The Cost of Poor Institutions: Estimations Based on Chinese Firm Flows

This study estimates the cost of poor institutions using cross-provincial firm investments in China based on its unique land policies. We find that provinces with better institutions attract more firm investment and that institutions are substitutive with land price distortion. Firms with high (low) labor productivity move primarily between provinces with better (inferior) institutions. This stratification effect suggests that a poor institutional environment has dynamic costs, hindering technology diffusion from provinces with good institutions to those with poor institutions. The results imply that it is difficult to achieve industrial upgrades by factor price distortion rather than institutional environment improvements.