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Make and buy: Balancing bargaining power

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  • Stenbacka, Rune
  • Tombak, Mihkel

Abstract

We analyze the optimal procurement of labor, which can be supplied either internally, based on wage negotiations, or acquired at terms negotiated with an external subcontractor. The novel feature of our model is that the subcontractor's bargaining power is a function of the proportion of output outsourced. We demonstrate analytically how multiple sourcing emerges as an organizational mechanism to balance cost advantages associated with outsourcing against a subcontractor's increased bargaining power. We find that the optimal proportion of outsourcing is lower with sequential negotiations than with simultaneous negotiations, if the supplier to first negotiate can foreclose subsequent negotiations.

Suggested Citation

  • Stenbacka, Rune & Tombak, Mihkel, 2012. "Make and buy: Balancing bargaining power," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 81(2), pages 391-402.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:81:y:2012:i:2:p:391-402
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2011.12.001
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    Cited by:

    1. You, Jing & Imai, Katsushi S. & Gaiha, Raghav, 2016. "Declining Nutrient Intake in a Growing China: Does Household Heterogeneity Matter?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 171-191.
    2. Noriaki Matsushima & Laixun Zhao, 2015. "Strategic dual sourcing as a driver for free revealing of innovation," ISER Discussion Paper 0936, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University.
    3. Alipranti, Maria & Milliou, Chrysovalantou & Petrakis, Emmanuel, 2015. "On vertical relations and the timing of technology adoption," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 117-129.
    4. Chrysovalantou Milliou & Joel Sandonis, 2016. "Vertical Foreign Direct Investment: Make, Sell and (Not) Buy," CESifo Working Paper Series 6190, CESifo.
    5. Basu, Arnab K. & Chau, Nancy H. & Soundararajan, Vidhya, 2019. "Wage fairness in a subcontracted labor market," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 24-42.
    6. Gregory E. Kersten & Tomasz Wachowicz & Margaret Kersten, 2016. "Competition, Transparency, and Reciprocity: A Comparative Study of Auctions and Negotiations," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 25(4), pages 693-722, July.
    7. Chrysovalantou Milliou & Joel Sandonis, 2020. "Vertical foreign direct investment: Make, buy, and sell," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(3), pages 884-912, August.
    8. Beladi, Hamid & Mukherjee, Arijit, 2017. "Union bargaining power, subcontracting and innovation," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 90-104.
    9. Noriaki Matsushima & Laixun Zhao, 2018. "Technology spillovers and outside options in a bilateral duopoly," ISER Discussion Paper 1039, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University.
    10. Yutian Chen & Ying-Ju Chen, 2020. "Strategic partial outsourcing in the presence of single-source components," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 131(3), pages 237-265, December.
    11. Takeshi Iida & Arijit Mukherjee, 2020. "Make and buy in a polluting industry," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 22(6), pages 1852-1874, December.
    12. Maria Alipranti & Chrysovalantou Miliou & Emmanuel Petrakis, 2014. "On Vertical Relations and Technology Adoption Timing," Working Papers 1502, University of Crete, Department of Economics.
    13. Kopel, Michael & Löffler, Clemens & Pfeiffer, Thomas, 2016. "Sourcing strategies of a multi-input-multi-product firm," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 30-45.
    14. Chongvilaivan, Aekapol & Hur, Jung & Riyanto, Yohanes E., 2013. "Labor union bargaining and firm organizational structure," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 116-124.
    15. Heese, H. Sebastian, 2015. "Single versus multiple sourcing and the evolution of bargaining positions," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 125-133.
    16. Colombo, Stefano & Scrimitore, Marcella, 2018. "Managerial delegation under capacity commitment: A tale of two sources," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 149-161.
    17. Matsushima, Noriaki & Shinohara, Ryusuke, 2014. "What factors determine the number of trading partners?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 428-441.
    18. Thomas Gehrig & Rune Stenbacka, 2023. "Dual Sourcing and Resilient Supply Chains: The Case of Essential Resources," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 51(4), pages 223-241, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Organizational design; Multiple sourcing; Bargaining power;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L14 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Transactional Relationships; Contracts and Reputation
    • L23 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Organization of Production
    • M55 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Labor Contracting Devices
    • J52 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Dispute Resolution: Strikes, Arbitration, and Mediation

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