Study title

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.This study comprises the data used for the following published academic journal articles: Bloom, N. and Van Reenen, J. (2007) 'Measuring and explaining management practices across firms and countries', Quarterly Journal of Economics, 122(4), pp.1351–1408. The study used an innovative survey tool to collect management practice data from 732 medium sized firms in the USA, France, Germany and the UK. These measures of managerial practice are strongly associated with firm-level productivity, profitability, 'Tobin’s Q' and firm survival rates. Management practices also display significant cross-country differences, with US firms on average better managed than European firms, and significant within-country differences, with a long tail of extremely badly managed firms. The study found that poor management practices are more prevalent when product market competition is weak and/or when family-owned firms pass management control down to the eldest child (primogeniture). For further details, see documentation. A survey paper based on the same research was published in 2006: Bloom, N. and Van Reenen, J. (2006) 'Management practice, work-life balance and productivity: a review of some recent evidence', Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 22(4), pp.457-482. Users of these data are advised to consult the journal articles mentioned above. Main Topics:The dataset includes information collected from management interviews and other sources. The management interview survey contained approximately 100 questions, and around 100 data points from 6 years of accounts for each company surveyed are also included in the dataset, alongside other industry data matched subsequently. Topics covered include performance, targets and goals, management and administrative structure of the business and other economic measures. For further details, see documentation.