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Should Workers Care about Firm Size?

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Author Info
Ana Ferrer
Stéphanie Lluis

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Abstract

The authors analyze how firms of different sizes reward measured skills and unmea¬sured ability. The empirical methodology, based on nonlinear instrumental variable estimation, permits direct estimation of the returns to unmeasured ability by firm size. An analysis of panel data from the Canadian Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics for two periods, 1993-1998 and 1996-2001, reveals statistically significant differences between firms of different sizes. In particular, returns to unmeasured ability are higher in medium-sized firms than in either small firms or large firms. The authors find that the firm-size wage gap and the differential in returns to unmeasured ability between small and medium-sized firms is mainly explained by ability sorting. The fact that larger firms reward ability less than medium-sized firms is consistent with an explanation based on monitoring costs. When firms become "too large," monitoring costs may prevent them from rewarding ability directly through wages.

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Article provided by ILR Review, ILR School, Cornell University in its journal ILR Review.

Volume (Year): 62 (2008)
Issue (Month): 1 (October)
Pages: 104-125
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Handle: RePEc:ilr:articl:v:62:y:2008:i:1:p:104-125

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Stephanie Lluis, . "The Role of Comparative Advantage and Learning in Wage Dynamics and Intra-Firm Mobility: Evidence from Germany," Working Papers 0103, Industrial Relations Center, University of Minnesota (Twin Cities Campus). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Agell, Jonas, 2003. "Why are Small Firms Different? Managers' Views," Research Papers in Economics 2003:9, Stockholm University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  3. Rene Morissette, 1993. "Canadian Jobs and Firm Size: Do Smaller Firms Pay Less?," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 26(1), pages 159-74, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Robert Gibbons & Lawrence F. Katz & Thomas Lemieux & Daniel Parent, 2002. "Comparative Advantage, Learning, and Sectoral Wage Determination," NBER Working Papers 8889, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  5. Garen, John E, 1985. "Worker Heterogeneity, Job Screening, and Firm Size," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 93(4), pages 715-39, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Jonas Agell, 2003. "Why are Small Firms Different? Managers' Views," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo Group Munich. [Downloadable!]
  7. John M. Abowd & Francis Kramarz & David N. Margolis, 1999. "High Wage Workers and High Wage Firms," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 67(2), pages 251-334, March.
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  8. Lemieux, Thomas, 1998. "Estimating the Effects of Unions on Wage Inequality in a Panel Data Model with Comparative Advantage and Nonrandom Selection," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 16(2), pages 261-91, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Sattinger, Michael, 1993. "Assignment Models of the Distribution of Earnings," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 31(2), pages 831-80, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Brown, Charles & Medoff, James, 1989. "The Employer Size-Wage Effect," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 97(5), pages 1027-59, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  11. Kenneth R. Troske, 1999. "Evidence On The Employer Size-Wage Premium From Worker-Establishment Matched Data," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 81(1), pages 15-26, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  12. Luojia Hu, 2003. "The hiring decisions and compensation structures of large firms," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, ILR Review, ILR School, Cornell University, vol. 56(4), pages 663-681, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Thierry Lallemand & Robert Plasman & François Rycx, 2007. "The establishment-size wage premium: evidence from European countries," Empirica, Springer, vol. 34(5), pages 427-451, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  2. Naci H. Mocan & Erdal Tekin, 2009. "Obesity, Self-esteem and Wages," NBER Working Papers 15101, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Lixin Cai & C. Jeffrey Waddoups, 2009. "The Role of Unobserved Heterogeneity and On-the-Job Training in the Employer Size-Wage Effect: Evidence from Australia," Working Papers 0915, University of Nevada, Las Vegas , Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  4. Alexander Muravyev, 2007. "Firm Size, Wages and Unobserved Skills: Evidence from Dual Job Holdings in the UK," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 681, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research. [Downloadable!]
  5. Thierry Lallemand & François Rycx, 2005. "Establishment Size and the Dispersion of Wages: Evidence from European Countries," Working Papers DULBEA 05-18.RS, Université libre de Bruxelles, Department of Applied Economics (DULBEA). [Downloadable!]
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