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The perceived benefits of the European Union standardization. An exploration according to firm size and firm capabilities

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Abstract

We examine how the European Union (EU) standardization policy is perceived by firms by exploiting a survey dataset on firms’ benefits. We explore whether perceived benefits are associated with firm size and firm capabilities. We find strong evidence that the perceived benefits of standardization is not equally distributed across firm size classes, industries and countries. Our study indicates that small ventures are less likely to perceive benefits from EU standardization than their larger counterparts, in particular in Eastern European and Mediterranean countries. Additionally, we find evidence that firms with the capabilities to be innovative, exporting and that employ foreign labor are more likely to perceive benefits from standardization than their non–innovative, non–exporting and non–foreign labour–employing counterparts. We suggest EU and EU Member States, in particular in Eastern and Mediterranean Europe, to focus on facilitating standardization compliance by enhancing the critical firm capabilities identified. Stimulation efforts could also be considered to address simultaneously supporting capabilities and standardization literacy.

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Notes

  1. See, for example, though on a different question, Bos et al. (2013) who provide innovation patterns for 21 manufacturing industries in six EU countries by using a flexible measure for industry for the period 1980–1997.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Belgian Federal Science Policy (BELSPO) granted to the SMESESAP research project TA/00/40. They are also indebted to the editor and the referees of the journal for their valuable comments and suggestions. All remaining errors are ours.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Office of Chief Economist, Bank Mandiri, Plaza Mandiri, 18th Floor, Jalan Gatot Subroto, Kav 36-38, Jakarta, 12190, Indonesia

    Dendi Ramdani

  2. Tilburg School of Governance, Tilburg University, Room 119, Professor Cobbenhagenlaan 133, 5037 DB, Tilburg, The Netherlands

    Arjen van Witteloostuijn

  3. Department of Management, Faculty of Applied Economics, University of Antwerp, Prinsstraat 13, Office C-446, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium

    Johanna Vanderstraeten

  4. Antwerp Management School, Het Brantijser, Sint-Jacobsmarkt 9-13, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium

    Arjen van Witteloostuijn & Johanna Vanderstraeten

  5. CERPE, Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics, Social Sciences and Business Administration, University of Namur, Rempart de la Vierge 8, 5000, Namur, Belgium

    Julie Hermans & Marcus Dejardin

  6. Louvain Research Institute in Management and Organizations, Université catholique de Louvain, Mons campus, chaussée de Binche 151, 7000, Mons, Belgium

    Julie Hermans

  7. Faculty of Economic, Social and Political Sciences and Communication (ESPO), Université catholique de Louvain, Rue de la Lanterne magique 32, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

    Marcus Dejardin

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  1. Dendi Ramdani
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  2. Arjen van Witteloostuijn
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Correspondence to Marcus Dejardin.

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Ramdani, D., van Witteloostuijn, A., Vanderstraeten, J. et al. The perceived benefits of the European Union standardization. An exploration according to firm size and firm capabilities. Int Econ Econ Policy 16, 379–396 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10368-017-0391-5

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