Export Behaviour of SMEs in the Swedish Computer Service Industry [Dataset]

Export participation of SMEs in Swedish computer services has increased rapidly over the last decade. Despite the increase, export participation rates of SMEs including micro enterprises remain rather low at 13 percent in 2010. Based on uniquely linked firm-level datasets with full coverage of micro enterprises and sole proprietors, this study investigates the determinants of export participation of Swedish SMEs in the computer service industry. Exports include both goods and services. Estimates based on the conditional logit model show a significantly positive relationship between initial labour productivity and the decision to export. An interesting and new finding is that the magnitude of the relationship between the probability to export and initial labour productivity is low once firm effects are controlled for. Surprisingly, the impact of labour productivity on exporting does not differ between micro enterprises and the remaining SMEs (10–249 employees). Furthermore, skill intensity is significantly related to the probability of exporting with low marginal effects. Overall, labour productivity and skill intensity only explain a small proportion of the export boom of Swedish software SMEs.过去十年间，瑞典计算机服务行业中小企业（Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, SMEs）的出口参与度快速提升。尽管出口参与度有所增长，但包括微型企业（micro enterprises）在内的中小企业出口参与率仍处于较低水平，2010年仅为13%。本研究依托覆盖微型企业与个体独资经营者（sole proprietors）的专属关联企业层面数据集，探究瑞典计算机服务行业中小企业出口参与行为的影响因素。出口范畴涵盖货物与服务两类。基于条件logit模型（conditional logit model）的估计结果显示，企业初始劳动生产率与出口决策之间存在显著正向关联。一项颇具新意的研究发现表明，在控制企业固定效应后，出口概率与初始劳动生产率之间的关联强度较低。令人意外的是，劳动生产率对出口的影响在微型企业与其余雇员规模为10至249人的中小企业之间并无显著差异。此外，技能密集度与出口概率存在显著关联，但边际效应较低。总体而言，劳动生产率与技能密集度仅能解释瑞典软件行业中小企业出口增长的一小部分原因。