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Why Schumpeter was Right: Innovation, Market Power, and Creative Destruction in 1920s America

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  • NICHOLAS, TOM

Abstract

Are firms with strong market positions powerful engines of technological progress? Joseph Schumpeter thought so, but his hypothesis has proved difficult to verify empirically. This article highlights Schumpeterian market-power and creative-destruction effects in a sample of early-twentieth-century U.S. industrial firms; his contention that an efficiently functioning capital market has a positive effect on the rate of innovation is also confirmed. Despite market power abuses by incumbents, the extent of innovation stands out: 21 percent of patents assigned to the firms sampled between 1920 and 1928 are cited in patents granted between 1976 and 2002.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicholas, Tom, 2003. "Why Schumpeter was Right: Innovation, Market Power, and Creative Destruction in 1920s America," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 63(4), pages 1023-1058, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jechis:v:63:y:2003:i:04:p:1023-1058_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Bakker, Gerben, 2013. "Money for nothing: How firms have financed R&D-projects since the Industrial Revolution," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(10), pages 1793-1814.
    2. Wang, I. Kim & Seidle, Russell, 2017. "The degree of technological innovation: A demand heterogeneity perspective," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 166-177.
    3. Naomi R. Lamoreaux & Kenneth L. Sokoloff & Dhanoos Sutthiphisal, 2008. "The Reorganization of Inventive Activity in the United States during the Early Twentieth Century," NBER Chapters, in: Understanding Long-Run Economic Growth: Geography, Institutions, and the Knowledge Economy, pages 235-274, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Konstantinos Konstantakis & Panayotis G. Michaelides & Theofanis Papageorgiou, 2014. "Sector size, technical change and stability in the USA (1957-2006): a Schumpeterian approach," International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 41(10), pages 956-974, October.
    5. Jürgen Bierbaumer-Polly & Sandra Bilek-Steindl & Thomas Url, 2019. "Monitoring and Nowcasting Sustainable Development Goals. A Case Study for Austria," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 66635, February.
    6. David B. Audretsch & Antje Fiedler, 2023. "Power and entrepreneurship," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 60(4), pages 1573-1592, April.
    7. Arthur M. Diamond, Jr., 2006. "Schumpeter's Creative Destruction: A Review of the Evidence," Journal of Private Enterprise, The Association of Private Enterprise Education, vol. 22(Fall 2006), pages 120-146.
    8. Zhao, Shengchao & Zeng, Deming & Li, Jian & Feng, Ke & Wang, Yao, 2023. "Quantity or quality: The roles of technology and science convergence on firm innovation performance," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    9. Xu, Fei & Liu, Qian & Zheng, Xingdong & Cao, Luqi & Yang, Mian, 2022. "Research on the impact of China's high-speed rail opening on enterprise market power: Based on the perspective of market segmentation," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 121-137.
    10. Etro, Federico, 2008. "Growth leaders," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 1148-1172, September.
    11. Mihaela Ghicajanu & Gabriel Dolea, 2018. "The Role of Innovation in Increasing Business Quality and the Added Value for the Customer," Annals of the University of Petrosani, Economics, University of Petrosani, Romania, vol. 18(2), pages 45-52.
    12. Chandril Bhattacharyya & Dibyendu Maiti, 2023. "Informal Sector, Innovation and Growth," Working papers 334, Centre for Development Economics, Delhi School of Economics.

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