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In-house competition, organizational slack, and the business cycle

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  • Kerschbamer, Rudolf
  • Tournas, Yanni

Abstract

This paper analyses the impact of variations of product demand on the amount of internal slack in multi-plant firms in a model in which facilities can produce output at a privately known cost up to a previously-determined capacity level. In such a model, the amount of slack in the firm is shown to be pro-cyclical. Indeed, as capacity constraints become tighter in booms, slack increases in booms, because the power of in-house competition is reduced, while the opposite is true in downturns. Also, in downturns the firm may use high-cost facili-ties even when low-cost plants are not running at capacity.
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Suggested Citation

  • Kerschbamer, Rudolf & Tournas, Yanni, 2003. "In-house competition, organizational slack, and the business cycle," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(3), pages 505-520, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eecrev:v:47:y:2003:i:3:p:505-520
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    Cited by:

    1. Du, Julan & Lu, Yi & Tao, Zhigang, 2009. "Bi-sourcing in the global economy," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(2), pages 215-222, April.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D20 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - General
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • L22 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Organization and Market Structure

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