Global Value Chain Participation and Firm Exit During COVID-19: Evidence from Emerging Countries

Abstract

This paper uncovers the nexus between global value chain participation and firm exit during COVID-19 using merged data from World Bank Enterprises Survey and the Enterprise Survey Follow-Up on COVID-19. Empirical results suggest that participation in global value chain could positively extend firm survival and is robust to several specifications, including alternative measures of firm exit and global value chain participation. Further analysis indicates that global value chain participation helps a firm to improve productivity, enhance bargaining power, and mitigate financial constraints, thereby lifting the firm survival. Our paper contributes to understanding how global value chain participation influences firm exit, suggesting several policy and managerial implications.