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Specific investment and supplier vulnerability

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  • Chen, Zhiqi
  • Wang, Xiaoqiao

Abstract

Apart from the familiar holdup problem, we investigate another implication of specific investment that has not been examined systematically in the literature. That is, the presence of specific investment can make a supplier vulnerable to large negative shocks to its customer’s business. We demonstrate that this vulnerability causes the supplier to under-invest and a larger volatility in the customer’s business exacerbates the supplier’s under-investment. More surprisingly, a higher degree of specificity may induce the supplier to invest more, rather than less, in the specific asset.

Suggested Citation

  • Chen, Zhiqi & Wang, Xiaoqiao, 2017. "Specific investment and supplier vulnerability," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 16-18.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:151:y:2017:i:c:p:16-18
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2016.11.033
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Hart, Oliver, 1995. "Firms, Contracts, and Financial Structure," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198288817, Decembrie.
    2. Hideshi Itoh & Hodaka Morita, 2015. "Formal Contracts, Relational Contracts, and the Threat-Point Effect," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 7(3), pages 318-346, August.
    3. Jean Tirole, 1988. "The Theory of Industrial Organization," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262200716, December.
    4. Donald B. Hausch & Yeon-Koo Che, 1999. "Cooperative Investments and the Value of Contracting," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 89(1), pages 125-147, March.
    5. Edlin, Aaron S & Reichelstein, Stefan, 1996. "Holdups, Standard Breach Remedies, and Optimal Investment," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 86(3), pages 478-501, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Lv, Panpan & Xiong, Hu, 2022. "Can FinTech improve corporate investment efficiency? Evidence from China," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    2. Zhiqi Chen & Xiaoqiao Wang, 2020. "Specific investment, supplier vulnerability and profit risks," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(9-10), pages 1215-1237, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Specific investment; Holdup problem; Supplier vulnerability;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L14 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Transactional Relationships; Contracts and Reputation
    • L20 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - General

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