Mass Of Firms Research Articles

Corporate Tax Rates, Allocative Efficiency, and Aggregate Productivity

Abstract This paper quantifies the impact of effective corporate tax rates on aggregate total factor productivity (TFP). Using Chilean manufacturing data, we document a large dispersion in the effective tax rate faced by firms and a mass of firms facing a 0 percent tax rate. We integrate these findings into a standard monopolistic competition model, where firms are subject to corporate taxation and also face output and capital wedges, which represent all other distortions present in the economy. We find that eliminating corporate tax rates increases TFP between 4 and 11 percent. We consider counterfactual policies in which firms face a uniform flat tax rate and find a monotonically decreasing relationship between the level of the tax rate and TFP.

Market equilibrium in interregional trade models under monopolistic competition

We study a homogeneous model of interregional trade under monopolistic competition of producers with additively separable utility and linear production costs. The mass of firms (“the length of the product line”) is determined endogenously, from conditions of free entry. We obtain the local comparative statics of the market equilibrium with respect to transport costs of “iceberg types”. Particular attention is paid to situations of free trade and autarky. We establish the following counter-intuitive result: under high transport costs, trade liberalization can decrease public welfare.

Technological innovation, industrial structural change and carbon emission transferring via trade-------An agent-based modeling approach

By introducing an agent-based modeling approach, this paper proposes the diffusion of technological innovation behaviors in simulation models. On this basis, a mass of heterogeneous firms within an input-output analytical framework are included to simulate policy scenarios in order to explore how firms' technological innovation affects industrial structural change, resulting in carbon emission transferring via trade (ETT), in the major global economies (i.e., China, Japan, the United States, Russia, India, and the European Union) between 2007 and 2030. One important finding is that there are sectoral and regional differences regarding the impacts of two types of technological innovation (i.e., product innovation and process innovation) on industrial structural adjustment and ETT. Moreover, compared to process innovation, product innovation is more conducive to lessening the impacts of trade on regional economies’ emissions. Another important finding is that the volume of ETT for these economies will continue to increase from 2012 to 2030, indicating that with the acceleration of regional industrial structural adjustment, the impacts of trade on regional carbon emissions accounting and reduction obligation assignments are potentially aggravating. Overall, this paper provides a new perspective for researchers to investigate industrial structural change and the resulting ETT. Moreover, to promote regional economic growth and tackle global climate change, this paper also gives policy makers the theoretical foundation to formulate more targeted regional economic governance measures.

Market Size, Innovation, and the Economic Effects of an Epidemic

We develop a framework for the analysis of the economic effects of an epidemic that incorporates firm-specific innovation and endogenous entry. Transition dynamics is characterized by two differential equations describing the evolution of the mass of susceptible in the population and the ratio of the population to the mass of firms. An epidemic propagates through the economy via changes in market size that reduce incentives to enter the market and to undertake innovative activity. We evaluate state-dependent interventions involving policy rules based on tracking susceptible or infected. Simple policy rules are announced at the time of the outbreak and anchors private sector's expectations about the time path of the intervention, including the end date. Welfare gains/losses relative to the do-nothing scenario are computed accounting for transition dynamics.

Minimum Wage and Firm Variety

Exploiting minimum-wage variation within multi-state commuting zones, we document a negative relationship between minimum wages and firm variety in the U.S. restaurant and retail trade industries. To explain this finding, we construct a heterogeneous-firm model with a monopsonistic labor market and endogenous firm variety. The decentralized equilibrium underprovides the mass of firms compared to the outcome achieved by a welfare-maximizing planner. A binding minimum wage further reduces the mass of firms, exacerbating the distortion. Workers value employer variety, and thus, by reducing firm variety the minimum wage reduces workers’ welfare even if the average wage increases.

Competition among large and heterogeneous small firms

We extend the model of Parenti (2018) on large and small firms by introducing cost heterogeneity among small firms. We propose a novel necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of such a mixed market structure. Furthermore, in contrast to Parenti (2018), we show that in the presence of cost heterogeneity among small firms, trade liberalization may raise or reduce the mass of small firms in operation.

The limits of the narratives of strategy: three stories from the history of music retail

ABSTRACT This paper examines the role of narrative framing in the perception of strategic success by exploring the construction of notions of strategy in relation to the perspective of different actors in the same historical episode. Our article is about the UK music retailing industry from the late 1950s until the present. We narrate three stories/accounts – one focusing on the perspective of larger firms in the industry, acting as a normative business history narration, one focusing on the perspective of the mass of smaller firms attempting to survive as larger competitors expand, and one–an epilogue–looking at the recent past in which some of the smaller firms managed to survive while many of the dominant firms from the 1980s and 1990s have failed. We use this both to construct a more diverse historiography of the music retail industry in Britain while advancing the theoretical contribution that narratives of strategic success and failure often favor conceptualizations of dominance over resistance, while failing to reflect on the extent to which historical research itself is an act of sense-making that is bounded by periodization and theoretical priors.

Explaining stock market returns in Sub-Saharan Africa using an alternate uncovered interest rate parity framework

PurposeSub-Saharan African (SSA) stock exchanges are imperfect and inefficient. Therefore, orthodox finance theories are unable to completely explain their market returns. Such models mainly identify anomalies when applied to the sub-region. Consequently, this paper develops an original theoretical model to better explain market returns on the sub-continent.Design/methodology/approachThis paper develops an alternate analytical framework that combines adaptive expectations, Keynesian LM model and modified uncovered interest parity (UIP) formulations to address empirical anomalies identified by previous literature when analyzing SSA's inefficient stock markets. Using panel data, the study first computes the fixed as well as random effects regressions and, later, a Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) dynamic panel regression for further empirical analysis.FindingsBoth the fixed and random effects regression results indicate that the relative output-money supply disparity and foreign inflation-money supply growth rate spread have positive effects on market returns in SSA. On the other hand, foreign interest rates have an inverse effect. Although the GMM dynamic panel regression has similar results, it additionally finds that market returns in SSA are autoregressive. This suggests that past returns are persistent.Research limitations/implicationsA key implication is that multipliers and transmission mechanisms in SSA may take longer to adjust, thereby limiting short-run market returns. Also, policymakers must encourage a critical mass of firms to list in order to enhance efficiency. Additionally, policy variables significantly influence returns. One limitation is the high market segmentation in SSA. This heightens heterogeneity, emphasizing fixed effects.Practical implicationsAlso, the findings of this study may not apply to all emerging economies as SSA economies are highly heterogeneous.Social implicationsThe segmented nature of SSA stock markets may have implications for income inequality and the distribution of resources within the economy. Also, it indicates that there are limits to how firms use capital markets on the sub-continent.Originality/valueThis paper abstracts from the strict ideal market conditions prescribed by modern finance theories and develops an original modified UIP model. It finds that SSA stock markets may be more sensitive to policy variables, instead of determinants postulated by orthodox finance concepts. The study offers opportunities for further critical examination of returns in imperfect frontier markets.

Identifying Service Market Reform Priorities in Italy

Italy’s labor productivity in market services has declined since 2000, underperforming manufacturing and peer European countries, especially in strongly regulated sectors. A model of monopolistic competition is used to identify which service sectors would benefit more from removing entry and/or exit barriers. Using Italian firm-level data, the paper finds that sectors with high markups, such as professional services, would primarily benefit from removing entry barriers. Sectors with a large mass of unproductive firms, such as retail, would instead benefit from removing exit barriers. Policy recommendations to improve efficiency are outlined in relation to the sectoral priorities identified in the data.

Wealth creation, wealth dilution and demography

Demographic forces are crucial drivers of macroeconomic performance. Yet, existing theories do not allow demography to respond to fundamentals and policies while determining key macroeconomic variables. We build a model of endogenous interactions between fertility and innovation-led productivity growth that delivers empirically consistent co-movements of population, income and wealth. Wealth dilution and wage dynamics stabilize population through non-Malthusian forces; demography determines the ratios of labor income and consumption to financial wealth. Shocks that reduce population size, like immigration barriers, reduce permanently the labor share and the mass of firms, creating prolonged stagnation and substantial intergenerational redistribution of income and welfare.

COVID-19 Crisis, Bankruptcy Risk, and Transition Dynamics

The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed many firms to the edge of bankruptcy and revived concerns of a prolonged/deep recession. The government has introduced various policies to mitigate its economic impact. We build a continuous time heterogeneous agent model to study (i) corporate bankruptcy risks, and (ii) the transition dynamics of the economy. This general framework is applied for understanding the implications of the COVID-19 economic crisis. The higher the bankruptcy rate, the faster the transition towards the new long run steady state. Transition speed decreases as the mass of firms in the upper tail of the net worth distribution increases. While broad fiscal policies are relatively more effective in reducing bankruptcy risks, monetary policies of providing market liquidity are more effective in generating faster transition dynamics.

Industry Dynamics and Capital Structure (Non)Commitment

We develop a competitive equilibrium model of leverage and industry dynamics absent of equity holders’ commitment to future debt levels. Shareholders determine the debt adjustment together with production, entry and exit decisions in response to firm-specific technology shocks. Non-commitment gives rise to debt issuance, which increases the cost of debt financing. Consequently, the entry barrier is raised, hindering entries into the market. Meanwhile, the resultant higher output price alleviates debt-equity conflicts for firms already in the industry. More importantly, non-commitment increases the mass of high-leverage firms, reshaping the distribution of the firm universe and escalating industry turnover and leverage. The results are aligned with empirical distribution features, suggesting debt-equity conflicts at the firm level can have a profound influence on industry dynamics.

Identifying Service Market Reform Priorities in Italy

Italy’s labor productivity in market services has declined since 2000, underperforming manufacturing and peer European countries, especially in strongly regulated sectors. A model of monopolistic competition is used to identify which service sectors would benefit more from removing entry and/or exit barriers. Using Italian firm-level data, the paper finds that sectors with high markups, such as professional services, would primarily benefit from removing entry barriers. Sectors with a large mass of unproductive firms, such as retail, would instead benefit from removing exit barriers. Policy recommendations to improve efficiency are outlined in relation to the sectoral priorities identified in the data.

Support and development of small and new firms in rural areas: a case study of three regional initiatives

This paper is based on qualitative analysis and addresses the important topic of small business entrepreneurialism in rural areas and its special conditions and needs. Our aim is to present examples of and suggestions for how to encourage firm start-ups and the continuation possibly also the development and growth of existing firms. The paper is based on three cases that illustrate (1) challenges in the support system in rural areas, (2) various forms of support that could be used in rural areas, and (3) expectations that are eligible to put upon support activities designed for rural areas. The main findings are that (1) that successful support of rural businesses requires a critical mass of regional entrepreneurs, firms, and support actors, (2) diversity is critical, and the various actors must be coordinated to carry out the desired measures effectively, (3) expectations for growth and orientation of the firms must be realistic because broad support is more important than targeted support, and (4) we were able to show that a cross-boundary collaborative work culture that avoids both thought silos and business silos and places no value on prestige should pervade all areas of business support.

Competition, land prices and city size

Abstract Larger cities typically give rise to two opposite effects: tougher competition among firms and higher production costs. Using an urban model with substitutability of production factors and pro-competitive effects, I study product market responses to an increase in city population, land-use regulations and commuting costs. I show that those responses depend on the land intensity in production. If the input share of land is low, a larger city attracts more firms setting lower prices, whereas for an intermediate land share, city expansion increases both the mass of firms and product prices. For a high land share, the mass of firms decreases with city size while product price increases. Softer land-use regulations and/or lower commuting costs reinforce pro-competitive effects, making city residents better-off via lower product prices and broader diversity.

Value Added and Productivity Linkages Across Countries

What is the relationship between international trade and business cycle synchronization? Using data from 40 countries, we find that GDP comovement is significantly associated with trade in intermediate inputs but not with trade in final goods. Motivated by this new fact, we build a model of international trade that is able to replicate the empirical trade-comovement slope, offering the first quantitative solution for the Trade Comovement Puzzle. The model relies on (i) global value chains, (ii) price distortions due to monopolistic competition and (iii) fluctuations in the mass of firms serving each country. The combination of these ingredients creates a link between domestic measured productivity and foreign shocks through trade linkages, generating a disconnect between technology and measured productivity. Finally, we provide empirical evidence for the importance of these elements in generating a link between foreign shocks and domestic GDP.

Effects of public funding on firm innovation: transforming or reinforcing a weak innovation pattern?

ABSTRACT This paper adds to the ongoing debate on the effects of public funding programmes on business innovation. This policy instrument, based upon a simple but a robust rationale, has been applied in an almost homogeneous manner in different contexts, but evidence from such experiences is far from shown homogeneous effects. The main contribution of this paper is that it shows the limitations faced by public funding instruments in affecting a traditionally low innovative pattern. Using panel data techniques, we find heterogeneous effects of public funding on the innovation behaviour of Uruguayan firms between 2001 and 2015. Our results show that, after a strong public policy effort, the critical mass of innovative firms has hardly changed. Input additionality effects of public funding in private innovation investment are found, but only for innovation activities based on the acquisition of embodied knowledge. Moreover, we obtain some evidence of behavioural additionality in process and organizational innovation leading to higher productivity levels, but we find no effects on interaction for innovation.

Assembly trade and technological catch-up: Evidence from electronics firms in China

This study evaluates technological catch-up in the electronics industry by Chinese indigenous firms compared with foreign firms operating in the country. We make use of firm-level data for the period 2001–2012, a period during which the Chinese government encouraged engagement with foreign partners and entry into the global supply chain in hopes of fostering technology transfer. We apply data envelope analysis to estimate group technology frontiers for private, state, and foreign firms, and decompose total factor productivity growth into technological change and technical efficiency change. The picture that emerges is one of mixed success. Indigenous firms on the cutting edge have pushed their group productivity frontier outward at a rapid pace even as the broad mass of indigenous firms has slipped further inside this expanding frontier. For private firms as a whole, the strongest period for technological catch-up was the mid-2000s, with progress relative to the foreign standard slowing again after that. Achievement has been greatest in sub-industries at the lower end of the technological ladder (e.g., appliances) and less notable at the upper end (e.g., computers). Evidence of a contribution by research and development and by worker training is found only beyond a cumulative threshold and for firms advantaged by location or joint venture partnership.

Follow the Crowd or Follow the Trailblazer? The Differential Role of Firm Experience in Product Entry Decisions in the US Video Game Industry

AbstractFirms take cues from their external environment under uncertainty and imitate the actions of others. However, a firm’s own experience may either substitute for these external clues because the firm can evaluate uncertain situations more accurately, or it may complement them because the firm can act more successfully on the external cues. We argue that the type of external cues determines which of the two holds in the context of product entry decisions into market niches. If firms observe a large wave of entrants, own experience conveys more information than the imprecise signal of a mass of other firms. Conversely, if firms observe trailblazers, i.e., highly successful and influential products in a niche, own experience can help firms develop a strategy as a fast follower in a growing niche. We expect the supporting role of own experience in following trailblazers to be especially pronounced in niches that have not been discovered by a large mass of other firms. We study and test our hypotheses in the context of the US PC video game industry between 1991 and 2010 and find support for both the substitutive relationship between own experience and niche popularity and the complementary relationship of own experience and niche trailblazers. However, support for the complementary relationship is limited to less populated niches.

Corporate Tax Rates, Allocative Efficiency, and Aggregate Productivity

This paper quantifies the impact of effective corporate tax rates on aggregate total factor productivity (TFP). Using Chilean manufacturing data, we document a large dispersion in the effective tax rate faced by firms and a mass of firms facing a 0 percent tax rate. We incorporate these findings into a standard monopolistic competition model with effective corporate tax rates. We find that eliminating corporate tax rates increases TFP between 4 and 11 percent. We consider counterfactual policies in which all firms face the same tax rate and find a monotonically decreasing relationship between the level of the tax rate and TFP.