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Firm organization and productivity across locations

Author

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  • Spanos, Grigorios

Abstract

This paper provides a new mechanism to explain variation in firm productivity across locations: variation in the internal organization of labor into hierarchical layers, which are associated with different responsibilities within the firm. To guide my analysis, I develop a theoretical model that yields two implications. First, firms in larger markets organize into a greater number of layers. Second, because they have more layers, firms in larger markets are more productive. I then use administrative data to examine the model’s implications across French employment areas and non-tradeable service industries that satisfy the model’s assumptions: Clothing and Shoe Retail, Traditional Restaurants, and Hair and Beauty Salons. The findings are consistent with the model. I also observe that 8.8% to 22.4% of the log productivity gains from denser areas arise from differences in the organization of firms. A separate analysis shows that results are similar across firms operating in the manufacturing sector.

Suggested Citation

  • Spanos, Grigorios, 2019. "Firm organization and productivity across locations," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 152-168.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:juecon:v:112:y:2019:i:c:p:152-168
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jue.2019.05.006
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Spanos, Grigorios, 2022. "Organization & density-related differences in within-firm wage disparities," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    2. Anna Gumpert & Henrike Steimer & Manfred Antoni, 2022. "Firm Organization with Multiple Establishments [“Organizing Offshoring: Middle Managers and Communication Costs]," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 137(2), pages 1091-1138.
    3. Acosta, Camilo & Lyngemark, Ditte Håkonsson, 2021. "The internal spatial organization of firms: Evidence from Denmark," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    4. Alessandro Sforza, 2020. "Shocks and the Organization of the Firm: Who Pays the Bill?," CESifo Working Paper Series 8084, CESifo.
    5. Stefano De Falco & Alberto Corbino, 2021. "Sustainable Cities: Some Reflections on Companies’ Settlements," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-19, November.
    6. Demir, Firat & Hu, Chenghao & Liu, Junyi & Shen, Hewei, 2022. "Local corruption, total factor productivity and firm heterogeneity: Empirical evidence from Chinese manufacturing firms," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    7. Anna Gumpert & Henrike Steimer & Manfred Antoni, 2023. "Firm Organization with Multiple Establishments," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 137(2), pages 1091-1138.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Firm organization; Heterogeneous firms; Market size; Density; Regional disparities; Wages; Firm productivity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • L22 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Organization and Market Structure
    • L23 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Organization of Production
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)

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