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Are large headquarters unproductive?

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  • Morikawa, Masayuki

Abstract

Headquarters play an important role in modern companies, but the downsizing of headquarters is often advocated as a way to improve organizational efficiency. Using a panel of Japanese companies for the period 2001–2011, this paper empirically analyzes the determinants of the size of headquarters functions and their relationship with productivity. The cross-sectional dispersion of the size of headquarters functions is very large even within an industry. The complication of businesses leads to smaller headquarters. Headquarters functions contribute positively to a company's TFP. Headquarters functions and ICT network have a complementary role for productivity.

Suggested Citation

  • Morikawa, Masayuki, 2015. "Are large headquarters unproductive?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 422-436.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:119:y:2015:i:c:p:422-436
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2015.09.010
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    9. Sven Kunisch & Markus Menz & David Collis, 2020. "Corporate headquarters in the twenty-first century: an organization design perspective," Journal of Organization Design, Springer;Organizational Design Community, vol. 9(1), pages 1-32, December.
    10. Morikawa, Masayuki, 2020. "Effects of outside directors on firms’ investments and performance: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in Japan," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    11. Morikawa, Masayuki, 2021. "Productivity of firms using relief policies during the COVID-19 crisis," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    12. MORIKAWA Masayuki, 2016. "Location and Productivity of Knowledge- and Information-intensive Business Services," Discussion papers 16067, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    13. Toshiyuki Matsuura, 2022. "Heterogeneous impact of import competition on firm organisation: Evidence from Japanese firm‐level data," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(7), pages 2251-2269, July.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Headquarters; Centralization; Decentralization; ICT network; TFP;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D23 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Organizational Behavior; Transaction Costs; Property Rights
    • L22 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Organization and Market Structure
    • L25 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Performance
    • M10 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - General

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