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A quantitative cross-modal analysis of transportation firms’ transaction costs – Are airlines any different?

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  • Merkert, Rico
  • Cowie, Jonathan

Abstract

This paper applies a top-down approach to transaction cost measurement to identify the size of the transaction sector within types of transport firms in Britain, including rail and bus operating firms but also and importantly of airlines. Whilst this cross-sector analysis shows differences for a snapshot in time, it also reveals changes of transaction costs over time. Our results suggest that airlines employ a relatively large number of transaction staff. However, in contrast to the train and bus operators, airlines in Britain have managed to reduce the level of their transaction costs substantially over time both in relation to output and operating cost.

Suggested Citation

  • Merkert, Rico & Cowie, Jonathan, 2012. "A quantitative cross-modal analysis of transportation firms’ transaction costs – Are airlines any different?," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 22(C), pages 3-8.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jaitra:v:22:y:2012:i:c:p:3-8
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jairtraman.2012.01.002
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Fuhr Johannes & Beckers Thorsten, 2006. "Vertical Governance between Airlines and Airports - A Transaction Cost Analysis," Review of Network Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 5(4), pages 1-27, December.
    2. Steven Tadelis & Oliver E.Williamson, 2012. "Transaction Cost Economics [The Handbook of Organizational Economics]," Introductory Chapters,, Princeton University Press.
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    5. Wallis, John Joseph & North, Douglass C., 1988. "Should Transaction Costs be Subtracted from Gross National Product?," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 48(03), pages 651-654, September.
    6. Williamson, Oliver E., 2005. "Transaction cost economics and business administration," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 19-40, March.
    7. Merkert, Rico, 2010. "Changes in transaction costs over time - The case of franchised train operating firms in Britain," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 52-59.
    8. Jonathan Cowie, 2002. "Acquisition, efficiency and scale economies: An analysis of the British bus industry," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(2), pages 147-157, January.
    9. Michael Dietrich, 2003. "The importance of management and transaction costs for large UK firms," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(11), pages 1317-1329.
    10. John J. Wallis & Douglass North, 1986. "Measuring the Transaction Sector in the American Economy, 1870-1970," NBER Chapters, in: Long-Term Factors in American Economic Growth, pages 95-162, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jonathan Cowie & Sarah Loynes, 2012. "An assessment of cost management regimes in British rail infrastructure provision," Transportation, Springer, vol. 39(6), pages 1281-1299, November.
    2. Merkert, Rico & Mulley, Corinne & Hakim, Md Mahbubul, 2018. "Trade-offs between transaction cost, operation cost and innovation in the context of procurement and asset specificity – The example of the bus industry," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 173-179.
    3. Mahtani, Umesh S. & Garg, Chandra Prakash, 2018. "An analysis of key factors of financial distress in airline companies in India using fuzzy AHP framework," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 87-102.
    4. Merkert, Rico & Williams, George, 2013. "Determinants of European PSO airline efficiency – Evidence from a semi-parametric approach," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 11-16.

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