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Financing Constraints, Radical versus Incremental Innovation, and Aggregate Productivity

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  • Andrea Caggese

Abstract

I provide new empirical evidence on the negative relationship between financial frictions and productivity growth over a firm's life cycle. I show that a model of firm dynamics with incremental innovation cannot explain this evidence. However, further including radical innovation, which is very risky but potentially very productive, allows for the joint replication of several stylized facts about the dynamics of young and old firms and the differences in productivity growth in industries with different degrees of financing frictions. These frictions matter because they act as a barrier to entry that reduces competition and the risk-taking of young firms.

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  • Andrea Caggese, 2019. "Financing Constraints, Radical versus Incremental Innovation, and Aggregate Productivity," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 11(2), pages 275-309, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejmac:v:11:y:2019:i:2:p:275-309
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/mac.20160298
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • D25 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Intertemporal Firm Choice: Investment, Capacity, and Financing
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • L25 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Performance
    • L60 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - General
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives

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