PRIVATIZATION AND SURVIVAL – EVIDENCE FROM A RUSSIAN FIRM SURVEY

Abstract

This study is dedicated to an important aspect of the long-run performance of firms, namely their survival under rapidly changing conditions in a transition economy. The analysis is focused on the question of whether privatization and ownership structure have affected the likelihood of liquidation and bankruptcy of firms in Russia. We use a sample of 497 privatized and non-privatized firms that were surveyed in 1999-2000, and for which information was collected about their survival status and reasons for exit, such as bankruptcy, mergers and court decisions. More than 38% of the sample firms were liquidated over the period 1999 to 2013. We find that privatization and the choice of privatization option have no effect on the long-term survival of firms in Russia, but that managerial ownership lowers the likelihood of both liquidation and bankruptcy. Other transition-specific predictors of bankruptcy, such as the extent of price controls and the amount of wage arrears, affect firm exit in a significant way.