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Technological Change and the Boundaries of the Firm

Author

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  • Lewis, Tracy R
  • Sappington, David E M

Abstract

The authors examine a firm's decision either to produce an essential input itself or to hire a subcontractor to produce the input. The authors focus on how this decision is affected by technological change in the industry. In general, cost-reducing technological change leads the firm to produce the input itself more often. The firm's calculus is shown to depend on whether the subcontractor's skills are idiosyncratic or transferable. In the latter case, technological progress can even be detrimental to the firm and to society as a whole. Copyright 1991 by American Economic Association.

Suggested Citation

  • Lewis, Tracy R & Sappington, David E M, 1991. "Technological Change and the Boundaries of the Firm," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 81(4), pages 887-900, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aecrev:v:81:y:1991:i:4:p:887-900
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    Cited by:

    1. Justin Marion, 2015. "Sourcing from the Enemy: Horizontal Subcontracting in Highway Procurement," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 63(1), pages 100-128, March.
    2. Ann Bartel & Saul Lach & Nachum Sicherman, 2005. "Outsourcing and Technological Change," NBER Working Papers 11158, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Gamal Atallah, 2002. "Production Technology, Information Technology, and Vertical Integration Under Asymmetric Information," Working Papers 0203EClassification-JEL: , University of Ottawa, Department of Economics.
    4. Richard N. Langlois & Nicolai J. Foss, 1999. "Capabilities and Governance: The Rebirth of Production in the Theory of Economic Organization," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(2), pages 201-218, May.
    5. Yun, Mikyung, 1999. "Subcontracting relations in the Korean automotive industry: risk sharing and technological capability," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 17(1), pages 81-108, January.
    6. Xiaokai Yang & Yew-Kwang Ng, 2006. "Theory Of The Firm And Structure Of Residual Rights," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Christis Tombazos & Xiaokai Yang (ed.), Inframarginal Contributions To Development Economics, chapter 10, pages 231-258, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    7. Yang, X. & Liu, P.W., 1999. "Division of Labor Transaction Cost, Emergence of the Firm and Firm Size," Papers 10, Chicago - Graduate School of Business.
    8. Alger Ingela & Ma Ching-to Albert & Renault Regis, 2012. "Experience Benefits and Firm Organization," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 12(1), pages 1-35, September.
    9. Joaquín Andaluz, 2009. "Vertical product differentiation with subcontracting," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 88(4), pages 785-798, November.
    10. Rachael Goodhue & Leo Simon, 2016. "Agricultural contracts, adverse selection, and multiple inputs," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 4(1), pages 1-33, December.
    11. Pak-Wai Liu & Xiaokai Yang, 2006. "The Theory Of Irrelevance Of The Size Of The Firm," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Christis Tombazos & Xiaokai Yang (ed.), Inframarginal Contributions To Development Economics, chapter 11, pages 259-290, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    12. Maria Rosa Battaggion & Vittoria Cerasi & Gülen Karakoç, 2023. "On the optimality of information sharing between integrated and vertically separated competitors," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 89(4), pages 1168-1195, April.
    13. Kerschbamer, Rudolf & Maderner, Nina & Tournas, Yanni, 2002. "Idiosyncratic investments, outside opportunities and the boundaries of the firm," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 20(8), pages 1119-1141, October.
    14. Fernando Bernstein & Gregory A. DeCroix, 2004. "Decentralized Pricing and Capacity Decisions in a Multitier System with Modular Assembly," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 50(9), pages 1293-1308, September.
    15. Eliasson, Gunnar & Eliasson, Åsa, 2004. "The Theory of the Firm and the Markets for Strategic Acquisitions," Ratio Working Papers 44, The Ratio Institute.

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