We show that the efficient allocation of production capacity can turn a competitive industry and downstream market into an imperfectly competitive one. Even though downstream firms have symmetric production technologies, the downstream industry structure will be symmmetric only if capacity is sufficiently scarce. Otherwise it will be asymmetric, with one large "fat" capacity-hoarding firm and a fringe of smaller "lean and fit" firms, so that Tobin`s Q varies inversely with firm size. This is so even if the number of firms is infinitely large. As demand or input quantity varies, the industry may switch between symmetric and asymmetric phases, generating predictions for firm size and costs across the business cycle. Surprisingly, an increase in available capacity resulting in such a switch can cause a reduction in total output and consumer surplus.
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Paper provided by University of Oxford, Department of Economics in its series Economics Series Working Papers with number
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Rotemberg, Julio J. & Woodford, Michael, 1999.
"The cyclical behavior of prices and costs,"
Handbook of Macroeconomics,
in: J. B. Taylor & M. Woodford (ed.), Handbook of Macroeconomics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 16, pages 1051-1135
Elsevier.
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Davidson, Carl & Deneckere, Raymond J, 1990.
"Excess Capacity and Collusion,"
International Economic Review,
Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 31(3), pages 521-41, August.
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Other versions:
Carl Davidson & Raymond Deneckere, 1984.
"Excess Capacity and Collusion,"
Discussion Papers
675, Northwestern University, Center for Mathematical Studies in Economics and Management Science.
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