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Technology, Demand, And The Size Distribution Of Firms

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  • Peter Neary
  • Monika MrázováMathieu Parenti

Abstract

We derive exact conditions relating the distributions of firm productivity, sales, output, and markups to the form of demand; in particular, for a large family (including Pareto, log-normal, and Fréchet), the distributions of productivity and output are the same if and only if demand is "CREMR" (Constant Revenue Elasticity of Marginal Revenue). Moreover, we use the Kullback-Leibler Divergence to quantify the information loss when a predicted distribution fails to match the actual one; and we find that,to explain the sales distribution, the choice between Pareto and log-normal productivity distributions matters less than the choice between CREMR and other demands.

Suggested Citation

  • Peter Neary & Monika MrázováMathieu Parenti, 2015. "Technology, Demand, And The Size Distribution Of Firms," Economics Series Working Papers 774, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:oxf:wpaper:774
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Nigai, Sergey, 2017. "A tale of two tails: Productivity distribution and the gains from trade," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 44-62.
    2. Alessandra Bonfiglioli & Rosario Crinò & Gino Gancia, 2018. "Betting on Exports: Trade and Endogenous Heterogeneity," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 128(609), pages 612-651, March.
    3. Egger, Peter & ,, 2019. "Heterogeneous Effects of Tariff and Non-tariff Trade-Policy Barriers in Quantitative General Equilibrium," CEPR Discussion Papers 13602, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    4. Ruben Dewitte & Michel Dumont & Glenn Rayp & Peter Willemé, 2022. "Unobserved heterogeneity in the productivity distribution and gains from trade," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 55(3), pages 1566-1597, August.
    5. Fabrice Defever & Alejandro Riano, 2017. "Twin peaks," Discussion Papers 2017-15, University of Nottingham, GEP.
    6. Jung, Jae Wook & Simonovska, Ina & Weinberger, Ariel, 2019. "Exporter heterogeneity and price discrimination: A quantitative view," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 103-124.
    7. Sophie Hatte & Pamina Koenig, 2020. "The Geography of NGO Activism against Multinational Corporations," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 34(1), pages 143-163.
    8. Ingo Geishecker & Philipp J. H. Schröder & Allan Sørensen, 2017. "Explaining the size differences of exporter premia: theory and evidence," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 153(2), pages 327-351, May.
    9. Görg, Holger & Henze, Philipp & Jienwatcharamongkhol, Viroj & Kopasker, Daniel & Molana, Hassan & Montagna, Catia & Sjöholm, Fredrik, 2017. "Firm size distribution and employment fluctuations: Theory and evidence," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(4), pages 690-703.
    10. Egger, Peter Hannes & Egger, Peter, 2016. "Heterogeneous Effects of Tariff and Nontariff Policy Barriers in General Equilibrium," VfS Annual Conference 2016 (Augsburg): Demographic Change 145675, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    11. Bawa, Siraj G., 2017. "Good intentions bad outcomes: the effects of investment subsidies on agricultural productivity," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 258485, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    12. Dewitte, Ruben, 2020. "From Heavy-Tailed Micro to Macro: on the characterization of firm-level heterogeneity and its aggregation properties," MPRA Paper 103170, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    CREMR Demands; Heterogeneous Firms; Kullback-Leibler Divergence; Log-Normal Distribution; Pareto Distribution.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies; Fragmentation

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