Account Deviations with Respect to Global Trends, 1963-2005; Figure 1.3 Per Capita Growth in Latin America and the Caribbean, Taking into Account Deviations with Respect to Selected Country Groups, 1963-2005; Table 1.1 Correlations in Per Capita Growth Rates between Latin America and Some Reference Groups, 1961-2005 Figure 1.4 Per Capita Growth in Latin America and the Caribbean, Taking into Account Deviations with Respect to Country Detail of Global Trends, 1963-2005; Figure 1.5 Gross Capital Formation as a Percentage of GDP, ; 2004; Figure 1.6 Investment in Latin America in Relation to Per Capita Growth Rate, 2000-05 and 1970-2005; Table 1.2 The Persistence of Investment Rates in Latin America; Figure 1.7 Investment and Growth in Latin America, 1970-2005; Figure 1.8 Investment and Growth in the World, Excluding Latin America, 1970-2005 Figure 1.9 Regional and Group Comparisons of TFP, 1970-2005; Figure 1.10 TFP in Selected Latin American and Caribbean Countries, 2001-05; Table 1.3 Total Factor Productivity in Latin America: Selected Countries; Figure 1.11 Dramatic Reduction of Vulnerabilities; Figure 1.12 Institutional Quality and Per Capita GDP across Countries; Figure 1.13 Business Environment; Figure 1.14 Infrastructure Investment in Latin America, 1980-2005; Figure 1.15 Cost of Inadequate Infrastructure; Figure 1.16 Ratio of Domestic Credit to the Private Sector as a Percentage of GDP, 1990 and 2004 Figure 1.17 Banking Access Index, 2004; Table 1.4 Factors That Might Affect Access to the Financial Sector; Figure 1.18 Education in Latin America; Figure 1.19 R&D Expenditures and Income Per Capita; Figure 1.20 Firms with ISO Certification per Million Workers in the Latin America and Caribbean Region and the OECD, 2000 and 2005; 2 The Investment Climate in Latin America; Table 2.1 Top Five Constraints to Productivity and Growth; Table 2.2 Main Investment Climate Determinants of Labor Productivity, by Theme Table 2.3 Investment Climate Effect on Labor Productivity; Figure 2.1 Relative Magnitude of Estimates: Latin America and the Caribbean Region Average; Table 2.4 Relative Magnitude of Estimates, by Country; Table 2.5 Investment Climate Effect on Labor Productivity: Domestic Firms with Fewer than 100 Employees; Table 2.6 Investment Climate Effect on Labor Productivity: Robust Regression Estimates; Table 2.7 Investment Climate Effect on Total Factor Productivity; Table 2.8 Investment Climate Effect on Wages; Table 2.9 Investment Climate Effect on Labor Productivity, by Firm Size
• Sommario/riassunto: Although the Latin American region's growth rates are at a three decade high, they have been historically disappointing in relative terms, which cannot be dissociated from the microeconomic environment in which firms operate. Policy makers may need to complement their focus on macroeconomic stability with an increased emphasis on microeconomic reforms. By providing empirical evidence linking actual firm performance to shortcomings in Latin America's investment climate, the book discusses policies that could have a significant impact on firm productivity by improving the environment in which