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Global sourcing and firm selection

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  • Kohler, Wilhelm
  • Smolka, Marcel

Abstract

Which firms find it optimal to integrate their input suppliers into the firm boundaries of control (vertical integration)? Which firms choose to expand their sourcing activities across the national border (offshoring)? This letter provides novel evidence on these questions based on a Spanish firm-level data set. We find that firms selecting into strategies of vertical integration and of offshoring tend to have been more productive ex ante than firms choosing not to do so. This finding is in line with the recent heterogeneous-firm literature on input sourcing under incomplete contracts.

Suggested Citation

  • Kohler, Wilhelm & Smolka, Marcel, 2013. "Global sourcing and firm selection," University of Tübingen Working Papers in Business and Economics 63, University of Tuebingen, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, School of Business and Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:tuewef:63
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wilhelm K. Kohler & Marcel Smolka, 2012. "Global Sourcing: Evidence from Spanish Firm-Level Data," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Robert M Stern (ed.), Quantitative Analysis Of Newly Evolving Patterns Of International Trade Fragmentation, Offshoring of Activities, and Vertical Intra-Industry Trade, chapter 4, pages 139-193, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
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    11. Trefler, Daniel & Nunn, Nathan, 2013. "Incomplete contracts and the boundaries of the multinational firm," Scholarly Articles 33077829, Harvard University Department of Economics.
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    17. repec:hrv:faseco:4784029 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. Kohler, Wilhelm & Smolka, Marcel, 2013. "Global Sourcing: Towards an Empirical Test of the Hold-up Model," VfS Annual Conference 2013 (Duesseldorf): Competition Policy and Regulation in a Global Economic Order 80049, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    19. Joachim Wagner, 2011. "Offshoring and firm performance: self-selection, effects on performance, or both?," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 147(2), pages 217-247, June.
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    22. Marc J. Melitz, 2003. "The Impact of Trade on Intra-Industry Reallocations and Aggregate Industry Productivity," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 71(6), pages 1695-1725, November.
    23. Kohler Wilhelm K & Smolka Marcel, 2011. "Sourcing Premia with Incomplete Contracts: Theory and Evidence," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 11(1), pages 1-39, February.
    24. Stefano Federico, 2010. "Outsourcing versus integration at home or abroad and firm heterogeneity," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 37(1), pages 47-63, February.
    25. Stefano Federico, 2012. "Headquarter intensity and the choice between outsourcing versus integration at home or abroad," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 21(6), pages 1337-1358, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Verena Nowak & Christian Schwarz & Jens Suedekum, 2016. "Asymmetric spiders: Supplier heterogeneity and the organization of firms," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 49(2), pages 663-684, May.
    2. Hartmut Egger & Udo Kreickemeier & Jens Wrona, 2017. "Offshoring Domestic Jobs," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: International Trade and Labor Markets Welfare, Inequality and Unemployment, chapter 2, pages 27-70, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    3. Lorentz, Harri & Kumar, Mukesh & Srai, Jagjit Singh, 2018. "Managing distance in international purchasing and supply: a systematic review of literature from the resource-based view perspective," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 339-354.
    4. T. Gries & R. Grundmann & I. Palnau & M. Redlin, 2017. "Innovations, growth and participation in advanced economies - a review of major concepts and findings," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 14(2), pages 293-351, April.
    5. He, Huanlang & Yu, Zhihao, 2018. "Product quality, incomplete contract and the product cycle," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 160-167.
    6. Eppinger, Peter S., 2019. "Service offshoring and firm employment," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 209-228.
    7. Peter S. Eppinger & Nicole Meythaler & Marc-Manuel Sindlinger & Marcel Smolka, 2018. "The great trade collapse and the Spanish export miracle: Firm-level evidence from the crisis," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(2), pages 457-493, February.
    8. Eppinger, Peter & Kukharskyy, Bohdan, 2021. "Contracting institutions and firm integration around the world," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    9. Philipp Herkenhoff & Sebastian Krautheim, 2018. "The International Organization of Production in the Regulatory Void," CESifo Working Paper Series 6922, CESifo.
    10. Liu, Mengxiao, 2021. "The missing option in firm boundary decisions," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    11. Koch, Michael & Smolka, Marcel, 2019. "Foreign ownership and skill-biased technological change," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 84-104.
    12. Tobias Brändle, 2015. "Is offshoring linked to offshoring potential? Evidence from German linked employer–employee data," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 151(4), pages 735-766, November.
    13. Kohler, Wilhelm & Smolka, Marcel, 2021. "Productivity and firm boundaries," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    14. Peter S. Eppinger, 2014. "Exploiting the Potential for Services Offshoring: Evidence from German Firms," IAW Discussion Papers 109, Institut für Angewandte Wirtschaftsforschung (IAW).
    15. Koch, Michael & Smolka, Marcel, 2017. "Foreign Ownership and Skill-biased Technological Change," VfS Annual Conference 2017 (Vienna): Alternative Structures for Money and Banking 168202, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    16. Eppinger, Peter S. & Kukharskyy, Bohdan, 2017. "Contracting institutions and firm boundaries," University of Tübingen Working Papers in Business and Economics 100, University of Tuebingen, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, School of Business and Economics.
    17. Kukharskyy, Bohdan, 2020. "A tale of two property rights: Knowledge, physical assets, and multinational firm boundaries," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    18. Smolka, Marcel & Kohler, Wilhelm, 2015. "Global Sourcing of Heterogeneous Firms: Theory and Evidence," VfS Annual Conference 2015 (Muenster): Economic Development - Theory and Policy 113012, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    19. Herkenhoff, Philipp & Krautheim, Sebastian, 2022. "The international organization of production in the regulatory void," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    vertical integration; offshoring; firm selection; firm productivity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • L22 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Organization and Market Structure
    • L23 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Organization of Production

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