Cross-country Comparison of Firm Performance: Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Madagascar

Abstract

The preceding chapters demonstrated that the garment industries in the seven countries under this study are substantially heterogeneous despite having relatively similar income levels and hence wages. For example, Bangladesh is endowed with low-cost labor, the Cambodian industry enhanced productivity Vietnamese manufacturers are attempting to upgrade in quality and functions, and exporters in Madagascar have encountered difficulties to compete without preferential access. However, these country-specific features are based on observations in individual countries rather than being based on a comparison across countries. Furthermore, such diversity implies that sources of competitiveness differ by country, which is important in understanding the future growth potential. For example, an industry relying on low wages or preferential market access is less likely to sustain growth than an industry achieving growth in productivity. A cross-country comparison clarifies the diversity of garment industries in low-income countries in terms of competitive strengths and weaknesses and dynamism in the liberalized market, having substantial implications for the sustainability of industrial growth.