Productivity and Profitability in 500 Largest Firms of Turkey, 1980-1994

Abstract The significance of ownership is studied using data from the largest 500 firms in Turkey. The paper finds that profitability and productivity figures are higher for the private as compared to the public sector. Important differences exist in the behavior of private and public firms. Private firms would seem closely follow market conditions to improve their positions while such behavior is not observed in public firms.