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Does the Firm Size Matter? An Empirical Enquiry into the Performance of Indian Manufacturing Firms

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  • Bhattacharyya, Surajit
  • Saxena, Arunima

Abstract

The Law of Proportionate Effect depicts that firm’s growth rate is independent of its size; Gibrat (1931). Some of the existing studies support the Gibrat’s Law: Hymer and Pashigian (1962), Mansfield (1962), among others. However, Gale (1972), Shepherd (1972) and recently Punnose (2008) report a positive relationship, while Haines (1970) and Evans (1987) observe an inverse relationship between firm size and profitability. Baumol (1959) opined that rate of return increases with firm size. Therefore, the extant empirical research on the firm size – performance relationship provides inconclusive results. Manufacturing firms’ data from the Steel and Electrical & Electronics (EE) industries are taken from CMIE Prowess database for the period 2004-05 to 2006-07. Results show that firm size affects current profitability: positively in the Steel and negatively in the other. Some more determinants of firm performance are explored. Retained earnings have negative impact on profitability in Steel but, positive in EE. Bank credit is found negatively significant in both the industries. Market share of firms and industry concentration ratio (CR4) although inconsistently are the other significant determinants of firms’ performance. Firms’ market value (Q) is found positively significant for both the industries. This signifies that high market value of firms reflects their goodwill, knowledge stock and prospective investment opportunities which positively influence the firms’ performance. The significance of having high brand equity which the corporate firms thrive for becomes apparent. Interestingly, the impact of size is affected by firms’ market value: firm size positively affects profitability both in Steel and EE. Furthermore, ineffectiveness of Law of Proportionate Effect is strengthened when tested over the combined data of Steel and EE firms. The short-run dynamism in firm performance is also impacted by presence of Tobin’s Q.

Suggested Citation

  • Bhattacharyya, Surajit & Saxena, Arunima, 2009. "Does the Firm Size Matter? An Empirical Enquiry into the Performance of Indian Manufacturing Firms," MPRA Paper 13029, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:13029
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Evans, David S, 1987. "The Relationship between Firm Growth, Size, and Age: Estimates for 100 Manufacturing Industries," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(4), pages 567-581, June.
    2. Chesher, Andrew, 1979. "Testing the Law of Proportionate Effect," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(4), pages 403-411, June.
    3. D.B. Audretsch & L. Klomp & E. Santarelli & A.R. Thurik, 2004. "Gibrat's Law: Are the Services Different?," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 24(3), pages 301-324, May.
    4. Saleh Amirkhalkhali & Arun K. Mukhopadhyay, 1993. "The Influence of Size and R&D on the Growth of Firms in the U.S," Eastern Economic Journal, Eastern Economic Association, vol. 19(2), pages 223-233, Spring.
    5. Hall, Bronwyn H, 1987. "The Relationship between Firm Size and Firm Growth in the U.S. Manufacturing Sector," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(4), pages 583-606, June.
    6. Gale, Bradley T, 1972. "Market Share and Rate of Return," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 54(4), pages 412-423, November.
    7. Breusch, T S & Pagan, A R, 1979. "A Simple Test for Heteroscedasticity and Random Coefficient Variation," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 47(5), pages 1287-1294, September.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Douch, Mohamed & Farooq, Omar & Bouaddi, Mohammed, 2015. "Stock price synchronicity and tails of return distribution," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 1-11.
    3. Saumitra Bhaduri & Aditi Bhattacharya, 2018. "Financial Liberalization and Allocation of Capital: Dark Side of the Moon," Journal of Quantitative Economics, Springer;The Indian Econometric Society (TIES), vol. 16(1), pages 163-185, December.
    4. Mohina Saxena & Surajit Bhattacharyya, 2022. "Industry dynamics and capital structure choice: Evidence from Indian manufacturing firms," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(3), pages 829-845, April.
    5. Ahmed Imran Hunjra & Muhammad Irfan Chani & Sehrish Javed & Sana Naeem & Muhammad Shahzad Ijaz, 2014. "Impact of Micro Economic Variables on Firms Performance," International Journal of Economics and Empirical Research (IJEER), The Economics and Social Development Organization (TESDO), vol. 2(2), pages 65-73, February.
    6. Sorin-Romulus Berinde & Adrian-Gabriel Corpădean, 2019. "Assessing the Sustainable Room for Growth for a Particular Romanian Tourism Area of Business: The Case of Accommodation Businesses," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-16, January.
    7. Victor Chiedu OBA & Musa Inuwa FODIO & Abdulkarim Alhassan SHAIBU, 2020. "Fund Traits and Corporate Value of Pension Fund Administrators in Nigeria," REVISTA DE MANAGEMENT COMPARAT INTERNATIONAL/REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL COMPARATIVE MANAGEMENT, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 21(3), pages 390-400, July.
    8. Pramod Kumar Naik, 2014. "R&D Intensity and Market Valuation of Firm: A Study of R&D Incurring Manufacturing Firms in India," Journal of Studies in Dynamics and Change (JSDC), ISSN: 2348-7038, Voices of Inclusive Change and Expressions- (VOICE) Trust, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, vol. 1(7), pages 295-308., November.
    9. Nisar, Shaista & Boateng, Agyenim & Wu, Junjie, 2018. "The entry mode strategy and performance of SMEs: Evidence from Norway," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 323-333.
    10. Tripti Nashier & Amitabh Gupta, 2023. "Ownership Concentration and Firm Performance in India," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 24(2), pages 353-370, April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Gibrat’s law; firm size; profitability; Tobin’s Q; manufacturing firms;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L6 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing
    • M21 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Economics - - - Business Economics

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